Making waves with his performance alongside Calum Scott, Anderson Kalang discusses his life with the Sape’, his skills in the warrior dance, and his roles as a photographer and videographer. He shares his journey into the arts and culture of his traditions. Through these revelations and reflections, Anderson’s life journey emerges as a journey of self-discovery.
Melding timeless traditions with modern melodies
Multi-talented personality Anderson Kalang has impressed Malaysians with the cultural musical instrument, the Sape’, as he strummed it during his recent showcase with international artiste Calum Scott. Although his involvement in the arts dates back decades, the 43-year-old cultural artiste has always advocated for the arts and culture of Sarawak to our counterparts in West Malaysia.
Based in Kuala Lumpur since his early 30s, Anderson has often been commissioned to play the Sape’ and perform the Orang Ulu Warrior Dance. In addition to his musical talents, he is also a well-known photographer and videographer.
Born and raised in Miri, Anderson recalls that during his younger days, every gathering at the longhouse was filled with oral traditions and cultural dances.
“My father is a Kelabit from Long Lelang, and my mother is a Kelabit from Bario. Like any other kids, I went to school. However, one thing that is common in our family, and in other Orang Ulu families, is that at every gathering, we would have a dance session accompanied by tunes played by Sape’ masters. The elders would engage in an ‘Adih’ session (poetic chants), replying to one another with phrases,” he said.
Even at the young age of four, Anderson was already performing the Warrior Dance in front of his relatives, guided by his paternal grandfather and father, who are known dancers in the community.
“This dance is common among little boys in the longhouse. Young kids are often encouraged to dance, interpreting their life journey through the tunes of the Sape’.”
He added that this traditional practice is common among almost every Orang Ulu community — whether Kelabit, Kenyah, Kayan, or others — as a way to pass leisure time in the village and preserve generational arts and culture.
Foray in music
Starting off as a guitarist during his teenage years while serving in church, Anderson fondly reminisced about the day his dad allowed him to purchase his own guitar as a reward for achieving good results in his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
“Before getting my own guitar, I borrowed a ‘Kapok’ brand guitar from my cousin to play. I became interested in the instrument and admired the musicians at church. So I made a deal with my dad that if I could get good results, he would reward me.”
When Anderson showed his father his impressive SPM results, his delighted father rewarded him with a guitar.
“He also encouraged me to pursue music. We went to a music store in Miri, where we found an acoustic Fender guitar, and he bought it for me. I was thrilled,” he said, adding that with his new guitar, he joined the church’s worship team.
As a guitarist in church, Anderson believed he had been gifted with talent from God. Being able to play the guitar without looking at the chords — playing by ear — was a gift he learned to appreciate.
During his time in the oil and gas industry, he discovered a passion for videography.
“I loved shooting wedding video clips with a Panasonic Handycam that I bought in the early 2000s. As I grew older, I spent weekdays working in an oil and gas company, while on weekends, I would shoot weddings and serve at church.”
The unfateful afternoon
In 2007, Anderson’s house was broken into, and thieves stole two hard drives containing five years’ worth of his wedding videography portfolio, wedding photography work, and advertisement videos. The incident demotivated him and weakened his faith.
“I was depressed and started blaming God. I was so angry that I told Him to take away the gift He had given me. I felt that after serving Him for years, I was back to zero. Since then, I have not served at church. At work, I began comparing myself to my peers, and in relationships, I compared myself to friends and family. I felt down and had lost my faith,” he disclosed.
However, Anderson admitted that he could not completely abandon his faith. After two years, he returned to church and began serving in the music ministry again. Although he found that his ability to play guitar by ear seemed to have “left him,” he could still play by reading the chords.
During this period of seeking a second chance, Anderson became passionate about traditional tunes and continued his photography endeavours in Kuala Lumpur. Additionally, he was commissioned to perform the Orang Ulu Warrior Dance at events.
Immersing into the traditions
As he continues his life’s journey, Anderson talks about his cousin Hezekiah, whom he taught to dance and play the guitar in the late 2000s. In 2014, Anderson decided to pursue playing the Sape’ and sought Hezekiah’s help to learn.
“I enjoyed watching him play the Sape’. After he helped me get my own Sape’, our first lesson was not about playing the drone. Instead, he had me strum two strings out of the four, playing the same notes for an hour. As I struggled to keep up, I told him it was boring,” he recalled.
Hezekiah then explained that playing the Sape’ is different from strumming a guitar.
“With the Sape’, you use your index finger to play the melody string, and your thumb must be strong yet gentle to strum each string simultaneously. It is like a drummer using both hands and feet separately but simultaneously, except with the Sape’, you are doing all this with your fingers.”
Sape’ with a twist
Soon, Anderson’s Sape’ playing improved, and he began receiving commissions to play the musical instrument instead of showcasing the warrior dance. With a life closely intertwined with music, arts, and culture, Anderson felt the urge to add a modern twist to the traditional Sape’.
“Because of my long history with the guitar, some of my Sape’ playing techniques were influenced by my guitar finger stylings. I even perform contemporary songs with the Sape’. The design and length of the frets on my Sape’ (made of old hardened bamboo) are customised for my playing style and ergonomics. A standard fret is short, but mine is as long as a guitar fret,” he added.
Checking out Anderson’s YouTube channel — @andersonkalang — you will find his covers span different genres like soulful pop, blues, and others, in addition to cultural songs.
“Over the years, playing the Sape’ and taking event photos, I realised God answered my prayers. He gave me a second chance, perhaps not with the guitar, but with the Sape’, and maybe not with a video camera, but with photography. I can play the Sape’ as long as I know the keys to every song on the list.”
Attributing success to the community
Throughout every milestone Anderson has achieved, he credits the Sape’ community for his success in promoting Sarawak’s arts and culture from West Malaysia.
“I want to thank my cousins, Alena Murang and Emma Raja, for recommending me to Sean Matjeraie, the Producer at FlyFM, for our recent collaboration with Calum Scott. I also want to thank my business partners, family, friends, and the entire Sape’ community worldwide for their support and encouraging words. They have given me the confidence and blessings that have shaped my journey.”
For Anderson, his current milestones and achievements symbolise the support he has received over the years.
“Whatever I am today is thanks to everyone. These achievements belong to all of us.”
Those interested in following Anderson’s journey can visit his social media platforms (IG, YouTube, TikTok, FB @andersonkalang).
