Self-taught busker hopes to use sape to continue legacy of traditional Kenyah music

Desmond Edward Laing with his sape at India Street Pedestrian Mall.

By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, Jan 7: Busker Desmond Edward Laing, has been playing the sape for 17 years and hopes to use the traditional four-stringed instrument to keep the legacy of the music of his Kenyah ancestors going.

The 45-year-old self-taught musician who has been performing at India Street Pedestrian Mall for more than a year is always proud to share the soothing sounds of his sape which was passed down to him by his grandfather.

Hailing from Belaga but residing in Serian, Desmond who is Kenyah-Bidayuh travels daily to Kuching to share and play the family’s precious three-generation heirloom sape at the open-air mall, after moving away from the Kuching Waterfront.

He revealed the sape is his daily companion and his source of income to support his wife and four children.

“I am proud to have been the keeper of this family instrument made of meranti wood that can still produce melodious traditional Kenyah music that is soothing to the ear.

“Yes, it is old and needs a little repair here and there, but it still can be strummed to produce a great, sweet sound, and it is very ‘tuneful’. Once I was offered RM5,000 for my sape but I refused,” the full-time busker told DayakDaily.

Desmond is also no stranger to the local music scene, having performed at the Rainforest World Music Festival in 2022.

“It is an honour to have entertained the festival goers and played with renowned world music artists, and I appreciated it.”

Aside from busking, Desmond also gets invited to perform for personal and corporate events in the city.

“Foremost, as a person of my generation, I want to play the sape and continue the Kenyah cultural legacy by telling the story through the musical instrument played in the traditional style,” he said.

Desmond lamented that while there are many sape players now with more contemporary sounds, they are often only support musicians in mainstream music instead of the lead.

He is happy as he found solace with India Street Pedestrian Mall as his stage and has also received support from the business community in the vicinity.

“The location allows my sape music to get noticed more by members of the public. Locals and foreign tourists take pictures of me with them and strike up educational conversations about my instrument and ancestral heritage.

“Such simple interactions mean more to me and make me proud of what I am doing, and I believe it has more worth compared to money or being a famous musician mobbed by fans,” he opined.

Demond also said that keeping Kenyah music culture and tradition is paramount to him, and if there is ‘rezeki’ (provision or blessing), it could also lead to a person becoming famous and well known.

“For now, I want to be an honest busker, playing the music of my ancestors, learning more about my heritage and culture. As time goes by, I hope to be the ‘keeper’ of my rich Kenyah cultural heritage, music and more,” he said.

Desmond can be found playing soothing music on his sape daily between 10am to 4pm at India Street Pedestrian Mall. — DayakDaily