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Song in the Sumatran Highlands

People: Mak Sawir

Stage Name: Mak Sawir.
Other Names: Sawir St. Mudo.
Role: Padendang, Composer.
Sex: Male.
Time Frame: Contemporary Figure.
Source: 1st personal interaction in January 2004.
Born: 1942.
Died: June 9, 2020.
Place of Origin: Koto Kaciak, Tanjung Raya, Agam.
Place of Residence: Aua Tajungkang, Tangah Sawah, Bukittinggi.
Year started performing: approximately 1957, when 15.
Trained Under:

Djamarih
Lenggang Kayo
- Source: Mardjani et. al.

Performances:

Bagurau di Udaro at Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) Bukittinggi, January 26, 2004.
Malam Suntuak at Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) Bukittinggi, February 6, 2004.

Interviews:

with Pak Amran, July 4, 2010.
with Pak Ketua, July 24, 2016.

Songs Composed: 

"Banda Guntuang"
"Danau Mamukek"
"Katangih Sudah Mimpi"
"Ombak Tanjuang Cino"
"Riak Pandan"
"Riak Tanjuang Sani"
"Ratok Kaki Limo"
"Sarasah Aia Badarun"
"Suntiang Patah Batikam"
"Talago Biru"
"Talempong Anam Koto"
"Ujan Baribuik"

Recordings:

Sawir had an active recording career from 1972 until his senior years, releasing many, many titles.
Night Music of West Sumatra: Saluang, Rabab Pariaman, Dendang Pauah.
Talago Buni.

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Contents of this tag:

This page is referenced by:

Rendition: "Suntiang Patah Batikam" 02/06/2004 27 "Suntiang Patah Batikam" performed at Malam Suntuak at RRI plain 2021-06-02T11:31:27+00:00 February 6, 2004
Song: "Suntiang Patah Batikam"
Performance: Radio Republik Indonesia Bukittinggi, February 6, 2004
Context: Malam Suntuak/ Fundraiser
Type of Song: Ratok
People:
- Padendang:
  - Mak Sawir
  - Reni Agam
  - Upiak Malai
- Tukang Saluang: Djalaluddin St. Malelo
- Janang: Inladora
Duration: 7.01
Structure: 5 pantun

Lyrics:
Pantun 1: Mak Sawir
Batang
Minangkabau:
Oi.... Lagu Suntiang Patah Batikam
Karangan anak di nagari oi uwo oi
Tanang malah mandangakan
oi mandangakan oi uwo oi

Indonesian:
Lagu Suntiang Patah Batikam
Karangan anak di nagari
Tenang malah mendengarkan

English:
The Song “Suntiang Patah Batikam”
A composition of an anak nagari
Calmness happens provided one listens
Isi
Minangkabau:
Asa basuluah di nan kalam
Pandai-pandai manjago api oi uwo oi
Di nan kalam api kok padam
di siko badan mako sansai oi uwo oi

Indonesian:
Asal obor di yang gelap
Sepandai-pandai menjaga api
Di yang gelap api jika padam
Di sini badan maka sengsai

English:
The origin of the torch in that which is dark
It is clever to watch the fire
In darkness to guard against the fire’s extinction,
Here the body is miserable.
Interpretation of Pantun 1
Batang: The content of the batang is about the song itself.
Isi: The moral of the isi can be summarized as to "take care in a specific task as the body is miserable if it fails."

Pantun 2: Upiak Malai
Batang
Minangkabau:
Oi.... Uda kini lai datang
Bagurau samalam kini oi uwo oi
Taguah Lansano lai tibo
oi lai tibo kak uwo oi

Indonesian:
Uda sekarang lagi datang
Bagurau semalam sekarang
Teguh Lansano lagi tiba

English:
Uda have now come again
To have a bagurau this evening
[With] strength Lansano has arrived

Isi
Minangkabau:
Lah ditiliak ditimbang-timbang
Pado marusak dalam hati oi uwo oi
Pado marusak dalam hati
Iyo bapisah ka ubek nyo

Indonesian:
Sudah ditilik ditimbang-timbang
Pada merusak dalam hati
Iya berpisah ke ubatnya.

