The second edition of this popular book comes 22 years after the publication of the first edition of this book, which has gone out of print for some time. This new edition features an improvement on some of the transcriptions and translations and includes more songs (35 in total) to convey a better understanding of the variety of the repertoire. This edition thus contains revised scores, lyrics and interpretations and thirteen additional songs of the Kenyah community.
The Kenyah are a minority indigenous ethnic group who dwell in the upper reaches of four rivers of Borneo (the Baram and Balui rivers of Sarawak, East Malaysia, and the Kayan and rivers in Kalimantan, Indonesia) and in the past, on two high plateaus (Usun Apau and Kayan), still referred to in their songs. Renowned for their instrumental music and graceful dancers, they are also gifted choral singers, performing acapella and in two-part harmony.
With modernisation however, this great choral tradition is disappearing. The transmission of culture has been hindered as Kenyah children attend boarding schools from a tender age, alienating them from their language and music culture. Communal music-making also dwindled, due in part to rural-urban migration and the displacement of whole villages following the construction of hydro-electric dams.
About the author: As a music education lecturer and choral director, Chong Pek Lin (D. Mus., University Pretoria, M.A., B.Sc. Hons, Dip.Ed., LTCL) formerly attached to Institute of Teacher Education, Batu Lintang Campus, Kuching, Sarawak, became aware of the urgent need to collect genuine Malaysian folksongs. This led her to two decades of research among the Kenyah of the Baram and Balui which yielded a rich repertoire of attractive songs.
ln July 2006, she was a recipient of the inaugural ISME-Gibson award for outstanding music educators, presented at the ISME (International Society for Music Educators) 27“ World Conference. ln 2018, in recognition of her service as an outstanding educator and her advocacy for Sarawak music, she was named ‘Tokoh Guru Sarawak‘ (Teacher of the year) by the Sarawak state government.
