Meet Pa'beng, a Traditional Music Instrument of Situbondo

TIMESINDONESIA, SITUBONDO – There are dozens of traditional music instruments we know in Indonesia. Bu, there is always one that haven't been acknowledged by most people in the country, and Pa'beng is one of them. 

This device came from Bantal Village, Asembagus District, Situbondo, East Java. The local community used this tool back then for certain ritual and traditional ceremony.

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The locals creating Pa'beng from the scratch. (Photo: Danu Setiawan)

As of for now, there has been few people knew about this tool. Some has started a community to preserve its existence and play it on every occasion they could.

Pa'beng is a traditional music instrument made of bamboo which could produce unique sounds from high to low tones. It is played in group and need more than 3 people to get the perfect rhythm with the same instruments.  

Pa'beng Listed as Rare Traditional Music Instrument

Nowadays, as the modernity goes the local youth choose to learn those electric guitar or some piano. And it makes them forget about this instrument. It will be hard to find one to play this music device even in the neighborhood area of Situbondo.

There then Nusantara Rhythm, a local art studio took a step. They create the device from the scratch and taught the local youth from the making to how to play it. It was one of heir way to conserve this traditional music device. 

"Through Nusantara Rhythm we would like to conserve the culture and the historical value especially through conserving and teach the youngster to play and made the instrument," Nafisah, the member of Nusantara Rhythm said on Friday (10/2/2023). 

Pa'beng and Its Function Back Then

Beside being used as a music tool, Pa'beng was used as a main instrument to collect the rain. The community use it a s a companion while there were at farm and use to shush the bird away. 

Hafisah also explained that up until now, each year especially during a long drought the local community of Situbondo will hit the Pa'beng and dance all the way around and chanting some song to call out the rain. 

This has been a unique use of Pa'beng up until now. Though the number of people attracted to this traditional music instrument has decreased but Nusantara Rhythm hope to be able to restore the willing of local youth of Situbondo in preserving the device. 

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