Fundraising for Documentation of Rare Gamelan and Dance via Online Store
It is festival time in Bali at the moment, and the highlight of June and July is the Bali Arts Festival which runs through to July 10th at the Arts Center in Denpasar. Most of the performances are free and there are normally at least four a day, in the morning at in the evening. There are both traditional and modern performances of music and dance, from all different villages in Bali as well as other parts of Indonesia and even overseas. Private organizations or clubs, known as sanggar in Indonesian showcase their specialties with 1-2 hour performances. A highlight of the classical legong performances was June 25th last week, when Mekar Bhuana Conservatory presented quality legong music and dance on the Ayodya Stage, featuring the rarely performed legong jobog. You can see photos and video of their performance on Facebook on the Pesta Kesenian Bali page and also on their website: www.balimusicanddance.com
At the conservatory, the young musicians and dancers document and reconstruct rare and endangered classical and archaic repertoire, either from vintage recordings or directly from senior village guru. These artists are the future generation who will pass on this rare repertoire to their children and grandchildren.
At Mekar Bhuana, also you can study classical Balinese music and dance, and the unique thing is that you learn this ancient repertoire on original, antique instruments. As well as opportunities for both private individuals and groups to take lessons and experiential packages, the conservatory is also planning a workshop program that will be offered in the near future. Accommodation is available at the conservatory and the founders are always happy to answer any questions you may have: info@balimusicanddance.com
Since the conservatory has no much-needed outside funding sources, director, Putu Evie Suyadnyani and co-founder, Vaughan Hatch, have pioneered the world’s first online store that specializes in mostly Balinese quality gamelan instruments (new, used and antique), dance costumes, puppets, masks, CDs, DVDs, accessories, books and downloads. This site elevates the profile of talented local artisans as well as helps to raise funds for ongoing documentation of and education about endangered Balinese gamelan and dance art-forms. Now lovers of gamelan and dance no longer need to come all the way to Bali to source these kinds of products, because they are sourced for you and gathered together in one online shop: www.mekarbhuana.com.
Mekar Bhuana’s members love meeting travelers and groups can come to the conservatory to see a practice or if you are lucky you may catch one of their spectacular performances when you are in Bali. Contact them on info@balimusicanddance.com for details on dates and times.
Are there many types of gamelan in Bali? Which ones are the most common?
Article by Vaughan Hatch
Unbeknownst to many, there are in fact more than forty different types of gamelan in Bali. This is saying something for such a small island.
The most common type is called gong kebyar (exploding gong) which is overwhelmingly dominant at festivals and competitions. Originating in Buleleng in the early 20th century, it emerged as a secular gamelan for flamboyant, fast-paced music and dance performances held usually in the market place outside in temple. In the space of only ten or twenty years, this ensemble and its capricious music swept the island by storm. Smaller than the stately ceremonial gamelan, gong gede, it was quickly adopted into religious ceremonies and soon replaced it in all regencies outside of Bangli. Now in Bali there are more than 10,000 sets of the versatile gong kebyar. Almost every banjar and every temple own at least one set and large numbers of wealthy Balinese have commissioned sets for themselves as well. Kebyar music is characterized by its loud sound and lightening pace, and its emotional music tends to both attract and deter curious tourists.
The next most popular gamelan is angklung which has four keys in South Bali and anything up to seven keys in Buleleng. It provides cremation music all over the island and in Central and East Bali it is also used in temple anniversaries and private ceremonies. Angklung is high-pitched and highly rhythmic with note intervals resembling that of the Western major scale, and to the occidental ear sounds lively and jolly. To the Balinese, with its close association to cremations, it evokes melancholy and sadness.
Another common ensemble is the pair of bamboo xylophones called rindik in South Bali and grantang in the north. Heard playing restaurants and hotel lobbies across the island, these instruments and their cheerful and airy music were created by farmers in their breaks between tending to their crops and livestock.
©2009 Vaughan Hatch
For further articles about Balinese gamelan and dance, see http://www.balimusic.org
About the Author
Vaughan Hatch is a writer, musician and ethnomusicologist who lives in Bali. He has written extensively on rare and endangered Balinese gamelan music, and his work has been published in numerous newspapers, magazines, and books in Indonesia. To read more of his articles, visit http://www.balimusic.org
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