Club/society 101: Cak Lempong

Cak Lempong is a traditional Malay musical instrument, a small gong, used in gamelan performance to produce melodious sounds. It is made from bronze through a molding technique. The Cak Lempong can be traced back to the Malaysian community of Minangkabau heritage, in Negeri Sembilan. Nowadays, Cak Lempong music can be found in other states in Malaysia, as well as educational institutes around Malaysia.

The Cak Lempong is usually accompanied by other musical instruments such as Seruling Buluh, Salung, Rebana and Gong. It is usually played during traditional Malaysian music and arts performances such as Pencak Silat, Tarian Lilin, Randai, and Tarian Inai. In some situations, Cak Lempong can also be used to replace the Canang instrument, especially in performances such as Dikir Bart and Wayang Kulit Kelantan. 

In modern times, the Cak Lempong groups are usually divided into three elements:

1. Gereteh - melody
2. Tingkah
3. Saua (plays the rhythm homophony)

These elements compliment each other in the composition of a song.

Many universities and colleges have Cak Lempong societies for students to enhance their musical talents and hone their skills. If you have joined a Cak Lempong club/society and want to showcase your awesome skills here  (video, photo, blogpost), drop us an e-mail at hello@youthunited.my Check out some of Malaysia's talents below!