By Marlynda Meraw
KUCHING, Jun 21: On the open veranda of the Orang Ulu longhouse at Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV), 55-year-old Francis Kujen sits with focused ease, carving yet another Sape with hands that seem to know exactly where each cut must go.
Though Bidayuh by ethnicity, Francis has long embraced the Orang Ulu lifestyle. As the caretaker of the longhouse within the village, his days are often spent immersed in wood carvings, melodies, and tradition.
He had learned to carve a Sape as early as he learned to play it, back in 1993. With no formal teacher, Francis relied on a cassette recording and trained himself to play by ear.
When asked what drew him to the instrument in the first place, he paused, then offered a quiet insight.
“Maybe I had a natural knack, a hidden ability towards these things (playing and carving Sape),” said Francis with a smile.
That same “natural knack”, he said, likely guided him to begin crafting the Sape, an art he taught himself over the course of four dedicated years.
When asked what makes a truly great Sape, Francis dismissed common assumptions.
“The wood doesn’t affect it, but rather it’s the craftsmanship,” he explained, emphasising that each instrument he made followed the exact wishes of his clients. A well-made Sape, tailored to the player’s needs, would naturally be easier for them to learn.
As he spoke, Francis continued carving without breaking rhythm, his hands confidently shaping the wood for a new Sape commissioned by a visitor during the second day of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2025.
Lining the longhouse walls were finished pieces, Sape of various sizes, designs, and colours, each crafted for a specific player that had yet to call it theirs.
Despite his years in the craft, Francis took no sole ownership over it. He expressed a relief that younger generations were beginning to take an interest in both playing and making the traditional instrument.
“There’s more young people playing (the Sape) now, with the youngest I knew being five-years-old,” said Francis.
As long as there are hands willing to carve and craft, and hearts drawn to the sound of its strings, the Sape will never fade.
On his veranda at the longhouse, Francis continued what he started decades ago, shaping not only wood, but the future of a tradition. –DayakDaily
