Sound & Image

Image & Sound

images and sounds recorded during the fieldwork

all contextualization maluku churches & music fieldwork traditional music

Contextualization of Church Music

The Universitas Kristen Indonesia Maluku (UKIM) is a theological university in Ambon where theologians are developing Moluccan contextual theology. Contextual theology is theology based on the living cultural context. Theologian and musician Christian Izaac Tamaela taught a class on the contextualization of church music. He was an expert on the use of traditional Moluccan music in worship in the Moluccan Protestant church.

Examination contextualization of church music Pt. 1

Examination contextualization of church music Pt. 2

Examination contextualization of church music Pt. 3

Chris Izaac Tamaela teaching

The klong is a bamboo tube zither with one string. It is a traditional Moluccan instrument

Contextualization of church music, class taught by Chris Tamaela

Contextualization of church music

Contextual theology

Maluku

Maluku means the Moluccas. During the research I visited many beautiful places on different Moluccan islands.

Baileo, Saparua

Symbolizing the fundamental place of adat, the baileo is the house where the village leaders assemble. Adat is the customary usage (i.e. religion, manners, cultural traditions, customs, social organization and rights) which has been handed down by the ancestors and which is passed on from generation to generation.

Boats to Haruku

Christian murals, Ambon

Interior of a home in Yalahatan, Seram

Seram

The sea at Saparua

Traditional houses in Yalahatan, Seram

View over Ambon

GPM Churches and Music

The Gereja Protestan Maluku (GPM) is the Moluccan Protestant church in which traditional church music is implemented. These photos and videos show the exteriors and interiors of several GPM churches, and the music and singing during Sunday service.

Vocal group of children in church Imanuel in Haria, Saparua

Church in Noloth, Saparua

This is one of the oldest Protestant churches on the Moluccas, built by the Dutch in the year 1860.

Songs in ethnic service in Rohua Baru, Seram

Interior of the church in Tuni, Ambon

GPM churches approximately have the same set up for the interior, although pulpits can be quite creative!

Brass accompaniment of congregational singing in the Silo church, Ambon

View over the church in Soya from the balcony of the suling players

The church in Soya is one of the few churches that still has a large suling ensemble that accompanies congregational singing each week. The suling is a horizontal bamboo flute, a traditional church instrument that was introduced by the missionary Josef Kam.

Seats for the village king in the church in Booi, Saparua

Some older churches have separate seats for the village king, the raja.

Suling in Soya

Sector Christmas service in the Rehoboth church, Ambon

This service is accompanied by ethnic instruments in combination with modern and brass instruments.

Interior of the church in Soya, Ambon

Congregational singing in the Maranatha church, Ambon

The Maranatha church is the central church in Ambon, located next to the synod. Congregational singing is accompanied by band music.

Interior of the church in Soya, Ambon (2)

Ethnic service in Rohua Baru, Seram

The ethnic service is a recent contextual development which means that worship is based on Moluccan ethnicity.

Congregational singing in the Rehoboth church, Ambon

This is the typical keyboard synthesizer sound of musical accompaniment in GPM churches.

Interior of the Petra church in Haria, Saparua

Interior of the Silo church, Ambon

Suling players in the church in Soya, Ambon

Church Imanuel in Haria, Saparua

Vocal group in ethnic service in the church in Poka, Ambon

Choir in the church In Soya, Ambon

Congregational singing in the church in Soya, Ambon

Suling ensemble in church Imanuel in Haria, Saparua

Suling ensemble on the balcony in the church in Soya, Ambon

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is fun! As an anthropologist you participate in the everyday lives of the people you study, trying to understand their worldview from their own point of view. Fieldwork is about relationships, about experience, and about ‘being there’. These pictures show several fieldwork settings during my time in the Moluccas.

Conversation in the Maranatha church, Ambon

Dinner in Yalahatan, Seram

Fieldwork setting in Tiouw, Saparua

Jip and church council member in the church in Noloth, Saparua

Traditional Moluccan Music

Traditional Moluccan music is a result of centuries of inter-cultural contact, including modern influences. Chris Tamaela even developed new traditional instruments. The music is drawn upon for the development of traditional church music. Moluccan music is part of an ensemble of dance, clothes and language.

Tari lenso

Tari lenso is performed by women, to welcome guests and accompanied by the tifa and totobuang. Lenso refers to the white handkerchiefs the women have tied around one finger of each hand.

Akapeti & Klong

Rehearsal MBO Concert Pt. 1

Amboina ukulele kids community

Rehearsal MBO Concert Pt. 2

Different sizes of tifa

Moluccan traditional drum.

Maluku Bambu Orchestra

This the orchestra of Rence Alfons, consisting of young people who play the suling. They play all kinds of music on this traditional instrument. The suling is a horizontal bamboo flute that was introduced by the missionary Josef Kam to accompany congregational singing in church.

Cakalele dance

Originally the cakalele is a war dance, performed in preparation of headhunting or war. Today, the cakalele is used in several adat ceremonies and most often to welcome and protect guests, also in public and political contexts.

Pong-Pong & Toleng-Toleng

Ukulele children's group of Nico Tulalessy

Tifa totobuang group with rebana

This is a tifa totobuang group in the village Amahusu, led by musician Jonas Silooy. They play the famous song ‘lagu totobuang’, together with the rebana. The rebana is a frame drum, mostly played by Muslims.

Tifa totobuang group in the village Amahusu

The singing of traditional songs

The cutting of bamboo for the suling

Different factions of the suling are made by different sizes of bamboo tubes.

Tahuri

Conch shell, traditional Moluccan instrument.

Concert MBO

Christian Tamaela playing the klong

Children playing the tahuri with Carolis Elias Horhoruw

Tifa and Totobuang

Totobuang

Melodic instrument made of bronze gongs, traditional Moluccan instrument.

Bamboo sea

A group of musicians playing a diversity of Moluccan instruments