Papua is one of Indonesia’s parts with countless cultural and traditional values. You could say that Papua’s cultural wealth is prosperous. Musical instruments are one of the items included in Papua’s section on cultural wealth. Many people know only the Tifa musical instrument from Papua. Several Papuan musical instruments are no less exciting and unique than Tifa. One of them is a Pikon musical instrument.
Maybe some of you are still unfamiliar with this one musical instrument. It is small and relatively simple. This musical instrument has become one of the favorite musical instruments for Papuans.
Pikon’s Bond with the Dani Tribe is Unbreakable
That morning, a Silimo in the Baliem valley was busy. The Dani people living in Silimo gather and enjoy the beautiful morning sun. Quite a lot of women crowded in the courtyard of Silimo around Mr. Yali, the Chief of the tribe. Meanwhile, the men were some distance away from the crowd but kept an eye on what Mr. Yali would do.
Suddenly, Mr. Yali uttered words of a kind of mantra, which meant an invitation to the Silimo residents to jointly praise the Lord for the gift they had received so far. The mantra Mr. Yali spoke was so sweet that you could hear the magical atmosphere throughout Silimo. All eyes and ears were on the Chieftain, waiting for his instructions and what to say next.
For a moment of silence, Mr. Yali took something out of one of the residents’ Noken (a typical Papuan bag). It was a small object, roughly the size of the Chief’s grip. It is round and oval and made of bamboo.
In the center of the piece of bamboo is a rope fastened and tied to a vibrating stick. With each lift of the base bar, the vibrating element vibrates and eventually produces sound. The object is the traditional Papuan musical instrument.
Pikon, Traditional Musical Instruments from Papua
Pikon is one of the traditional musical instruments originating from Papua. The etymology comes from the word Pikonane, and in Balinese, it means a sound musical instrument. This classic musical instrument is typical of the Dani tribe, which men usually play. Usually, they play this instrument while resting after a tiring day of work or while relaxing in the Honai.
The muddoes not create a melodic sound. It tends to be discordant. It is natural because, at first, it was made only as a fatigue reliever, so the sound produced was more like a soundless bird chirping. However, as time passes, the sound made by the instrument becomes audible, as do mi and sol tones.
Its length, in general, is 5.2 cm. Traditional musical instruments from Papua is played by tugging the thread connecting the stick and blowing the hole provided in the bamboo center. In addition to Hites, barks from arrows can also be formed with Hites.
How to Play Traditional Musical Instruments from Papua
This musical instrument is also straightforward to use. It is necessary to blow the center of the perforated bamboo. You can pull the stick out to make various sounds as you blow.
Although classified as a simple wind instrument, you need special techniques. It is because the musical instrument has a particular game. So, not everyone can play this wind instrument well.
In playing the Pikon, it is essential to know when to blow and when to pull the string. As a result of its complexity, the instrument is unique and authentic.
That is also why the development of the instrument feels less than other traditional Papuan musical instruments. Only a few people can play this with the right and appropriate tone.
The player will imitate a singing voice or the sound of a bird. Another use of this wind instrument is to simulate the sound of a mother luring her child.
Over time, picon began to develop in its use. In fact, at the Baliem Jayawijaya Valley Festival, this instrument became one of the performers in the event. Precisely in commemoration of the Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia.
Wrapping Up
This traditional musical instrument from Papua is not as popular as other traditional musical instruments. But actually, this musical instrument has its uniqueness. Therefore, the younger generation must learn this traditional wind instrument to maintain its sustainability in the future.
We can only get this Pikon musical instrument in Papua. Why? Because the ingredients are only in Papua. So for those of you who live outside Papua. You’ll have a hard time enjoying this picon.
