From Ancestral Rhythm to Contemporary Sonic Practice
Magismaja is a music project I developed from the acronym Makassar, Bugis, Mandar, and Toraja, four major ethnic groups in South Sulawesi with rich rhythmic and sonic traditions.
This project is my entry point to a larger mission, which is to bring these sonic materials into contemporary music practice, not as cultural representation, but as living knowledge that can generate new musical possibilities.
Through my observation and personal experience, I have come to realize that traditional sound materials carry a unique complexity, especially in their rhythmic structures. When I bring together rhythmic patterns from these four cultures, I begin to hear new intersections, new possibilities, and a space where different traditions can meet through sound.
In my process, I do not treat tradition as something decorative. Instead, I try to understand it from within. I study the rhythmic phrases of each culture, transform them, and reorganize them into new compositional formulas. This process involves interpretation, musical negotiation, and extracting the attitude of sound into my guitar playing as a performative language. At the same time, it is also a way for me to reconnect with sonic memories that have been part of my life since childhood.
As a guitarist and composer, this approach has led me to discover new rhythmic intersections, and I see a strong potential for innovation from traditional materials within an ever evolving musical landscape.
Magismaja comes from a personal concern. I have seen how traditional elements are often placed only as visual complements or symbols of identity in performances. For me, this feels incomplete. Instead of placing tradition on the surface, I feel the need to go deeper and make it the foundation of my work.
Through Magismaja, I am exploring how traditional rhythm can become a contemporary musical language, how sound can create connections across cultures, and how tradition can continue to grow as a source of innovation.
This project is also part of my long term vision to bring the sonic richness of South Sulawesi into a global context, through performances, compositions, and knowledge sharing such as workshops.
For me, these sounds and rhythms should not remain as something from the past. I want them to keep living, evolving, and finding new forms in the present.
SELECTED SONIC STUDIES
RHYTHMIC ROOTS
These rhythms come from living traditions with their own histories and meanings. I approach them through listening and personal experience. This work does not aim to define or represent them, but to explore how they resonate within my musical practice.
Makassar Rhythm
In my listening, Makassar rhythm feels dense and direct. It carries a strong sense of arrival, like the beginning of something unfolding. The fast tempo and sharp accents create an energy that feels activating, almost like a call that gathers attention.
Bugis Rhythm
Bugis rhythm, for me, moves in a more stable and spacious way. It does not push forward aggressively, but flows with a quieter pulse. There is a sense of continuity, as if the rhythm is accompanying rather than leading.
Mandar Rhythm
When I listen to Mandar rhythm, I hear something close to a vocal structure. The accents are softer, and the phrasing feels like it follows a line of singing. It carries a sense of support, holding space rather than dominating it.
Toraja Rhythm
Toraja rhythm, in my experience, feels dense and intense. The energy builds through constant accents, creating a strong and persistent movement. It feels grounded, but also forceful, as if each part insists on being heard.
DEVELOPED STUDIES
In these studies, the process continues through repeated encounters between rhythms. Each meeting does not aim to preserve separation, but to form a new rhythmic body. From this process, new drum-based formulas begin to emerge, while the guitar responds by absorbing and reshaping their internal energy.
Makassar x Mandar
In this study, I bring together the density of Makassar rhythm and the more vocal and flowing character of Mandar. At first, they do not easily align. The strong accents of Makassar tend to push forward, while Mandar moves in a more subtle and continuous way.
Rather than forcing them into a single structure, I let both qualities remain present. What emerges is a shifting balance, where one rhythm leads while the other follows, then slowly changes role. This creates a sense of movement that is not fixed, but constantly negotiating its direction.
Bugis x Mandar
In this study, I bring together the steady and flowing character of Bugis rhythm with the more vocal and phrased quality of Mandar. Unlike other encounters, they do not resist each other strongly. Instead, they begin to overlap.
Their movements feel close, almost blending, yet never fully becoming one. At times, it becomes difficult to distinguish where one rhythm ends and the other begins.
As they are translated into the drum and guitar, a softer form emerges. The structure does not push forward, but unfolds gradually, guided by continuity rather than contrast.
Makassar x Bugis x Toraja
In this study, I bring together the density of Makassar, the steady flow of Bugis, and the intensity of Toraja rhythm. Unlike previous encounters, the presence of three different characters creates a more complex field of movement.
At times, the rhythms begin to overlap and compress the space, forming a dense and continuous motion. The forward drive of Makassar, the grounding flow of Bugis, and the persistent accents of Toraja do not settle into a single center. Instead, they create a layered pressure that keeps the movement in constant tension.
As they are translated into the drum and guitar, a compact and concentrated rhythmic body begins to emerge. It does not open outward, but builds inward, holding its energy within a tight structure.
Makassar x Mandar x Toraja
In this study, I bring together the driving force of Makassar, the flowing phrasing of Mandar, and the dense intensity of Toraja. As they meet, the movement no longer feels fragmented, but begins to gather into a more unified presence.
The forward push, the continuous flow, and the persistent accents begin to circulate within a shared space. Rather than competing, they reinforce each other, building a sustained and immersive motion.
As this takes form in the drum and guitar, the sound begins to carry a ritual-like quality. Not as a reference to any specific context, but as a state of repetition, focus, and collective energy. The rhythm feels less like a structure, and more like a condition that unfolds over time.
PROCESS FRAGMENTS
These fragments show parts of my working process. They do not form a complete system, but moments of thinking through rhythm, notation, and the body of the instrument.
DIRECTION
Magismaja is an ongoing practice. It continues to evolve through performance, composition, and new encounters with sound. As I continue this work, I am interested in how these rhythms might shift when placed in different contexts, beyond the environment where I first encountered them. Each space brings a different way of listening, and I see this as part of the process rather than a destination. This path is not about reaching a fixed goal, but about staying in motion, allowing the sound to grow, transform, and find its place over time.
PRESS KIT & CONTACT
GLOBAL PROFILE
MusicBrainz
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/didinmarlin
Discogs
https://www.discogs.com/artist/didinmarlin
© Didin Marlin — MAGISMAJA