Sikambang Arts and Revitalization Model: In the West Coast

Community in Tapanuli

Nurhabsyah

, Eman Kusdiyana

and Peninna Simanjuntak

Faculty of Cultural Science, Universitas Sumatera Utara,Medan, Indonesia

Keywords: Sikambang Art, Revitalization Model, West Coast Community in Tapanuli.

Abstract: This research is focused on Sikambang Art and Revitalization Model in the West Coast Community in

Tapanuli. The first purpose of this studyis to explain the utterances found in Sikambang Art in the West Coast

Community in Tapanuli. The second is to explain Sikambang Art which is used as the character of thethe

West Coast Community in Tapanuli. To achieve those goals, the method used in this study is qualitative

research with in-depth interview technique, observation, documentation and Focus Group Discussion. Based

on the results of this research in the first year, the main parts of Sikambang Art is consisted of "dancing" and

"singing" (dance art) that carry on the cultural elements of art and culture. Sikambang Art is a reflection Of

the life of the community that is made as a character and cultural identity of the West Coast Community in

Tapanuli, especially in Sibolga and Central Tapanuli District. Sikambang Art contains of the advice which

have some values and moral philosophy.

1 INTRODUCTION

Sikambang Art generally represents all the arts that

apply to the West Coast in Sumatra, from Meolaboh

in Banda Aceh to Tapanuli, Minangkabau. Besides

on the West Coast, Sikambang also applies to the

East Coast in Nias and Telo. In the West Coast of

Tapanuli, especially Sibolga and Central Tapanuli

District, the communitiy is also the user of

Sikambang Art.

(https://naulipesisir.wordrop.com,18 Juni2018).

The main partof Sikambang Art is consisted of

"dancing" and "singing" (dance art) that carry on the

cultural elements of art and culture. This art carries a

contemporary philosophies with many meanings,

patterned advice, rhythmic songs and dance forms.

The beginning of Sikambang Art’s creation is

obtained from two sources, that is a coastal heritage,

especially from the 7th Jayadana's heyday with his

queen Putri Rundu, and from a fishermen who caught

a fish in Marsala island, then the rhythm was

continually repeated until they arrived on the land,

created sikambang.

According to the tradition, The coastal song is the

rhymes reciting the incarnation of feelings, satire and

affection. After the existence of sikambang songs

vocally, the fishermen always unite by hitting the

boat's outskirts accompanied by a whistling as the

replacement for melody, and hitting the iron that is

known as a gong for tempo. Then, it is combined by

one natural sound between instruments and vocals in

the middle of the ocean.

In line with its development, the various

instruments of Sikambang were combined with the

various songs, dances and rhymes, so that, the coastal

community called it as Sikambang Art. In addition,

there are three Sikambang Arts, namely Sikambang

as an art, Sikambang as an entertainment and

Sikambang as a social function. (Hutagalung, 2015,

skripsi,repository usu.ac.id. 17 Juni 2018).

As an art, Sikambang Art is manifested in the

form of motion and dance, as an entertainment,

Sikambang Art is an inseparable thing from the

various musical instruments combined with

sikambang songs. As a social function, Sikambang

Art has the rhymes which is contained of the advice

words, values and moral messages. Sikambang Art

has become popular for the West Coast Communityin

Tapanuli, especially in Sibolga and Center Tapanuli

District.

Since Sibolga was determined to be the capital

residency of Tapanuli, then the community of

Poncan Island moved to Sibolga. At that time, the

Sibolga community was referred to "Land Man" that

there were still many Pelbegu religion, which is a

belief tothe elements of animism and dynamism.

Nurhabsyah, ., Kusdiyana, E. and Simanjuntak, P.

Sikambang Arts and Revitalization Model: In the West Coast Community in Tapanuli.

DOI: 10.5220/0010099717711775

In Proceedings of the International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramiﬁcation Researches (ICOSTEERR 2018) - Research in Industry 4.0, pages

1771-1775

ISBN: 978-989-758-449-7

1771

These "land man" generally come from the inland of

Tapanuli. On the contrary, those who come from

Poncan Island generally embrace Islam. It is similar

to other migrants from Minangkabau region and

other West Sumatra coastal areas.(Pen.sej.Pem

Dalam Negri. Prop. Daerah TKT I, Sumut,1991,

hal.25)

One of the traditional figures from Poncan Island,

later known as the Poncan datuk, obtained a special

position in Sibolga by the Dutch government to

supervise the market or weekend market in that city.

This datuk's position was equivalent to the "kuria"

(headman) at that time.

Initially, between migrants and settlers (who had

settled earlier) in Sibolga, there were differences in

customs issues, especially between settlers and group

of people from Poncan Island. Only the settlers is

justified in using the attributes of customary

greatness. If only Datuk market wants to wear the

attributes of customary greatness, they must ask a

permission from a local traditional leaders (kuria).

