Name: Endang Sugriwa/Abah Olot

Location: Cimanggung District, Sumedang Regency

Specialist materials: Bamboo, Kawung

Products: Karinding

Abah Olot's Karinding Workshop located in Cimanggung, Sumedang, West Java is a well-known place for making traditional Karinding musical instruments. Karinding is played by flicking with the tip of the index finger while affixed to the lips. Prior to 2004, Karinding was considered as an extinct art, so Abah Olot was motivated to revive it. Knowledge of how to make and play it has existed since the time of Abah's great-grandfather. Now he spreads this knowledge through his workshop, where many people come to learn about Karinding. Abah's products are Karinding, Celempung, and Kentongan. Abah uses the old-fashioned manufacturing method with slight modifications, such as adding more notes than usual. In the past, Karinding was used for rituals by local people, for example, during a lunar eclipse. Nowadays, Karinding is more often used for art performances. This traditional musical instrument is usually made of two types of trees, namely bamboo trees and kawung trees. Usually Abah search by himself because he knows the best quality trees to be used as musical instruments. Bamboo grows a lot near the workshop, and Abah uses four to five years old bamboo harvested in the 9th or 10th month. It took six months to make Karinding from bamboo. It is because the bamboo must first be dried in the sun until completely dry. One bamboo tree can be made into several musical instruments; the middle part can be made into 40-50 pieces of Karinding and the top and bottom can be used for Celempung. A good kawung tree is a tree that grows in hot areas, so Abah must first go to the South Garut area to look for it. Karinding made of kawung wood is usually takes longer and more complex process. "If we use kawung wood, the sound will be better, but the process is long and difficult. The drying time is long; even one year is not enough. While bamboo only takes six months to one year." said Abah Olot. A good-quality kawung wood must be dried in the sun for at least three years up to twelve years. Abah Olot practiced selective slashing in obtaining the material. This can be seen when he only uses old bamboo and kawung trees. The growth of kawung trees is uncertain and slow, and sometimes when Abah does not get the old one, he will return empty-handed even though he has traveled all the way to South Garut. Abah will not cut down carelessly just to get easy material for his Karinding and usually only cuts down one tree because one can already be made into several units of musical instruments.