English:
Already judged to be considered
Makes one sad in the heart,
The medicine is to separate from it.
Interpretation of Pantun 2
Batang: There are lots of attendees for the evening
Isi: If one thinks really hard about a certain effort or job that will break one, it is better to be left alone.
Pantun 3: Reni Agam
Batang
Minangkabau:
Oi.... dek rusuah bana kini bakandak
Bia nak kami mandendangkan nyo oi amak oi
Bia nak kami mandendang nyo
Dari jauah kan lai tibo.

Indonesian:
Karena dukacita benar ini kehendak
Biar anak kami mendengarkan
Dari jauh akan tiba lagi.

English:
Because one really suffers for desires
Let anak kami listen
From afar, they will arrive again.
Isi
Minangkabau:
Lah dicubo salamo ko
Nan baminyak campua jo aia kak uwo oi
Nan baminyak campua jo aia
Asa sampai baukia juo.

Indonesian:
Sudah dicoba salama ini
Yang berminyak campur dengan air
Asal sampai berukir juga.

English:
Already attempted for as long as this
That which has oil is mixed with water
In the end will also be engraved (permanent).
Interpretation of Pantun 3
Batang: With a sad heart there is a request for a song which is desired by someone far away
Isi: Something is already experienced, but it’s the soul of the person who is not honest.
Janang Announcement

Pantun 4: Upiak Malai
Batang
Minangkabau:
Indonesian:
English:
Isi
Minangkabau:
Indonesian:
English:

Pantun 5: Mak Sawir
Batang
Minangkabau:
Indonesian:
English:
Isi
Minangkabau:
Indonesian:
English:
Type of Song: Ratok 24 Description of the ratok category plain 2021-05-17T11:04:37+00:00
Ratok are considered "sad songs." Etymologically, "ratok" is the Minangkabau word for mourning or lamentation. One of current songs identified as a ratok, "Suayan Maik Ka Turun" (literally "corpse to go down" from Suayan), is indeed about the act of interment. Most ratok, however, are not lamentations connected with death.

Songs identified as ratok are unmetered, meaning there is no discernible pulse throughout, and they tend to be highly ornamented. Some people consider ratok to be the quintessential type of song in saluang as they are affiliated with songs of longing for home and songs of loss (of places, people, relationships), etc. With the right poetic texts, these songs are known to move listeners to deep introspection (as seen in the image above) and even usher in tears. They often are requested and/or timed to be delivered in the latter part of a performance, starting around 1 a.m. Ratok are also considered the true test of a padendang's skill, both in execution of melodic material and ornamentation but also the subtlety of lyric content. The best padendang are specialists in ratok. Mak Sawir, for instance, was renowned for his delivery of ratok. Padendang often go into a deep headspace, closing their eyes, as they deliver these songs. Mak Sawir often cupped his ear. Listeners, too, shift to an internal focus during the delivery of ratok, moved by lyrics to reminisce about losses in their own lives.

The ratok category forms the largest percentage of all song types.
Song: "Suntiang Patah Batikam" Translation of Title: "Headdress Broken by Stabbing." "Suntiang" is an elaborate Minangkabau style of headdress historically made from gold,"patah" means "broken," and "batikam" means "to stab (with sharp object)."
Composer: Mak Sawir
Category: Ratok.
Place affiliations: Lake Maninjau.
Kecamatan: Tanjuang Raya.
Luak: Agam.
Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Te E's List, Mardjani's List
Description: According to Martis, this song title is referencing the concept of competing love interests over a woman. At the moment of her marriage--referenced by the fact she is wearing a suntiang--the two men fight over her. She tries to calm them, her suntiang falling in the process, but her efforts are unsuccessful. With great resentment in his heart, the rejected man thrusts the suntiang into her, stabbing and ultimately killing her with it. The betrothed and the jilted man fight it out until their deaths. The pantun for this song, then, are tied to the theme of disappointment and resentment (personal conversation during lessons, February 5, 2004).

You will note as you read song lyrics for different renditions of this song that the lyrics do not expressly involve this story. More that this story provides a backdrop for the sentiment as padendang use their own stock verses for this song or create them anew in the course of performance.
Performance: Radio Republik Indonesia Bukittinggi, February 6, 2004 15 Malam Suntuak image_header 2021-09-03T20:32:21+00:00 -0.31898, 100.38478 02/06/2004
Date: February 6, 2004
Place: Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), Bukittinggi
Style: Saluang Klasik

Occasion: Malam Suntuak (all-night) event, held the first Friday of every month. Some/ all of it was also broadcast.

