Tali Nan Bapilin Tigo (Three Strings Entwined): a study of the Minangkabau Talempong tradition in West Sumatra Indonesia

The aim of this book is to identify structures in the talempong musical tradition that correspond with structures in the Minangkabau cultural tradition of the Payakumbuh region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The central argument of this study is that embedded within the talempong musical structures are archetypes that correlate with social structures between groups of people in Minangkabau society, such as positions, roles and status within a group. Aspects of these archetypes combine to characterise expressions of identity, individually and ethnically at a local and regional level. Two musicians are focussed on as case studies, Pak Islamidar and Ibu Siti Nurbaya, both of the Payakumbuh region. The case study of Ibu Siti centres on her expression of the talempong duduak musical tradition. The case study of Pak Islamidar concentrates on his expression of the talempong pacik musical tradition. The purpose of these two case studies is to establish models for demonstrating the pertinent connections between the talempong musical structures and Minangkabau social structures