Sabah’s Tuni Sundatang shines at Taiwan World Music Fest 2024

Tuni Sundatang presented itself as a modern world music group from Indonesia, positively showcased their renewed looks at traditional elements at the Taiwan World Music Festival 2024.

As a Sabahan band being able to perform with other artists from other parts of the world in Taipei, the band have only utilized endangered instruments of the Dusun community of East Malaysia Borneo.

Performing in the festival’s risky ‘New Talent’ slot, the Sabahans shone by spotlighting the sundatang — a boat lute akin to the sape’ of Sarawak — the sompoton, a wind instrument and the kulintangan, a set of small gongs.

“Our show was in Malaysia for the first time, and it is beyond our imagination how warmly the audience accepts our music,” said the frontman and the creator of ‘sundatang’ Gindung Mc Feddy Simon.

“We look forward to positively creating an influence towards the traditional indigenous culture while encouraging people to embrace cultural tunes in their music.”

They did not only dance and sing, they were a musical and cultural gazelle that depicted the cultural beauty of Sabah.

A traditional musical piece known as sundatang, an instrument that is nearly defunct, was performed by Gindung at the venue accompanied by a contemporary guitar, drums and keyboard.

The band has committed to development and discussion of Sabah’s culture and they celebrating that with an award of being pioneers in the world music.

Band member Adrian Johnny who plays the sompoton and flute said that the band felt special performing in Taiwan for the first time.

‘For us the festival was an opportunity to demonstrate what can be done with the help of our indigenous instruments in modern music.’

“It feels like we are given a chance to show the world that we are Sabahans.”

This is the music group formed by six young men from Ranau, at the Mont Kinabalu base and they produce music based on the current and ancestral knowledge with a pinch of modernity.

This comes after they recently featured in the Taiwan World Music Festival, further proving their breakthrough of the Malaysia borders. After their participation at this year’s Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in Kuching, the band is quickly moving up the international popularity scale with their skill of integrating traditional music with modern influences.

Someday, Tuni Sundatang has wider target market to achieve collaboration and international tour where their music root strongly stand on Sabahan.

Tuni Sundatang performance on the international stage was sponsored by the Sabah Tourism Board, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment Sabah (KePKAS), the Collective Arts and Culture Sabah Organization and the federal Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Reflecting on this support, bassist and MIDI keyboardist Max Elvin said: For young people there is so much traditional knowledge and custom in Sabah for them to interact with and learn more about.

Now, the cultural aspects of our society can turn into brand new economic prospects both in tourism and art production. We’re glad that some of these ministries and organizations have seen this potential and are already patronizing creative industry like ours.

For those who are waiting to catch Tuni Sundatang in concert, the group has more concerts lined up for Malaysia months ahead and will soon release their first album by year end.