Performers
- Padendang:
  - Formally engaged for the evening
    Mak Sawir (m)
    Reni Agam (f)
    Upiak Malai (f)
  - Other participants
    Pak Kakao joined on a few songs, but was not constantly on the stage.
- Tukang Saluang: Djalaluddin St. Malelo
- Janang: Inladora
Set up: in the foyer of the main building, small raised platform stage, tiled floor cover with plastic mats for audience seating.

Audience: Approximately 100 people over the course of the evening, mostly men. I noticed two other women during the course of the evening: one women with her husband, the other a young woman wearing a headscarf. Peak attendance was between 10p.m. and 1a.m. People came after they heard the beginning of the broadcast.

Performance duration: @9p.m. to just before 4a.m., with breaks at 12.20pm and 3a.m. The organizer and my contact, Pak Il, had mentioned that it might end earlier around 1 or 2a.m. if there were not many attendees.

Requests: audience members conveyed their requests to the janang, paying a small amount for the privilege of doing so. They convey their requests via written means or go up to the stage, whispering their requests to the janang.

Ethnographers: Jennifer. Pak Amran from ISI Padang Panjang also present.

Attendance: entire evening.
Rendition: "Padang Magek" on Night Music of West Sumatra 14 "Padang Magek" on Night Music of West Sumatra plain 2021-04-14T15:51:44+00:00
Song: "Padang Magek"
Performance: Night Music of West Sumatra. Recorded in a private home in Kabupaten Agam.
Date: Recorded 9-10 September 1992; published 1994.
People:
- Padendang:
  - Mak Sawir
  - Nurasni
- Tukang Saluang: Zaidir SK
Find an excerpt of the track below, which starts at the isi of the second pantun with Nurasni:

Lyrics
Here the black font represents delivery by a single padendang, while the text in red is where the two padendang join together. This collective singing is remarkable for two reasons. The first is the perfect coordination of text, especially the vocables (marked in bold font) and ornamentation, between the two singers. I know from interviewing Mak Sawir that when he made recordings, he wrote the lyrics out in advance and shared them with his co-singer (interview, Mak Sawir, 2010). It's not clear whether this includes the vocables or that the padendang who joins on the repeat of the line made sure to replicate them exactly.

The other is that I have never heard another rendition of "Padang Magek" quite like this, but the rendition at a performance in Suayan comes close. Structurally, it is similar but the use of just one microphone shared between the two padendang makes it harder to hear when--or even if--they are singing in a duet.

Note that in this song each line of the pantun is repeated (indicated below with the use of "()"), often with vocables inserted or certain syllables extended to fit the melodic line. Each half pantun is just two lines of text, but this tune requires four different melodic lines.
Pantun 1: Mak Sawir
Batang
Minangkabau
Lah masak padi Padang Magek
(Mak lah masak padi Padang Magek)
Lah di tuai anak lah tuan oi ondeh lah mudo-mudo
(Lah di tuai anak lah tuan oi ondeh lah mudo-mudo)

English
The rice of Padang Magek has ripened,
Already harvested by the young children
Isi
Minangkabau
Kasiah sayang mintak dijawek
(mak kasiah sayang mintak dijawek)
Lah ko lai di dalam lah tuan oi ondeh lah hati juo
(Lah ko lai di dalam lah tuan oi ondeh lai hati juo)

English
Feelings of love, l ask that you accept
them in your heart.
Interpretation of Pantun 1
Batang: The batang is descriptive about rice being ripe and ready for harvest. Note that the place for which the tune is named is mentioned in first line.
Isi: the isi is a romantic text, with a touch of advice.
Pantun 2: Nurasni
Batang
Minangkabau
Lah masak padi lah Padang Magek
(Lah masak padi lah Padang Magek)
Lah manguniang iyo ondeh lah tuan oi lah daun tuonyo
(Lah manguniang ondeh lah tuan oi lah daun tuonyo)

English
The rice of Padang Magek has ripened,
The old leaves are already yellow.
Isi
Minangkabau
Tuan tagamang lai bajawek
(Lah tuan tagamang lai bajawek)
Denai tagamang lah tuan ai yo ondeh lah jatuah sajo
(Denai tagamang lah tuan ai yo ondeh lah jatuah sajo)

English
lf you are about to fall, I catch you,
but if I am about to fall, you let me drop.
Interpretation of Pantun 2
Batang: The batang is another one about rice being ripe and ready for harvest. Note that the place is mentioned again.
Isi: this isi is advice: treat others like you are treated.
Raun Saluang

Pantun 3: Mak Sawir
Batang
Minangkabau
Kalam bakabuik Bukik Kaluang
(Mak kalam bakabuik Bukik Kaluang)
Tampak nan dari lah tuan oi ondeh lah Kampuang Lambah
(Tampak nan dari lah tuan oi ondeh lah Kampuang Lambah)

English
Bukik Kaluang (probably the name of a hill) is dark and covered with fog
Evident from Kampung Lambah
Isi
Minangkabau
Bapasan denai ka nan kanduang
(Lah bapasan denai ka nan kanduang)
Janji nan dulu lah tuan oi ondeh lah jan diubah
(Lah janji nan dulu lah tuan oi ondeh lah jan diubah)

English
My message to my sweetheart is,
don't go back on your promise.
Interpretation of Pantun 3
Batang: The batang is another descriptive one about a hill covered in fog. Specific places are mentioned here but it is unclear if they are near Padang Magek. I think "Bukit Kaluang" might be the nickname for a local hill. I could not find it on google maps.
Isi: The message is clear: don't break promises.
Pantun 4: Nurasni
Batang
Minangkabau
Kaparak batuang den sandakan
(Kaparak batuang den sandakan)
Kajalan urang lah tuan oi ondeh lah taniayo
(Lah kajalan urang lah tuan oi ondeh lah taniayo)

English
To the grove of big bamboo I stand myself
To the road of people oppressed.
Isi
Minangkabau
Ka tuan untuang disandakan
(Ka tuan untuang disandakan)
Lah indak nan kontan lah tuan oi ondeh lah surang juo
(Lah indak nan kontan nan kanduang oi ondeh lah surang juo)

English
l have to rely on you,
I have no brothers.
Interpretation of Pantun 4
Batang: The batang uses references from nature, including going to a grove of giant bamboo and using it to buttress oneself.
Isi: Another clear moralistic message: "You need to be there for me, because I am without family."

Source: The lyrics, including the vocables, are from the supplemental liner notes (pp 2-3). The Minang texts were transcribe by Hanefi.
Performance: Radio Republik Indonesia Bukittinggi, January 26, 2004 11 Bagurau di Udaro image_header 2021-09-03T20:26:34+00:00 -0.31898, 100.38278 01/26/2004
Date: January 26, 2004
Time: 8p.m.--approx. 11p.m
Place: Radio Republik Indonesia Bukittinggi
Style: Saluang Klasik
Occasion: Bagurau di Udaro
Set up: In the recording studio, there were 4 microphones set up: for the janang, the two padendang, and the tukang saluang. The audience sat on the floor in a semi-circle facing them. The show was broadcast.

Performers:
- Padendang:
  - Mak Sawir
  - Pak Kakao
- Tukang Saluang
  - Saiful Basapuni
  - Herman, played with Saiful on the first set
- Janang/ Radio Show Host:
  - Mak Il St. Rajo Endah
  - Pak Kakao also contributes to the conversation
Audience: At the peak, about 15-20 men were in attendance. These men included devotees, other performers and janang. One of the attendees was listening with a transistor radio, so that you could simultaneously hear the live performance and its radio broadcast. Like all saluang performance, the live audience wandered in and out for the duration and chatted in the background. Certain men are cheered when they arrive, suggesting they are well-known regulars. The event was as much about male camaraderie as it was about the music. I wrote in my fieldnotes that being there was "like spending an evening in a very smoky bar, but without the buzz of alcohol."

Ethnographers: Jennifer
Attendance: I was present for the duration of the event, hosted by Mak Il.
Notes: By far the larger percentage of the show was reading listener requests, which were dropped off in a number of collection boxes around Bukittinggi. By the end of the show, the announcers had read over 90 slips, trying to get through as many as possible, suggesting these evenings were as much about honoring listener requests as the live music performed. They still had 200 slips unread at the end, suggesting an impossible task. The show didn't involve the performance of 90 songs, but probably did involve more titles than I noted. Many requests acknowledge Mak Sawir, suggesting that he was a regular feature, and included specific pantun penned by the requestor. A number of requests were from women, suggesting their investment in the genre even if they weren't participating in person. Finally, a number of requests were marked as coming from cafes, warung (food stalls), and specific kind of traders.

The radio station personnel started cleaning up as they approached the end of the designated time, 11p.m., not worried about extraneous sounds that might bleed into the broadcast.
People: Djamarih 8 Djamarih was an influential padendang image_header 2021-03-01T21:07:13+00:00 -0.3675, 100.39086
Stage Name: Djamarih St. Kayo, also spelled Jamarih.
Other names: See note
Role: Padendang
Sex: Male
Time Frame: Historical figure
Born: @1915
Generation: 3rd
Place: Batagak
Trained under:
- St. Malenggang, his mamak (maternal uncle), a padendang from Tigo Baleh, Bukittinggi (Mardjani et. al. 394, 400)
- Kamboan, a tukang saluang/ padendang from Agam (Mardjani et. al. 400);
- Angku Mudo Ibrahim, teacher of Qur'anic recitation (Mardjani et. al. 400)
Trained:
- Taher, padendang from Tilatang Kamang
- Rapiun, padendang from Tilatang Kamang
- Kasiun, padendang from Tilatang Kamang
- Ajis St. Sati, padendang, Bukik Apik, Bukittinggi
- Ani, padendang from Aia Angek (she didn't directly mention a connection, so this might be indirect)
- Buyuang Kamang, padendang from Kamang
- Sawir St. Mudo, padendang from Maninjau
- Basa Bote, padendang from Kamang
- Rustam, padendang from Palembayan
- Jo Angek, padendang from Maninjau
- Rajuddin, padendang from Tanjuang Karang
- Janewar St. Sinaro (Buyuang Puntuang)
  - Information from Mardjani et. al. 397, 400)
Performed with:
- Acan St. Mangkuto, a tukang saluang from Batagak
- St. Angkeh, a tukang saluang from Batagak
Recordings: It is likely this is the Djamarih listed on a series of 78s from 1938.
Other notes: He also worked as a farmer (Mardjani 391)
Source: Mardjani et. al.
Song: "Putiah Sarojo" 7 This song is affiliated with the place, the luak of Agam. plain 2021-06-30T22:46:15+00:00
Translation of Title: "White Lotus."
Composer: This is another song I have seen attributed to Mak Sawir.
Type of song: Ratok. However, the only recorded example of "Putiah Sarojo" is from a saluang dangdut performance, suggesting it's either a lagu gembira or there are two different tunes that go by this title.
Place affiliations:
- Luak: Agam.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Martis.
Song: "Kutang Barendo" 7 This song is affiliated with the place, the town of Batusangkar. plain 2021-06-26T23:00:51+00:00
Translation of Title: "Bra of Lace."
Composer: Syamsimar claimed authorship (interview with Syamsimar, Pariangan, September 24, 2004). A commercial recording attributes it to Syahrul Tarun Yusuf.
Type of song: Gembira.
Place affiliations: The city of Batusangkar.
- Luak: Tanah Data.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Martis, Pak Ketua.
Description: This song is a perfect example of a song that Mak Sawir considered porno, and thus not fitting for saluang. The title is "Lacy Bra," which brings one's attention to matters that are taboo and shouldn't be discussed publicly. The implication of this song title is that a woman's bra and/or breasts draw attention. The texts should have a link with the beauty of women's clothing and the life and existence of a bachelor/ widower who is without a woman in his life.
Song: "Banda Guntuang" 6 This song is affiliated with the place, Lake Maninjau. plain 2020-11-07T15:28:39+00:00
Composer: Mak Sawir.
Type of song: None.
Place affiliations: Lake Maninjau.
- Kecamatan: Tanjuang Raya.
- Luak: Agam.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Te E's List of Songs.
Text: Pantun Porno When references in song texts are made through allusion to sexual organs, sexual acts, or particular people engaging in such activities, they are identified locally as "porno," a term clearly borrowed from the English term "pornography." When those references are explicit they are considered "vulgar," another word borrowed from English, or "telanjang," a word that translates as "naked," suitable for things that are made explicit.

A well-known example of a textual theme that is considered porno is "sawah liek,” literally “dry rice field,” a metaphor for a widow or divorcee who needs to be plowed with a strong hoe, just like a dry rice field.

Not all performers and audience members are comfortable with porno and vulgar song texts: the topic of sex is illicit and taboo in everyday contexts. Mak Sawir was very vocal in speaking against their presence in saluang (interview 2010 and 2016). He vehemently refused to sing during songs that had any such associations, including "Oyak Ambacang" at the RRI Performance in 2004. Te E complies with audience requests for these song titles, like "Oyak Ambacang," by delivering their melodic content but she refuses to sing lyrics that would be classified as either porno or vulgar.

There are also pagurau who are uncomfortable with porno texts and their increasing presence. I have talked to people, often with a strong sense of Islamic piety, who have shied away from saluang performances in recent years for this reason.

Song titles that are considered porno (see Song Titles with Porno Associations) are likely to have porno lyrics, but they can appear in all types of songs, even ratok!
Examples of Porno Pantun
In putting these together, I had to be careful of selecting texts things that might be explicit enough to move from porno to texts that are considered telanjang/naked. Such a determination is obviously culturally sensitive and personally subjective.
Example #1
Isi from Induak #2, Rendition: "Kambang Aia Aji" 07/17/2016
Minangkabau
Bakato insan dalam dado
Rancak mamauik burung pipik
Pado manguruang buruang nuri
Buruang nuri pamaliang paham
Sangka nyo sangko palabuahan
Ka tampek singgah samantaro
Indonesian
Berbicara dalam hati
Bagus mengikat burung pipit
Daripada mengikat burung nuri
Burung nuri suka menipu
Sangkarnya sangkar pelabuhan
Untuk tempat singgahan sementara.
English
To speak with feeling
It is good to bond with a sharp-tailed munia (a kind of small bird)
Rather than bond with a parrot
Parrots like to deceive/ steal
The birdcage is a place of safe harbor
A place to stop by momentarily.
Interpretation
Pak Ketua told me that on one level this pantun operates as a pantun nasehat: it's better to be an orang kecil (one of the masses) with good character than a rich or handsome character with bad morals, who steal like the parrots. But at another level it is also porno as the birdcage, the place for safe harbor, is a woman's sexual organs, more specifically the vagina. He suggested, however, that most listeners would not get this reference.
Example #2

Isi#7 from Rendition: "Lego Puyuah" 12/02/2003
Minangkabau
Mancaliak urang maadu puyuah
Balam disangkak maangguak pulo
English
Look at the people fighting like quails
Your desire increases.
Interpretation
Fighting like quails is a metaphor for sexual intercourse. The second porno reference makes a metaphor reference to sexual arousal in a man as "balam" is a metaphor for a penis.
Song: "Talago Biru" 6 This song is called "Blue Lake." plain 2021-06-29T23:38:13+00:00
Translation of Title: "Talago" means "lake or pond," "biru" means "blue," so it means blue lake. As this is a composition of Mak Sawir, who is from Koto Kaciak, a nagari in the Maninjau region, the lake reference is Lake Maninjau. The lyrics in the version I learned at ISI also make that connection clear.
Composer: Mak Sawir.
Type of song:Gembira.

Place affiliations: Lake Maninjau.
- Kecamatan: Tanjuang Raya.
- Luak: Agam.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Te E's List of Songs, Mardjani's List of Songs.
Description: This is a well-known dendang, part of the curriculum in dendang & saluang classes at ISI. It was one of the first dendang Jennifer learned when she was an exchange student in 1998-9.
Song: "Riak Tanjuang Sani" 6 This song is named after the place, the nagari Tanjuang Sani in the Maninjau region. plain 2021-06-27T00:34:53+00:00
Alternative Title: "Tanjuang Sani"
Translation of Title: "Small Waves at Tanjuang Sani." The song is affiliated with the place, the nagari Tanjuang Sani.
Composer: Mak Sawir listed this as one of his compositions (Interview, Bukittinggi, July 24, 2016). Many of his compositions are connected with the place, Lake Maninjau.
Type of Song: Satangah Tiang (Mardjani noted this as gembira.)
Place affiliations: Lake Maninjau.
- Nagari: Tanjuang Sani.
- Kecamatan: Tanjuang Raya
- Luak: Agam
- Darek or Rantau: Darek
Source: Te E's List, Mardjani's List
Description: according to Martis, the pantun is a little more structured, having to do with waves at a promontory or the beautiful views of a natural spot.
People: List of Historical Figures 6 List of Historical Figures involved in Dendang Darek image_header 2021-03-02T21:59:12+00:00
I was interested to seek information about performers in the past to understand the gendered changes in the genre, to get a sense of training and lineages, and a sense of regional affiliations. "The past" I speak of here is a relatively close past, one established through oral history and recollected memories of the oldest generation I consulted and from archival sources that exist. It ranges from the earliest part of the twentieth century through the end of the century to 1998, when I first traveled to West Sumatra. Some people I worked with during fieldwork began their careers in the mid-twentieth century, but many only in the late twentieth century. I've distinguished those that were inactive or deceased by the time my fieldwork began as "historical figures" and those active during my fieldwork "contemporary." Some, of course, straddle the two periods. Although somewhat arbitrary, it helps parse the development of the genre.

In recreating this partial history, I have consulted several different sources:
- discussion with older performers and devotees who recall performers from the past, including their own teachers and co-performers
- archival sources, such as research reports generated by ASKI (now ISI)
- commercial 78rpm recordings
One of the most valuable sources about performers of the past I have consulted, includes Mardjani et. al.'s research report. Published in 1988, it includes interviews with key figures, consultation with them to name other performers, along with a chart that attempts to map lineage. As the authors themselves acknowledge, it is not comprehensive, but from the perspective of 2021, it provides invaluable data, a window into a world otherwise lost. I have relied on that data to re-create a very partial history of saluang in the 20th century. The genre is likely much older than that, but we have no historical record beyond this and the earliest 78 records, the first with saluang dating to 1938.

The records in Mardjani et. al. are incomplete. We have approximate years of birth for some performers (extrapolated from estimated age at the time of publication of the research report), and a few dates of death. But for many we have nothing. There are also a few inconsistencies in names and/or roles. I have relied on the lineage chart included, labeling what seem to be generations of performers based on who trained them, more than age. The terms "1st generation," "2nd generation" etc. are mine, to help give a sense of time. I was lucky to meet and interview several of the performers of the 4th and 5th generations listed here, including Ajis St. Sati, Syamsimar, and Sawir St. Mudo.

This page tags all those listed in this research report and other archival resources, only a few of whom I had the opportunity to meet. All of the people on the chart are tagged, but not all of the people tagged are on that chart.

