We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Gong Kebyar, Tari Topeng, Odalan

by Bali Gamelan Sound

/
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

about

Recorded in Tegal Tamu, Batubulan Village (Sukawati, Gianyar), Bali, Indonesia, December 2020.

Part of an "Odalan" ceremony, the celebration of a Temple's birthday in a traditional village.

The songs show the story of a masked dance performance: "Topeng", where different characters show a reflection of the society, performing Kings, Priests, Servants, Old characters (tua), and also malformed persons (Bondress).

This performance is surrounded by the music of Gamelan Gong Kebyar, the most known ensemble in Bali. The ceremony is surrounded by the priest and family who, in the meantime, make offerings, and clear the holy space with incense, ornaments and rituals to avoid the dark/black magic (Kala), and welcome a new era for the temple.

After the ceremony everything becomes clean. Lots of prayers worshiping the water are done ("Tirta"), and also worshiping the rice, main support/food of the island.

Usually "Odalan" ceremonies are performed every 6 months in family's and village's temples.

This record is accompanied by a second volume with more music of dance and ritual music.

credits

released January 10, 2021

This is a documentary process of recording Balinese Traditional Gamelan music, started in the year 2020.

Traditions have changed over time, but ancient musical compositions are adapted to nowadays life.

Agustín Oscar Rissotti, an Argentinian student of the University ISI Denpasar (Bali), developed an idea to join as many rehearsals, ensembles and religious ceremonies as possible with small microphones and recording equipment, to document the authentique "Bali Gamelan Sound".

In Bali, live performances are meant to be performed for the Gods. There is no egoistic purpose in this performances, but to admire the beauty of this world through the eyes of Hindu Balinese religion.

As for his ears, this is "The authentique Bali Sound", full of conversations around, people passing by, laughs, music of different performances played together (as it is meant to be in several Balinese Hindu ceremonies where -more than 1- ensembles are playing music very close to each other -at the same time-), background noises, sounds of coffee cups and arak shoots, breath of ciggaretes, animals hollowing around, hundreds of motorbikes passing by, and even mother nature earthquakes.

With all my respect, this is the vision of a South Latin American guy who ended up studying Balinese Culture and living in the Island during the pandemic.

I hope this can translate you to the world I am living in.

Thankyou, I hope you will enjoy this music. Astungkara, matur suksema.

All the economic contributions made to this project will be spent in developing the Balinese Culture and Artists.

Please donate buying the records in Bandcamp.

Special thanks to Pak I Nyoman Sweca who invited me and helped me understand and recognize the songs of this concert.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Bali Gamelan Sound Bali, Indonesia

Documentary project of recording the authentique atmosphere of "Balinese Gamelan Sound", for University ISI Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.

contact / help

Contact Bali Gamelan Sound

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Bali Gamelan Sound recommends:

If you like Bali Gamelan Sound, you may also like: