THE Iban are one of the original indigenous peoples of Borneo, primarily found in Sarawak, West Kalimantan, Brunei and Sabah.
The Iban, also known as Sea Dayaks, are a branch of the Dayak ethnic groups on the island of Borneo.
It is believed that the term “Iban” comes from the Kayan language, where “Iban” or “Hivan” means “human” or “people.”
Historically, the Iban were known for practices such as headhunting and territorial expansion, earning a fearsome reputation as a powerful and successful warring tribe.
However, with the arrival of Europeans and subsequent colonisation, headhunting gradually disappeared.
Despite this, many of their traditional customs, practices, and the Iban language continue to thrive.
The Iban population is primarily concentrated in Brunei, the West Kalimantan region of Indonesia, and the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
They traditionally reside in longhouses known as “rumah panjai” in Sarawak or “betang” in West Kalimantan. These longhouses are constructed by connecting tree trunks horizontally, symbolisng a tree with branches extending to the sides.
History of the Iban in Sarawak
Numerous studies explore the migration patterns of ethnic groups in Sarawak, particularly the Iban. Central to this is the custom of “Berjalai,” a practice aimed at seeking better opportunities, such as finding fertile land for peaceful and prosperous living.
Traditionally known as the Dayak Laut, the Iban originally migrated from Kalimantan, Indonesia, to Sarawak around the same time Europeans arrived in Southeast Asia. They entered Sarawak via Batang Air Kapuas, the most accessible route across the Sarawak-Kalimantan border.
Initially, the Iban, led by Singgalang Burung, settled along the Kapuas River. Meanwhile, another group led by Sera Gunting preferred the Tiang Laju Range in western Borneo. When Singgalang Burung did not visit this area, a conference was held in Merakai, a tributary of Sungai Kapuas, to discuss relocating the Iban to Batang Ai. Following this agreement, the Iban began migrating, with their first settlement in Kumpang, Sarawak.
Some Ibans, influenced by other leaders, explored upstream along Sungai Kumpang toward Lubok Antu and Engkilili, eventually settling in the area of Sungai Batang Lupar, known as Batang Ai. From there, they moved to the tributaries of Ulu Ai, establishing unique longhouses in areas like Delok, Mepi, Jinggin, Engkari, Skrang and Lemanak.
Subsequently, other Iban groups led by Kajup migrated to Sungai Undup, becoming known as the Iban Undup. Early migration patterns show a scattered distribution of Ibans in the upstream areas of the Batang Lupar and Batang Saribas rivers in Sri Aman, starting in the early 19th century.
Another leader, Gelungan, guided his followers from Merakai to Undup, settling in Bukit Balau. The Iban from Gelungan’s leadership are known as Iban Balau, the earliest Iban community in Sri Aman. Gelungan later led some of his followers to Sebuyau, forming the Iban Sebuyau community. While migration was thought to have ceased in Sebuyau, after Gelungan’s death, some Iban relocated to Meredang, Gayam, Lundu, and Samarahan.
Other leaders, such as Lanong, Kanyong, Meringgai, and Manggi, moved their followers to Langkong Region, Tanjung Merarang, Sungai Skrang, and Tisak.
Consequently, Sri Aman has the highest concentration of Ibans in Sarawak, followed by Kapit, Saratok, Mukah, Kuching, Saribas, Baram, Song, and Sarikei. The Iban have settled throughout Sarawak, bringing their unique culture and customs, which have significantly influenced the region.
The Sarawak Ibans are distinct not only in their traditions but also in their language, which has influenced other ethnic groups in the area.
Tradition
The traditions of the Iban encompass their original customs, culture, beliefs, and their connection to the land and life in longhouses. Many of these customs are still practiced within the community to maintain order and peace.
Among these traditions is the ownership and use of copper gongs, pottery vases, and jars known as kebok, benda, tajau, guci, and jabir, which continue to be valued and respected, though their usage has diminished.
These items are inherited from generation to generation and are considered sacred. For example, the tajau serves as a form of savings and was historically acquired through bartering during times when currency was not in use. Today, fewer Iban Bumiputera continue to practice the beliefs of their ancestors, known as Pengarap Lama Iban.
History of Iban Music
The Iban tribe is renowned for its diverse traditional music, including both musical instruments and vocal performances.
Traditional Iban dance performances are typically accompanied by instruments such as the ngajat.