The following map provides a sense of geographical distribution. Agam is strongly represented, which may suggest a bias in the research reports or reflect the strength of the region in producing performers.
Song: "Ombak Tanjuang Cino" 5 This song is affiliated with the place, Lake Maninjau. plain 2021-06-26T23:40:18+00:00
Translation of Title: "Ombak" means "waves," "Tanjuang Cino" is the name of a place, a promontory that is called the "Chinese Promontory."
Composer: Mak Sawir.
Type of song: Satangah Tiang.
Place affiliations: Lake Maninjau.
- Kecamatan: Tanjuang Raya.
- Luak: Agam.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Te E's List of Songs.
Description: According to Martis, the pantun is a little more structured, having to do with waves at a promontory or the beautiful views of a natural spot. The sense of waves is felt in the rhythm of the song.
Song: "Riak Pandan" 5 This song is affiliated with the place, Lake Maninjau. plain 2021-06-27T00:33:37+00:00
Translation of Title: "Small Waves at Pandan." The song is affiliated with the place, the jorong of Pandan in nagari Tanjuang Sani.
Composer: Mak Sawir listed this as one of his compositions (Interview, Bukittinggi, July 24, 2016). Many of his compositions are connected with the place, Lake Maninjau.
Type of song: Gembira.
Genre of origin:
Place affiliations: Lake Maninjau.
- Jorong: Pandan.
- Nagari: Tanjuang Sani.
- Kecamatan: Tanjuang Raya.
- Luak: Agam.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Te E's List of Songs, Mardjani's List of Songs.
Song: "Lubuak Basuang Malereang Tabiang" 5 This song is affiliated with the place, the nagari Lubuak Basuang. plain 2020-11-13T21:13:54+00:00
Alternative Title: This is the song more commonly known as "Malereang Tabiang."
Translation of Title: "Malereang Tabiang" means "to skirt the edge of the slope," which means metaphorically to sidestep around an issue by using metaphor. "Lubuak Basuang" in the title refers to a place affiliation, the regional capital of Agam, Lubuak Basuang.
Composer: This song has been attributed to multiple different people. The most frequent is Mak Sawir. He himself told me this was one of his compositions--a pop Minang song. It was clearly later adapted for saluang.
Type of song: Gembira.
Place affiliations:
- Nagari: Lubuak Basuang
- Kecamatan: Lubuak Basuang.
- Luak: Agam.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Mardjani's List of Songs.
People: Nurasni Stage Name:
Other Names:
Role: Padendang.
Sex: Female.
Time Frame: Contemporary Figure
Source: knowledge from recording and conversation with Mak Sawir, a frequent pairing.
Born: unknown.
Died: unknown.
Place of Origin:
Place of Residence:
Year started performing:
Training:
Relationships to other performers:
Performances:
Songs composed:
Recordings: Night Music of West Sumatra.
Other notes:
Song: "Talempong Anam Koto" 4 This song is named for the talempong (gong row practice) from the place, the nagari Koto Gadang Anam Koto. plain 2020-12-04T00:53:16+00:00
Translation of Title: "Talempong Anam Koto" means "talempong from Anam Koto," which refers to the place, nagari Koto Gadang Anam Koto. It's one of two songs connected with talempong, a Minangkabau instrument that is a small brass kettle gong.
Composer: Mak Sawir listed this as one of his compositions (Interview, Bukittinggi, July 24, 2016)
Type of song: Gembira.

Place affiliations:
- Nagari: Koto Gadang Anam Koto.
- Kecamatan: Tanjuang Raya.
- Luak: Agam.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Te E's List of Songs.
Song: "Danau Mamukek" 3 The song called Danau Mamukek plain 2020-11-07T15:55:59+00:00
Alternative Title: Mardjani calls this song "Rang Danau Mamukek."
Translation of Title: "Trawling at the Lake"
Composer: Mak Sawir listed this as one of his compositions (Interview, Bukittinggi, July 24, 2016)
Type of song: None.
Place affiliations: Lake Maninjau.
- Kecamatan: Tanjuang Raya.
- Luak: Agam.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Mardjani's List of Songs, Mak Sawir.
Song: "Singgalang Pokok Sabalah" 2 The song called Singgalang Pokok Sabalah plain 2020-11-11T18:17:20+00:00
Translation of Title: "Eleven Ingredients." "Singgalang" in the title refers not just to place affiliation but to the category of songs called Singgalang.
Composer: Unknown.
Type of song: Singgalang.
Place affiliations: This whole category of song is named after the place, the nagari and mountain called Singgalang.
- Nagari: Singgalang.
- Kecamatan: X Koto.
- Luak: Tanah Data.
- Darek or Rantau: Darek.
Source: Mak Sawir.
People: Lenggang Kayo 2 Lenggang Kayo was a tukang saluang image_header 2021-03-02T13:52:21+00:00 -0.32209, 100.38428
Role: Tukang Saluang (and padendang?)
Sex: Male
Time Frame: Historical figure
Generation: 3rd
Place: Tigo Baleh, Bukittinggi
Trained under:
- St. Malenggang (Mardjani et. al.: 395)
- Djamarih (Ajis in Mardjani et. al.: 398)
Trained:
- Ajis St. Sati
- Buyuang Kamang
- Basa Bote
- Sawir St. Mudo
- Buyuang Puntuang
Source: Mardjani et. al.

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