Before the Art Festival in Bali begins, a curator process takes place in each Regency where local groups perform show their music.
The Gamelan teacher "I Wayan Sweca" from ISI Denpasar University, was the coordinator in the year 2021 for listening and advising the groups about their performance for the Festival, together with teacher I Made Subandi.
In the year 2021 (of pandemic times, where the island had no tourists and the festival was held inside-doors) I had the opportunity to accompany them through their trips all around the Island and to record some performances, being this recordings an essential material previous to they curator process.
Here we can listen the raw material, live recordings of the way the artists wanted their music to be like, no edits, and no adaptation to the Festival.
A collection of Balinese Male Dance's music.
It's a compilation of beautiful Island of God's compositions, traditional Gong Kebyar busting sounds where Male dancers perform a choreography following the sounds of the orchestra, where a unique concept illustrate each piece.
We traveled through several neighborhoods around the island such as Jembrana, Denpasar, Gianyar and Tabanan, listening to all the peculiarities of each regency.
This collection brings to light to the diversity of Gong Kebyar's Bali's music.
released February 21, 2024
Songs composed and performed by:
Tabanan
Sekaa Gong Kembang Bali
www.instagram.com/sanggarsenikembangbali/
Jembrana
Sekar Gong Gita, Garjita Santhi
www.instagram.com/desaekasari/
Badung
Komunitas Seni Senal Mengambel, Abiansemal
badungkab.go.id/kab/berita/38485-wabup-suiasa-beri-motivasi-komunitas-seni-semal-megamel-duta-badung
Gianyar
Banjar Kawan
www.instagram.com/adhi_putra_kencana/
Denpasar
Sanur Desa Intaran
www.instagram.com/hgmm_intaransanur
Klungkung
Desa Dewan Kaler
www.facebook.com/DesaDawanKaler
Artwork photograph by: Collectie Tropenmuseum
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 I Wayan Sweca for inviting me to all of this performances.