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Gamelan (26)
Gamelan has for centuries been a prominent music of certain Indonesian islands (most notably, Java and Bali), central to the temple, the court, and the daily lives of the people. Gamelan encompasses a number of different musical forms, each differing in melodic structure, instrumentation, region, language, and performance contexts. The word "gamelan" also refers to the instruments of a gamelan ensemble.
Gamelan ensembles are usually percussion-oriented and include gongs, drums (kendhang), bar-shaped metallophones (saron, gender, slentem), and cymbals made of iron and bronze. Flutes (suleng) and stringed instruments (rebab, cither, celempung) may also be included.
Gamelan ensembles sometimes perform without any additional visual component, or are integrated into dance dramas and shadow-puppet theatre, known as wayang kulit. Wayang kulit is often an all-night experience, featuring stories of the Ramayana infused with modern political commentary, sung by the pupeteer (dalang) in the national language of Indonesia (bahasa Indones) as well as local dialects and sometimes even English (if there is a large American or Australian contingent in the crowd).
Gamelan became popular outside Java and Bali during the 1930s World Fairs, when ensembles performed for European and American audiences that included composers such as Debussy, Britten, and Poulenc. With the advent of the academic discipline of ethnomusicology (particularly as practiced at UCLA by scholars such as Ki Mantle Hood), sets of instruments were brought to the West and Americans and Europeans began practicing gamelan. Currently, there are hundreds of active gamelans outside of Indonesia, and festivals all over the world featuring gamelan music have become a popular forum for gamelan aficionados.
Categories
Sites
Gamelan-L Mailing List
· This list is for anyone with a scholarly, artistic, or practical interest in gamelan. Archives available.
Voyage dans le monde du gamelan
· cached · Une introduction à cet ensemble instrumental traditionnel de Java et Bali. Glossaire, illustrations picturales et sonores, questions de musicologie, bibliographie, discographie et liens.
Central Javanese Gamelan
· cached · An introduction to the music with reviews of recommended recordings.
Balinese Gamelan Rhythms
· cached · Training exercises and MIDI files.
Gamelan Mitra Kusuma
· cached · Traditional Balinese gamelan orchestra and dance troupe performs throughout the Washington area and offers instruction in gamelan instruments. Includes performance schedule, mailing list, links and audio samples.
Gamelan in Australia and New Zealand
· cached · Profiles of gamelan groups, recordings, courses, mailing list, and links.
Monkey C
· cached · Experimental gamelan band from Santa Barbara, California present virtual gamelan instruments, audio samples, band and instrument profiles, and links.
Pusaka Sunda
· cached · San Jose, California based gameland degung ensemble with audio samples, discography and ordering information, artists profiles, performance schedule, and workshops.
Gamelan Semara Santi of Swarthmore College
· cached · Information about gamelan in general, including audio clips, and about Swarthmore's gamelan program and how to join.
Gamelan Anak Swarasanti
· cached · Balinese gamelan orchestra based in San Francisco. Schedule of upcoming performances, slide shows of past performances, discography with audio samples, player profiles, and articles.
Musical Malaysia: the Malay Gamelan
· And introduction to the music and instruments with photographs and audio and video samples.
Gamelan
· iweb · cached · Traditional musical instruments of Javanese gamelan, their meanings, and the gamelan sets of the royal palaces.
Gamelan Sinar Surya (Santa Barbara)
· cached · A Santa Barbara-based organization dedicated to preservation, teaching and performing traditional Gamelan music of Indonesia and Malaysia. Photo gallery and mp3 samples from their first CD.
Wesleyan Gamelan Ensemble
· cached · Taught by Sumarsam and Pak Harjito. MP3 Sound samples and an introduction to gamelan syllabus (PDF format).
One People Voice
· cached · One People Voice, based in Oakland, CA, is a hybrid processional orchestra and chant ensemble, utilizing gongs and drums from Bali which are interwoven with other world and western instruments. Includes information on their kids program, workshop schedule, guestbook, and photo gallery.
Cambridge Gamelan Society
· cached · Plays traditional and contemporary Gamelan music. Information about the group, membership, music, and performances.
Gamelan Naga Mas
· iweb · cached · A community group playing classical Javanese and Balinese music and modern compositions; information about their performances and events, background on the music, and their education activities.
Gamelan Network
· iweb · cached · About gamelan music and the related performing arts of Java, Bali and Sunda. Information about performing groups, events, publications (Seleh Notes), and teaching resources for schools and in the community. [UK]
Metalworks Gamelan
· cached · A gamelan with eight members, with backgrounds in jazz, Latin American, experimental, Baroque, Indian pop, and contemporary classical music; information about their recordings, workshops and performances.
South Bank Gamelan Players
· cached · Ensemble-in-residence at the Royal Festival Hall, working closely with dancers, puppeteers and composers from Indonesia, Europe and the USA; includes profile, repertoire, education activities, and performance schedule.
UK Gamelan Information
· cached · An information source for people interested in Indonesian performing arts in the UK; includes news, events, gamelan in education, discography, and a links listing.
Hastings Gamelan Society
· cached · Information about adult and pupil groups, based at William Parker School. Includes information about performances, membership, recordings, and news.
Lila Cita
· cached · Founded as Kembang Kirang in 1992 by Andy Channing, director of the LSO gamelan education programme, to perform Balinese gamelan music. Information about performances, workshops, personnel, and associated dance group.
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