National Museum Showcases Rare Malaysian Musical Instruments

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - The “sempoton” of Sabah and the “engkerurai” of Sarawak are among rare traditional musical instruments currently on display at the Traditional Musical Instruments from Various Ethnic Groups exhibition at the National Museum here.

Museum director-general Ibrahim Ismail said the exhibition, which started last Saturday and ends on Sunday, showcased the evolution of musical instruments of various ethnic groups in Malaysia across the ages.

He said the exhibition displayed 108 traditional musical instruments of the string, woodwind, brass and percussion kinds from all over the country.

The musical instruments were also decades old and made of material from nature such as bamboo, rocks, plant, animal hide, bones and horns, he said.

The plethora of musical instruments showcased reflected the rich Malaysian music heritage as the instruments were not only used during festivals but also at palace functions, religious ceremonies, rituals and also for medicinal purposes, he said.

Ibrahim said the special exhibition was not to introduce the rare musical instruments but to provide visitors with deeper knowledge about them.

“Exhibitions like this give visitors a chance to see these musical instruments up close in addition to learning more about them,” he said.

Multimedia presentations on the making and use of the musical instruments were being screened for the benefit of visitors, he said.

Ibrahim said similar exhibitions would also be held at other museums under the National Museums Department and at institutes of higher learning under the "Merentas Kampus” (Across the Campus) programme.

Source: http://www.bernama.com
Photo: http://www.trekearth.com

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