During celebrations like Gawai Dayak (the harvest festival), instruments such as the engkerumong, gong, and others are used.
Traditional vocal music includes genres such as ensera, timang, sampi, sabak, and renong, which are performed during wedding ceremonies and festivals like Gawai Tanju, Gawai Kenyalang), and Gawai Antu (the festival of the dead).
‘Sabak’ is a traditional Iban vocal music genre that is rarely performed, typically only during the Gawai Antu festival.
The term “sabak bebuah” refers to a type of melancholic poetry sung in remembrance of deceased ancestors.
During the Gawai Antu festival, the sabak bebuah music is performed by a singer known as the tukang sabak, who sings from 6pm to 6am the following day.
This singer performs while seated on a wooden swing known as an “ayun.” The longhouse residents and guests gather in the ruai, a common area in front of the singer, to witness the performance throughout the night.
The Gawai Antu festival, accompanied by sabak bebuah, serves to honour the spirits of the family and ancestors who have passed away. It is a sign of respect and a reminder for the living to recognise that the deceased will not return to this world.
Sabak Bebuah is a traditional song performed by both men and women, though it is most often mastered by women.
The Gawai Antu festival is primarily celebrated by the Iban Balau people, who observe it differently from the Iban tribes in the Batang Rajang area, where the festival is held before the deceased has been buried. The festival’s name, Gawai Antu, is derived from the bird known as Bunsu Burong Bubut, which symbolises a crossroads between life and death in Iban belief.
Additionally, the festival’s origins are linked to traditional stories about the gods Lansam and Bintang.
Although most Iban tribes in the Batang Lupar area have embraced Christianity, they have retained many of their ancestral traditions and beliefs, which have not been lost to modernity. This is because they believe that preserving their ancestral legacy is essential to maintaining the community’s cultural identity and passing it on to future generations.
Nowadays, customs and festivals like Gawai Antu are rarely celebrated, leading to a diminished recognition of sabak music, not only among the Iban community but also among other groups.
Additionally, information about this vocal music is often withheld due to its spiritual significance, which sets it apart from other Iban musical genres. The vocals use classical Iban language, which differs significantly from the everyday spoken language, making translation difficult. This challenge is compounded by a lack of knowledgeable elders in the longhouse who are familiar with these terms.
Apart from ancestral rituals, traditional music plays a crucial role in expressing and elevating the cultural identity of a community. It is important for current generations to continue practicing and learning about their traditional arts to prevent them from being lost over time.
The Iban people, renowned for their Ngajat dance, also incorporate ‘Tabuh’ — a traditional music form — into their cultural practices. ‘Tabuh’ is deeply integrated with the Iban’s customs and rituals.
As for ‘Tabuh,’ its history and legends vary, but some sources suggest that it originates from a mythical realm or heavenly gods, specifically from the realm known as ‘Petara Orang Langit Mesai Kepit Sundang Menarang’ or ‘Orang Panggau Libau Lendat Dibiau Jila Isang’ and ‘Orang Gelung Batu Nakung Nyingit Nyingung Nenjang Nerabang.’
According to Iban sources, the sons of ‘Panggau Orang’ and ‘Gelung Orang’ start learning ‘betabuh’ and ‘pampat drumming’ from a young age. These skills are essential for carrying out traditional rituals and ceremonies, including the Bird Gawai, which follows headhunting (Ngayau).
‘Tabuh’ is not only a form of traditional art but also complements various customs and rituals still practiced by the Iban today. It is integral to events like Gawai festivals.
In Sarawak, ‘Taboh’ refers to the sounds produced by traditional Iban musical instruments, which include tawak, gendang, engkerumong, and bebendai. ‘Taboh’ is performed during specific occasions such as Gawai Dayak, Iban rituals, new longhouse constructions, and ceremonies like lunar eclipses, weddings, and bathing ceremonies for children.
‘Taboh’ is played at various tempos — slow, medium, and fast — depending on the event. Regional differences in melody and rhythm exist between Iban communities in places like Kuching, Sri Aman, Betong, Saratok, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri, and Limbang. Besides ceremonial functions, ‘Taboh’ is also used during the Ngalu Petara ceremony to invoke deities.
While different regions may have their variations, the purpose of ‘Tabuh’ remains consistent: to accompany specific ceremonies, particularly those related to Iban religious practices.
