Traditional Music

Indonesia is a land of varied cultures and traditions. Since Indonesia is central to the Far East and Middles East, it's culture is an amalgamation of many foreign countries. And the cuture of Indonesia is incomplete without discussing it's traditional music. many of the islands like Java, Bali and Sumatra have their own traditional music, which are recorded and popularized in different part of the world.

Gamelan ( Indonesia Traditional Music)

The gamelan music of Java and Bali is a far and away the most well-known Indonesia music style of outside the country. There are many different types of gamelan ensembles, from formal, ceremonial ensembles to more informal folk groups. Though labeled under folk music here, many gamelan styles can arguably be called art music because of the professional nature of the musician and composers.

Much like an orchestra in the United States, gamelan ensembles contain combinations of many different types of instrument, inculding metallophones, drums, cymbals, flutes, plucked lutes, gongs and even vocalists.

 Gongs are the most visible and audible instruments in a gamelan ensemble. In Java gongs called kenong are laid flat on a frame and arranged like teapots in a row. Two are three musicians sit behind the frame and play kenong with short sticks. Other gongs are hung vertically with rope for large wooden frames. The largest gong of the Javanese gamelan is called the gong ageng and is almost yard wide. It's deep, resonant vibrations sound from the strike of a softmallet.

Some instruments, like the wooden flute called the suling as well as the singer, play and sing the melody. Most instruments play repeating cycles of notes of differing lengths. As the result, Javanese gamelan tends to create a clock-like. soft. ethereal soundscape. In the Balinese gamelan style called gong kebyar, the sound is quite different, with an emphasis on rapid, rippling pitches, To create the incedribly fast melodies, two players alternate every other note using a technique called kotekan.

Gamelan Orchestra

Instrument of Gamelan Indonesia

The Gamelan of Indonesia 

Tembang Sunda

Tembang sunda,a sung poetry and classical vokal music,originated in Cianjur ( West Java ) in the Dutch colonial era.In those times,it was played for entertaining the aristocrats.One of the renowned composers of tembang sunda is R.A.A. Kusumahningrat,the ruler of Cianjur in the mid-nineteenth century.The instruments that are played for this traditional Indonesian music are suling ( bamboo flute ),rebab ( violin type ),and kacapi ( zither ).Tembang sunda is also known as cianjurian.

Kacapi suling

Kacapi suling is a type of instrumental music that originated in West Java.It is more or less similar to tembang sunda,except for absence of vocal sounds.To be more precise,tembang sunda without vocals is kacapi suling.While playing this,two types of kacapi ( one of higher pitched called " rincik " and another of lower pitched called " indung " ) and suling ( bamboo flute ) are used.This instrumental music of Indonesia is very popular in other countries,like China and Malaysia.

 

Kroncong

Kroncong is folk music that can be traced back to as early as 16th century,when the Portuguese sailors brought music and European instruments to Indonesia.This music is named after " kroncong " , a guitar type musical instrument played for performing kroncong music.In the 1960s,a modern version of kroncong was played with the addition of instruments,such as keyboards,drums,and electric guitars.Bengawan Solo,is a famous song sung in kroncong music.

Angklung

Angklung is another popular traditional music of Indonesia,which is played with the help of instruments made from bamboo.The instruments used in performing angklung music is made up of two bamboo sticks of varying lengths,fixed to a base frame.They are shaken down to generate sounds of varied tones.Or in other words,musical sounds are produced as the bamboo tubes touch each other.Like the gamelan music,angklung  is performed in orchestration.Today,this Indonesian music is popular in many parts of Asia.

These were some of the traditional Indonesian music that a connoisseur of music would love to listen.Another typical Indonesian music is Calung,and the uniqueness of this music lies in the instruments.

Yes,they are exclusively from bamboo.Likewise,dangdut ( dance music ),osinger ( wedding music ),and gambus ( orchestra music ) are other types of traditional music of Indonesia.

 

Kolintang

Kolintang or kulintang is a bronze and wooden percussion instrument native to eastern Indonesia and also The Philippines.In Indonesia it is particularly associated with Minahasa people of North Sulawesi,however it also popular in Maluku and Timor.

 

Sasando

Sasando is a plucked string instrument native of Rote island of East Nusa Tenggara.The parts of sasando are a bamboo cylinder surrounded by several wedges where the strings are stretched,surrounded by a bag-like fan of dried lontar or palmyra leafs ( Borassus flabellifer ),functioned as the resonator of the instrument.

 

Tapanuli Ogong

Musical performance from Tapanuli area of Batak of North Sumatra.Tapanuli Ogong is a form of dance music played with a type of lute,trumpet and flute.