Sounds both Old and New
Sunidu Pasifika was formed prior to the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts (FESTPAC) held in Guam in 2016 to help teach the making and playing of the belembaotuyan to future generations. The group performed as part of the two-week festivities, including a rendition of “Fanohge CHamoru.”
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Lina'la' Chamoru: An old chamoru instrument the belembaotuyan
Pacific Daily News
Kevin Tano, Pacific Daily News
Mar 14, 2018
Long before radio, television and social media became popular, the Chamoru people found other ways to entertain themselves while fishing, harvesting crops and socializing.
Music has always been a vital part of the Chamoru culture. While they danced and sang, at times it was to the tunes of a one-stringed instrument, the belembaotuyan.
Practitioners like Delores Quinata, belembaotuyan maker, have passed down the tradition of making and playing the instrument to her family, preserving a part of Chamoru heritage.
Instrument origins
Several theories were made as to how the belembaotuyan made its way to Guam. The instrument may have originated in Africa and was introduced to Indonesia through the Arab slave trade, according to a history booklet made by Delores and her husband Joseph Quinata.
The Portuguese may have introduced the instrument to the region while making their way through Malaysia then eventually from Manila to Guam.
Today, the belembaotuyan is acknowledged as being a Chamoru musical instrument.
Sharing the tradition
Quinata, said she first became interested in the instrument out of curiosity.
"I always liked Chamoru music, and when I learned this was an instrument of the Chamoru people, I became interested in learning how to make and play it," Quinata said.
Quinata had the opportunity to learn from the late belembaotuyan master Jesus Crisostomo.
"As he played he would tell me all kinds of stories about how he got started with the instrument. ... Eventually he gave me the instrument to play," Quinata said.
Crafting the instrument
"When I make the belembaotuyan, it's not considered work," Quinata said. "I feel so relaxed and just reflecting and enjoying the experience."
Like the berimbau and other wooden bow instruments from Africa, they are made from materials that are locally available.
The first layer of the wood is removed with
a planer, shaping the bow of the instrument, then flattened at one side
and sanded down.
First, håyu or wood is selected from a tree called the bånalu found near coastal areas around the island. The wood is known for being lightweight and easy to bend.
A straight branch is preferred. The bark is peeled off and left out to dry for about a day. From there, it is cut down to about eight feet in length.
The next part is the tågua or gourd, which acts as a sound box. Two cuts are made, one across the narrow part of the gourd, and another near the lowest part of the gourd.
The lowest part of the gourd is used to hold the sound box in place.
In modern times the alåmil, or wire, is obtained from old tires by removing the casing with a knife. Ones the wires are extracted, they are prepped with sandpaper to remove any excess rubber.
From there comes the stringing of the instrument. Screws are attached to both ends of the wood, while two aluminum L-shaped tabs are placed. The wire is brought over the aluminum tabs, to prevent the wire from sinking into the wood.
With one person pushing down on the middle of the wood forcing it to bend, a second person wraps the wire around the screws, then releases it once it's fastened.
Too much pressure can cause the wood to snap.
The gourd is placed about halfway on the instrument, and chegai or shells, are placed at the ends of the flattened wood to raise the wire.
"Once you make your instrument, it becomes more personalized," Quinata said.
Belembaotuyan playing
Belembao translates to vibrating or shaking, and tuyan means belly.
The gourd rests on the musician's belly, while the musician holds the neck of the wood in one hand and a 12-inch long bamboo stick in the other.
The wire is struck by the stick above and below the gourd, and the forefinger is lifted to produce a different tone.
The belembaotuyan is said to be a relaxing instrument, used to meditate. Playing is accompanied by chants, Quinata said.
(Story continues below)
Q&A with Delores Quinata
Delores Quinata was the last apprentice of belembaotuyan master Jesus Crisostomo.
Question: How did you learn the skill?
A: I was able to meet Jesus Crisostomo, the last master of that time, and was his apprentice for a few months. Every Sunday, I went down to his place to hear him play, while I watched and listened. It began with the training of the ear, hearing the individual sounds. Eventually he made me an instrument and I would sit across from him while he played and followed along.
Q: Why is it important to continue passing the skill on?
A: We try to keep our Chamoru heritage and traditions
alive through the arts, keeping true to the way it was done in the
past. In this modern world, it's important that we perpetuate and practice
the belembaotuyan so that we continue to pass it down through future
generations.
Q: What are the modern-world applications for the skill?
A: Two years prior to FestPac, we got people who were interested in making and playing the instrument. We brought it up to another level other than playing it as a single instrument. With about 60, we were able to form a belembaotuyan ensemble. The instruments were tuned differently to produce specific chords and played as one orchestra.
Q: What's the hardest part about learning the skill?
A: The hardest part is the labor. Making the belembaotuyan requires time and patience, working little by little, to really appreciate the instrument.
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