Tifa, a Typical Musical Instrument from Eastern Indonesia

Baca Juga

Photo Source: Touropia.com

FEMUSINDO.com - Tifa is a typical musical instrument from Eastern Indonesia, especially the Maluku Islands and Papua.

This musical instrument resembles a drum, made of wood with a hole in the middle and played by hitting it.

There are several types of Tifa musical instruments based on their size, in order from small to large, namely Tifa Jekir, Tifa Dasar, Tifa Potong, Tifa Jekir Potong and Tifa Bas.

This musical instrument is made from a piece of wood that is emptied or has its contents removed and one end is covered.

Usually, the cover is made of dried deer skin to produce a good and beautiful sound. The shape is usually carved.

Every tribe in Maluku and Papua has a Tifa with its own characteristics. Tifa is usually used to accompany war dances and several other regional dances.

Like the Lenso dance from Maluku which is also accompanied by the Totobuang musical instrument, the traditional dance of the Asmat tribe and the Gatsi dance of the Marind tribe.

The Tifa musical instrument from Maluku has other names, such as Tahito or Tihal which are used in the Central Maluku regions.

Meanwhile, on Aru Island, Tifa has another name, namely Titir. There are types that are shaped like drums with sticks like those used in mosques.

The frame body is made of wood covered with rattan as a binder and the shape varies based on the area of ​​origin.

On Papua Island, the Tifa musical instrument by the Asmat Tribe is called Eme, in Teminabuan it is called Kalin Kla.

By the Sentani Tribe this musical instrument is called Wachu, in the Biak Islands it is called Sirep or Sandio, by the Marind Tribe it is called Kandara and by the Mbaham-Matta Tribe in Fakfak it is called Tummour or Titir.

Based on its shape, the Tifa musical instrument can be divided into two traditions, the Maluku Tifa tradition which is tubular and does not have a handle.

Meanwhile, the Papuan Tifa tradition is slimmer like an hourglass and has a handle like a kundu from Papua New Guinea, Eme from the Asmat Tribe, and Kandara from the Marind Tribe.

Tifa is a traditional musical instrument that has gone global. In 2021, Tifa was introduced at the Fete de La Musique Festival held by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in Poland. (*)