Honoring island traditions from around the world, on the island of Alameda, Balinese Music and Dance is presented as part of the Rhythmix 2019 Island Arts Concert Series.
In this evening length concert, Gamelan Sekar Jaya will present two Balinese music ensembles, gamelan angklung and gamelan jegog, accompanied by their marvelous company of dancers.
Gamelan Angklung is an orchestra of up to 18 musicians that utilizes only four (or rarely five) tones on single-octave instruments but manages a richly varied repertoire within that narrow tonal field. The sound is unusually sweet and—to Balinese ears—melancholy. Music of the gamelan angklung plays a special role in the Bali-Hindu religion, where it traditionally accompanies temple ceremonies and cremation rituals.
Gamelan Jegog is the rarest of the ensembles. In its largest form, it is comprised of giant bamboo marimbas with tubes up to ten feet long. (GSJ will be playing the jegog tingklik, composed of a smaller set of instruments.) Originating in West Bali, jegog is noted for its rhythmic energy, unusual four-tone scale, and powerful sonority. Its bass tones can be heard for miles across Balinese rice fields. Sekar Jaya’s jegog is the only such performing ensemble in the Americas.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary season, Gamelan Sekar Jaya features esteemed guest teacher/performers I Wayan Suweca, master composer and one of the finest kendang (drum) players in Bali (and a co-founder of GSJ) and I Wayan Dibia, former Director of the Indonesian College of the Arts (STSI Denpasar), and world-class dancer, choreographer, scholar and author. Pak Dibia will be performing a series of topeng (masked dances) as well as another surprise treat for the audience!
This concert made possible with support from:
Image: Wayang Dibia performs tari topeng (masked dance). Photo courtesy of Gamelan Sekar Jaya.