Jim Metzner introduces "Breaking the Fast." (1:13)
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During the monthlong observance of Ramadan, devout Muslims around the world fast during daylight hours, pray, and rededicate themselves to the principals of Islam. Ramadan’s dates change every year, as they are determined by the cycles of the moon. In 2000 the holiday ended in the final days of December.

In the village of Maga, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the Mandailing people celebrate the end of Ramadan with a ceremonial drum performance called Gordang Sambilan—“the nine great drums.” In addition to a set of nine drums of varying size, the ensemble includes gongs, a flute, and a reed instrument.

The Gordang Sambilan performance witnessed by Pulse of the Planet was received with great respect and solemnity by the villagers of Maga and was integrated into village life. Anthropologist Peter Zabielskis, who filmed the ceremony for us, describes the scene: “The mood was casual. There were no boundaries between performers and spectators, no specific place where the audience was meant to sit. Rather, the performance was held on a pathway between two rows of traditional-style bamboo thatch houses.

“There was little warning when each piece was about to begin—likewise little fanfare when it ended. This is all in keeping with the performance style of many sacred rituals in Indonesia: no clear beginnings and endings and little or no division between performers and villagers.”

Each session of Gordang Sambilan music lasts about 15 minutes, with different groups of musicians playing a number of sessions. The entire performance may take several hours. Recording by Peter Zabielskis (2:19) RealPlayer: 28.8K | 56K WinMedia: 28.8K | 56K

	VIDEO (Requires the free RealPlayer plug-in)
	An entire Gordang Sambilan ensemble in action (1:20)		Six drummers laying down a rhythm (:41)

The performance of Gordang Sambilan is a practice absorbed by a faith other than the one it sprang from—in this case, a traditional Mandailing ceremony adopted by Islam. According to Mandailing anthropologist Zainudin Pangaduan Lubis, in the days before Islam came to Sumatra (prior to 1900), the sacred ceremonial music of Gordang Sambilan was said to have invincible powers by which the Mandailings would call on their ancestors to give them assistance. While in a trance, a shaman called the Sibaso would summon the spirit of the Mandailings’ forebears to help in times of dire need, such as when the region was afflicted by a plague or drought.

Socially, Gordang Sambilan would also have been played to celebrate the marriage of a noble couple, the funeral of a raja (king) or the death of a tiger, which is considered the king of the jungle.

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	The master drummer performing an ecstatic impromptu dance (:37)		An informal demonstration of a form of Silat, the Indonesian art of self-defense (:50)

Lately, rather than using Gordang Sambilan solely for sacred purposes, Mandailing migrants to Malaysia have started performing it at social events. Seen as a traditional art form, Gordang Sambilan is now used to receive dignitaries, celebrate national events and social gatherings, and mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Credits
Thanks to anthropologists Peter Zabielskis and Zainudin Pangaduan Lubis for providing invaluable information on Gordang Sambilan and the Mandailing people, and to Raja Syahbudin bin Raja Abdul Jalil of the Nasution clan for making the Mandailing performance possible. For more information on Sumatra and the Mandailing, check out www.sumatra-heritage.or.id and http://www.e.com.my/prototype/mandailing/.

Thanks also to Abdur-Razzaq Lubis and Khoo Salma Nasution.

Sumatra map by Jennifer Mapes
All video by Peter Zabielskis

Pulse of the Planet  is presented by the DuPont Company, with additional support from the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities.

© 2001 Jim Metzner Productions and the National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.