Tari Cindua Mato

Audio 3.1: Audio Example 1 in Chapter 3 of book: Margaret Kartomi, ‘Musical Journeys in Sumatra’, Champaign-Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2012. In the south-coastal area of West Sumatra, the enactment of the ancient legend of “Cindua Mato” is a feature of the traditional dance repertoire. This legend describes the life of “Bundo Kanduang”, the ancestral queen of the Minangkabau people, who is attributed with having established a system of matrilineal rule that eventually came to be based on Islamic principles. Her son eventually ruled with her. “Cindua Mato” was his personal attendant and warrior, and in due course became king of all inland and coastal areas of Minangkabau. In this excerpt, recorded in December 1985, the “Tari Cindua Mato” or “Cindua Mato” Dance is accompanied by male vocalist, Bp Kadir Usman, who is in turn accompanied by an “adok”, a deeply resonant large frame drum which begins here with ponderous, widely interspersed beats but later plays a fast, continuous rhythm, suitably reflecting a changing mood in the song. Duration: 2 min. 43 sec.

Copyright 1985. Margaret J. Kartomi.