KVWO Clarinet Ensemble - Jambatan Tamparuli

"Jambatan Tamparuli" is a well-known Kadazandusun song written by singer-composer Justin Lusah in 1977. The song which was produced as part of Lusah’s album of the same title became an instant hit. It is now recognized as a Sabahan folksong. Jambatan Tamparuli is based on a famous hanging bridge in Tamparuli which was swept away by flood in 1999. A new hanging bridge has been built that still stands there today.
Jambatan Tamparuli tells rather humorously about a girl who was walking on the hanging bridge when her high-heeled shoes slipped off her feet and fell into the river. Left with only her socks on, she made her way to the weekly Tamparuli market in search of a new pair of heels.
This arrangement was written by Juanita Tommy for clarinet quartet. It carries a distinct melody using the pentatonic scale. It starts off in a major key describing the happy disposition of a girl walking on the bridge with her heels on. The next section transposed into a minor key that gives a rather somber mood of loss. The piece moves on with a swing variation describing the market scene bustling with activities and also hope on the girl’s part in finding a new pair of heels to replace the lost ones. Finally, after finding the right heels she regained her lively jaunts and headed off to her next destination.
Lyrics and Music by Justin Lusah
Arranged by Juanita Tommy