Strings of the Forest: Mara, The Dayak Maestro from Rosak

Mara is teaching the delicate art of plucking the sape, the traditional stringed instrument of the Dayak people.Photo credit: dayakdreams.com

🌍 PONTIANAK | BORNEOTRAVEL : His Cool Name: Christian Mara.

But everyone just calls him : Mara.

Born in Rosak, a small hamlet tucked within Jangkang subdistrict, Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan, Christian Mara is a humble, multi-talented artist. People simply know him as Mara.

He was born in July 1964.
“But I don’t know the exact date,” he chuckles. “Back then, our parents didn’t own calendars like we do today. They relied on memory,” he explains.

Mara is known as a self-taught polymath

Mara is known as a self-taught polymath—mastering every field he steps into with dedication and heart. Though he only completed elementary school up to fifth grade, Mara is impressively fluent in conversational English.

This unassuming man became widely known for his performances of pantun and Dayak Jangkang songs, many of which were recorded on cassette tapes and CDs. His popular songs include Koyuh Ara and Domamakng Domia.

But Mara is no one-genre artist. In addition to singing in Dayak Jangkang style, he's also skilled at performing Malay songs—like Ganteng Ana, an inspiring anthem rich in messages of interethnic brotherhood. One lyric rings especially true:

"Riyak tih kita dua bodompu"
Which translates to: “Remember, we’ve always been family.

Ars est celare artem

Ars est celare artem—"True art hides the effort behind its making." This could be Mara’s unspoken motto.

He’s made a living through music, art, and traditional Dayak craftsmanship. Now based in Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan, Mara founded an art studio dedicated to preserving and developing Dayak cultural expression—particularly the sape, the traditional Dayak stringed instrument.

He’s also known as a gong maker and preservationist. In the yard of his home near Supadio Airport in Pontianak, he crafts traditional Dayak gongs entirely by hand.

Through self-study, he’s trained his ear to understand the unique resonance of each gong, relying on his natural instinct and artistic sensitivity to distinguish their tones. Each set is handcrafted—a meticulous, labor-intensive process. A single set can fetch tens of millions of rupiah. But then again, great art justifies its worth. As the saying goes: ars est celare artem—art is at its finest when the effort disappears.

Thanks to his skill, Mara has been invited abroad to share his knowledge and techniques. He’s trained students in Thailand and in Sibu, Malaysia. In Sibu, he even taught music at the Sanggar Sri Kelayang.

Today, Mara is recognized as a sape master: not only for his ability to play it, but for his craftsmanship in making it. 

Mara's dream

His dream? To build 1,000 sape. The instruments he’s created sell for between one and four million rupiah.

You can listen to Mara’s vibrant, Dayak Jangkang-flavored songs on YouTube. He also performs pieces from other Dayak ethnic traditions—proving himself a true all-rounder in the arts.

One of his albums is titled Album Pop Dangdut: Lagu Daerah Kabuaten Sanggau - Pop Dangdut Album: Regional Songs of Sanggau Regency, released on CD by Galaherang Production. 

-- Masri Sareb Putra