Malaysia · Woodworking / Musical Instrument Making
Sompoton
The sompoton is the mouth organ of Sabah, played by Kadazan-Dusun and Murut communities. Eight bamboo pipes are set in two rows into a dried gourd that serves as the wind chamber, and the joints are sealed with beeswax; in a playable instrument seven pipes carry free reeds. Each pipe traditionally has its own name. Making it combines reed making and tuning with the airtight assembly of pipes and gourd. Its closest comparison in the archive is angklung tube tuning (CRAFT-0199): both tune bamboo, by different mechanisms.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not inscribed
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