TUARAN: Jolius Sobinting is not too concerned over the fact that he had spent the bulk of his youth to promote traditional ethnic music in Sabah, because all that he wants is to pass it on to future generations so that it is not lost.
The 50-year-old Dusun man from Kampung Sinansag, Kiulu who is skilled in playing the tatunggak and sompoton, has been trying to create suitable music with the musical instruments in recent years.
"I am not a big name in the field of traditional music, but I am very much in love with heritage cultural arts, especially that of ethnic Dusun people, that I have sacrificed most of my youth to preserve the treasure.
"I am doing all this on a voluntary basis because I do not want the art lost, because it is not found elsewhere," he told Bernama.
Jolius, who plays the tatunggak and sompoton fulltime, also runs workshops on the musical instruments in Tamparuli and Kiulu. He expressed his satisfaction for having nurtured many young people with good playing skills.
"Apart from this, I am also good at making the tatunggak and sompton, which I sell at RM50 to RM100 respectively each to support my family," he said.
Jolius said that some of the basic items to make the tatunggak are bamboo sticks, while the sompoton is made from a combination of small bamboos called sumbiling, red pumpkin and rattans. -- Bernama