9 traditional music instruments from Sabah and Sarawak worth checking out

Sape maker Tomi Bulen playing one of his creations at the Sarawak Cultural Village. — Photo: ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

There are many traditional music instruments that can be found in Sabah and Sarawak that are still being produced – and used, whether in traditional performances or infused in contemporary music – today.

Some of these instruments, like the gong and kulintangan, may have originated from other places in the region, but they have been used in traditional rituals and ceremonies of many ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak for centuries.