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A talempong a small kettle gong which gives its name to an ensemble of four or five talempong as well as other gongs and drums. The term can refer to the instrument, the ensemble, or the genre of music.
Talempong is a traditional music of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The talempong produce a static texture consisting of interlocking rhythms.
Talempong can be used to play a wide variety of music traditional and modern. Talempong have been used in some experimental gamelan pieces composed at Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia Surakarta, which has West Sumatran instructors and students.
In Malaysia
The talempong was brought to Negeri Sembilan, Peninsular Malaysia, in the 14th century by Minangkabau people from nearby West Sumatra. Here, talempong is also known as caklempong.
The caklempong is present in the different configurations of the Nobat, a ceremonial traditional orchestra that is among the Regalia of Malaysia. Performances by the Nobat are limited to royal occasions, the ensemble playing an important role in the Installation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.