Along with the time, these settlers and migrants have

been united in customs which then create a

characteristic and culture or "coastal customs". This

cultural unification is further supported, after the

settler from the inland of Tapanuli adhere to the same

religion with the immigrants, namely Islam. Since

the coastal culture has become one of the

characteristics for those who live in the West Coast

of Tapanuli. Then, between the settlers and

immigrants are tied to marriages. Those who marry

the settler girls, or conversely coastal men who marry

the immigrant girls, will always wear that coastal

customs, or better known as "sumando tradition”.

Sumando tradition is covering the procedures for

the wedding customs of coastal community in

Sibolga. During the wedding, Sikambang Music

played a very important role in accompanying

traditional ceremonies and helped to complete the

passage of customary for the West Coast Community

in Tapanuli, especially in Sibolga and Central

Tapanuli District. (Manalu, Jurnal online Grenek

(seni musik),Unimed, 03 Juli 2018).

However, Sikambang Art has suffered a setback

since 2000.This setback occured not because of not

having the successor, but the development of Modern

culture (keyboard) and the lack of community

interest in Sikambang Art.

Therefore, it is necessary to study the condition of

Sikambang Art including the West Coast in Tapanuli,

especially in Sibolga and Centre Tapanuli District. In

addition, one of the actions that must be echoed is

reintroducing the local traditions, customs and

cultures, so that the essence of cultural values and

norms are not goneand collided to the influence of

globalization.

Revitalization is a way and action to revive or

revitalize any program, so that, a revitalization is an

attempt to make something important and necessary.

The purpose of this research is:

1. To explain the utterances contained in

sikambang art of the West Coast societyin

Tapanuli.

2. To explain sikambang art which is used as

the character of West Coast society in

Tapanuli.

2 RESEARCH METHODS

The research method used is the qualitative methods.

Spradley (1977) argues that qualitative research is

more appropriate to use in behavioral culture

research in social situations, namely trying to express

the behavior and actions of people in various social

situations in society. Data collection used is snowboll

sampling technique by conducting observations,

interviews and documentations.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Utterances of Sikambang Art

Sikambang Art is the original art of the West Coast

Communityin Tapanuli, which contained of the

advice in the form of rhyme, had the shape of dance

(with the four dancers) and accompanied by music.

Sikambang Art is often used by the kings of the coast

in traditional ceremonies, such as coronation

ceremonies, welcoming royal guests, weddings and

so on. Along with the time, Sikambang Art keeps

continuing all day and the West Coast Community in

Tapanuli also used this art for the traditional events,

such as wedding party, entering new houses,

swinging children, doing circumcision of the

Prophet, and so on. However, this Sikambang Art has

never been used in religious events.

3.2 As for Utterances in Sikambang

Art, Namely

Sikambang art’s utterances cannot be separated

from the completeness of the instrument itself as

vocal accompaniment, rhyme and dance.

The Sikambang musical instrument as a whole

consisted of:

ICOSTEERR 2018 - International Conference of Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental and Ramiﬁcation Researches

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- Gandang sikambang as a mat (tempo).

- Gandang Batapik as an enhancement

of the gandang sikambang’s rhythm.

- Violin as a carrier of song melodies.

- Singkadu as a melody carrier

- Carano as a tempo carrier

In addition to complete the musical instruments

above as an accompaniment, sikambang art’s dances,

such as Sapu Tangan Dance, Payung Dance,

Selendang Dance, Children’sDance, Dampeng

Dance, Adok Dance and so on.

The sikambang songs used are Adok songs, Pulo

Pinang songs, Perak - Perak songs, sikambang Botan

songs, Kapri songs, and so on.

As for the songs that are sung in this Sikambang

Art is a poetry form, like Kapri's song. This Kapri

song is usually paired with a Saputangan Dance

which describes a story of community association

(young people) that ties the kinship between one

another. This Kapri song is usually chanted as the

opening song, during the barinai nightactivity in

Sumando tradition, which is found in the West Coast

communities in Tapanuli, especially in Sibolga and

Central Tapanuli District. ( Manalu, Jurnal Online

Grenek (seni musik) Unimed, 03 Juli 2018). The

rhymes of this Kapri song, that is:

Bagus – bagus tagak manari

Maka babunyilah lantai papan

Kenapa siamang itu mati

Karena makan buah simanggi hutan

Kalo ada kaca di pintu

Pandan di sawah aku rebahkan

Kalo ada kata bagitu

Badan dan nyawa aku serahkan

Pisang emas dbawa berlayar

Masak sabiji di dalam peti

Utang emas dapat dibayar

Utang budi di bawa mati

Furthermore, children’s dance, usually the

sikambang song is paired with children’sdance, such

as:

Sirih layu pinangnya kering

Manis kelat kulit bintangan

Manalah sampek yang kita mau

Inilah nasib peruntungan

Tinggi bukitnya pegunungan Nampaknya dari pulau

porlak

Alangkah sakitnya paruntungan Airmata dibawa

senyum

This children's song is usually performed as a

closing song in the Sumando tradition. The utterances

delivered is usually in the form of the life phenomena

in the coastal communities and the utterances

conveyed is in the rhymes form. The contents of the

rhymes can also change according to the request,

sometimes cheerful or sad. These utterances only

made for opening and closing.