In the Saribas and Krian areas of the Betong Division, several types of ‘tabuh’ are practiced, including:
Tabuh Gendang Rayah: Accompanies the ritual preparation of materials and equipment, and is played during the carrying of the ‘Igi Mudan’ (skull) and ‘Kenyalang’ (symbolic hornbill) to and from the ‘tanju’ (sacred space).
Tabuh Gendang Pampat: Similar to Gendang Rayah, it is used to accompany the production of ritual materials.
According to Muallim Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH there are 18 instruments discovered through field work, structured interviews, survey, questionnaires consisting of free-response questions, observation with check-list and document analysis.
Findings show that these cultural musical instruments are three gongs (engkerumung, bebendai and setawak), five drums (gendang, ketebung, rebana, tar and tengkuang), seven stringed instruments (balulin, belikan, engkeratung, engkerebab, serunai, ruding and sape) and three wind instruments (engkerurai, enserunai and ensuling).
Sadly it has been discovered that today very few younger people know how to play belikan, engkeratung, engkerebab, serunai, ruding and engkerurai and the art of playing these instrument is rapidly dying out.
Significant Rhythms in Iban Traditional Music Relating to Religious Rituals
In the Iban community, drumming is regarded as a divine gift. Several distinctive meters or rhythms exist, often maintained simultaneously by two or three drummers in ensemble. Gongs vary in size, from large tawak gongs to smaller engkerumung gongs, which are arranged on a sounding board. These are the percussion instruments of the Ibans, with rhythms that draw inspiration from spiritual sources, some of which are exclusively used to invoke the spirits.
Distinctive Rhythms in Iban Chants
There are distinctive and replicable rhythms found in the chants of bards (lemambang) and shamans (manang). Bards, for instance, establish a rhythm that is easily followed by a chorus. The bard’s stick (tungkat lemambang), made from hardwood or medium-sized bamboo, is fitted with a hardwood tapper that moves freely as the stick is raised and lowered to strike the floor.
Iban traditional music, known as tabuh, is played during religious rituals with a solemn rhythm — neither too fast nor too slow. This rhythmic music accompanies a unique dance called the ngajat, performed to honour the gods and unseen supernatural spirits. The term ngajat derives from “engkajat,” which means “jumping on the spot,” in time with the music of gongs and drums.
The ajat dance is attributed to a spiritual being, Batu Lichin, Bujang Indang Lengain, who is said to have introduced it to the Iban many generations ago. Upon returning home from a ngayau (headhunting) expedition against enemies who had attacked his longhouse, Batu Lichin, an Iban warrior, joyfully danced at the head of their war-boats after successfully securing trophy heads during these raids.
In the interior regions of Sarawak, the tradition of warrior dance continues to this day, serving to respect and invoke the spirit of Batu Lichin.
The rhythms of musical instruments serve various purposes depending on the occasion — not only to entertain, as in days gone by, but also to show respect to the Iban god of war, “Sengalang Burong.” Gendang raya, characterised by a rapidly beaten rhythm, aims to capture the attention of the gods and spirits and is particularly significant in inviting them to festivals (gawai). In contrast, sanjak is a specific drumbeat used to summon Lang Sengalang Burung to war festivals during Gawai Burung (bird festivals).
Erik Jensen (1974) notes that “a special rhythm is beaten which is thought to be particularly effective in summoning the spirits.” He explains that this rhythm is only employed when a spirit’s presence is intentionally sought and appropriate sacrificial offerings are prepared.
Drum rhythms are quite distinctive, and the general technique of drumming is regarded as a divine gift to Iban musicians. As scholars (Gass, 1999) continue to explore the significance of pulsating rhythms and their capacity to excite or calm, the purpose and potential of Iban beats become increasingly clear.
In invocatory chants, internal rhythm is achieved through the use of disyllabic words (Masing, 1997). Masing provides examples where disyllabic words constitute about three-quarters of the total words used.
In other cases, internal rhythm is maintained by grouping words with similar meanings. It is somewhat surprising that there is limited information about the names of rhythms, nor is there any basic description of the rhythms that provide structure to various Iban chants, drumbeats, and songs.
A distinctive drum rhythm, gendang sanjak lanjan, is performed at warfare-related festivals (Gawai Burung) to invite Lang Sengalang Burung and his retinue. However, it should be noted that not all rhythms serve the same purpose of invoking significant beings to attend the festivals.
