Community of Karinding Buhun Ciomas

By Ilham Nurwansah

Here is another karinding group from eastern part of West Java. They called KATCI acronym of Komunitas Adat Ciomas or Custom Community of Ciomas. Located in Ciomas village, Ciomas sub-distric, Regency of Ciamis. In other way, they called their selves as Komunitas Karinding Buhun Ciomas or literally means ‘Old Karinding Community of Ciomas’. It rose from ten persons of artist and has grown to a big community in their place today.

The unique of this team is they use a violin as string melodic instrument. Another musical instrument they use are 3 to 4 stringed celempung, melodic celempung, celempung rénténg (several celempungs sustained together), toléot (bamboo clarinet) and certainly the karinding. In case, they use another handmade unique instrument. The karindings are the bamboo one.

Their own-made songs tell about natural forest, natural damage, and several songs with nature and environment themed. The focused mission of this community is to keep the natural mountainous forests around their area. They have made real action of keeping the forest by planting the new trees, gathering rare tree seeds, and patrolling around the jungle. Commonly while they patrol among the highland, the musical expression of karinding is a perfect accompaniment to them.