This local cultural product is facing the challenges

of times, partly because the spirit of modernization is

spreading in all parts of the world. The space of

religiosity contained in the arts is increasingly

undeveloped. The rapid development of modern

science has an effect on people's view of life in

continuing the tradition. Its symbolic rationality and

power have changed the meaning, but only an identity

symbol. Budiono (1984: 127).

If Sikambang Art is not guarded and preserved

gradually, this art will disappear, and even the most

of younger generation currently do not know about

Sikambang Art anymore. It is feared that Sikambang

Art will disappear.

Sikambang Art as a West Coast Community

Character in Tapanuli

In West Coast Community in Tapanuli, especially

in Sibolga and Centre Tapanuli District, grew and

developed a culturethat was called as sikambang.

Sikambang art that existed and developed on the West

Coast Community in Tapanuli, especially in Sibolga

and Central Tapanuli District is the original culture of

coastal community. Sikambang Art is created by the

coastal communities by adjusting the natural

environment.

The main part of Sikambang Art consisted of

"singing" and "dancing" (dance art) that carry out the

cultural element of art and culture. This art carries a

contemporary philosophies with many meanings,

patterned advice, rhythmic songs and dance forms.

Sikambang is not an acculturation that is absorbed

from other cultures, but it is an art of the coastal

kingdom's civilization heritage, especially from the

7th century, in Jayadana’s heyday with his queen

Putri Rundu. The presence of sikambang art points to

his personality from the coastal community who have

a smooth feeling and high tolerance, in accordance

with the nature and ripples of rolling waves.

This coastal song is a rhythmic rhyme which is

contained of the advice words, values and moral

messages. The coastal environment created it in such a

way until it was so serene, to the point that the

fishermen fell asleep in the graceful wave ripples and

occasionally been big wavy, been making the dance

movements graceful or suddenly jerking loudly.

Therefore, Sikambang art is a reflection of the life for

the coastal community, which is used as a character

and cultural identity of them who live on the coast.

Sikambang Art which contained of advice with

Sikambang Arts and Revitalization Model: In the West Coast Community in Tapanuli

1773

values and moral philosophyis used as a tool that

regulates the living environment of coastal

communities. Sikambang Art aims as a social

function to understand and seek the meaning of

worldly reality.

Local wisdom can be understood as a wise local

idea and knowledge, full of wisdom, good value and

virtuous possessed by the community. That local

wisdom is derived from cultural traditions, because it

is a content of oral traditions that have been inherited

hereditarily and utilized to organize the social life of

the community in all areas of lives. The local wisdom

is a local cultural value that can be utilized to regulate

the order of community life wisely and wisely.

Sibarani (2012: 113).

In line with this, the local wisdom order of West

Coast community in Tapanuli, especially in Sibolga

and Centre Tapanuli District since 2000, has been

more oriented to the development of modern music,

such as kibot which greatly influences the traditional

culture. It can not be found some values of coastal

local wisdom from some people who told about the

importance of maintaining the sustainability of

sikambang art to regulate the order of life of a wise

community. The system of local communitiy which

builds more on the influences of modern culture.

From the government of Sibolga and Centre

Tapanuli District, they have also attempted to present

this Sikambang art on the Anniversary of Sibolga and

the district. However, people are still more interested

in modern culture. Sibaran (2012:

113) argued that Local wisdom can be understood as

a wise local idea and knowledge, full of wisdom,

good value and virtuous possessed by the

community. That local wisdom is derived from

cultural traditions, because it is a content of oral

traditions that have been inherited hereditarily and

utilized to organize the social life of the community

in all areas of lives.

Local wisdom is a local cultural value that can be

utilized to regulate the order of community life

wisely.This condition applies to the West Coast

community in Tapanuli, especially in Sibolga and

Centre Tapanuli District, there are still others who

use sikambang art, although it is still quite rare.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The conclusion of this study:

1. The utterances of Sikambang Art carry the

cultural element of art and culture. This art

carries a contemporary philosophies with many

meanings, patterned advice, rhythmic songs and

dance forms. Nowadays, the utterances of

Sikambang has suffered a setback, this setback

occured not because of not having his successor,

but because of the development of modern

culture, the reluctance of the younger generation

and the lack of community interest.

2. Sikambang Art is a reflection of coastal

communities that are made as character and

cultural identity of the people. This Sikambang

Art is believed to be able to hone the human souls

and consciences to be more humanistic and

sensitive to the environment. but now it has

shifted.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank the Directorate of Higher

Education and the USU Research Institute in 2018.

This research was funded by: Directorate of

Community Research and Service Directorate

General of Strengthening Research and Development

of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher

Education, in accordance with the Presentation of

Research Guidelines and Community Service in the

2018 Budget Year.

Number.1339/UN5.2.3.1/PPM/2018

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