Gamelan Extravaganza

On Saturday, March 31, 2007 at 6:00 – 10:00 p.m., the Consulate General of Indonesia in Vancouver will organize “Gamelan Extravaganza” at the Centennial Theatre, 2300 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver. This year will be a special one commemorating its 20th anniversary of gamelan in Vancouver. 20 years ago, gamelan orchestra made its first debut in Vancouver, bringing a number of highly respected musicians who were present in Vancouver at that time. Sardono W. Kusumo and his wife, Amna Sahap Kusumo, were two important artists who brought together an international community of artists and scholars at the first International Gamelan Festival in Vancouver during the World Exposition in1986.

The gamelan has become increasingly important in Vancouver since the 1986 Expo. Now, there are four gamelan orchestras in Vancouver which are representatives of the three main gamelan styles of Indonesia: the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese Gamelan. There are three major universities in Vancouver which have been actively supporting the gamelan groups in Vancouver. The School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University has offered a Javanese gamelan course every spring and summer semester since 1990. Sutrisno Hartana has been actively become the director of this group for couple years. The School of Music at University of British Columbia has, since 1996, under the direction of Dr. Michael Tenzer, professor at the UBC School of music, developed Sekaha Gong Gita Asmara, translated as the “Gamelan Club of the Sound of Love”. The Vancouver Community College Music Department under the direction of Jon Siddall has also a Sundanese gamelan called Si Pawit, or “The Beginning” which is now in use for their course. Another group of the Indonesian community has formed Gamelan Kyai Madu Sari, “The Venerable Essence of Honey.” Mark Parlett has been actively involved in directing Gamelan Madu Sari since 1992.

Gamelan is a musical ensemble consisting mainly of traditional percussion instruments which may be made of bronze, iron, bamboo, or wood, as well as bronze and iron gongs, gong chimes, cymbals, bells, and drums (kendhang), sometimes accompanied by singers (pesindhen) and a two-stringed bowed lute, called rebab.

The traditional gamelan usually performs for a variety of events including accompanying dance or puppet shows and sometimes playing compositions from ancient times to current modern life. The most famous gamelans are from Java and Bali. In some places within Indonesia, the gamelan has been enjoyed and performed by Javanese, Sundanese, or Balinese people in social levels ranging from beggars on the streets to the kings at the palaces. Typically, traditional gamelan performances occur at family celebrations such as weddings, circumcisions, and birthdays, but in the twentieth century it has also spread to radio broadcast, television, recording, and so on.

For this 20th anniversary of gamelan, we are hopeful that you will bring your family and friends to this special event which is open to the public and free. Original Indonesian food will be for sale.