overview
Typical rhythmic Balinese music vibrates through all corners of the island during almost daily ceremonies, cultural events, or just rehearsals of the locals. This is Gamelan. It is played in temples, during village processions, in hotels, restaurants, or in cars on the radio. Every village in Bali owns a Gamelan. The instrument, almost 2000 years old, which has gradually evolved to its present form, is an integral part of Indonesian and Balinese culture. If you go to Bali, you will hear it every day, even several times. Let's briefly introduce it.
This Guide is divided into the following sections:
History
The word Gamelan comes from the Javanese gamel = hammer or playing a percussion instrument. According to Javanese mythology, Gamelan was created by the God Sang Hyang Guru in 230 AD, who needed a tool to summon the other gods, and that is why he made the first gong. To send more comprehensive messages, he created two more gongs that created the foundations for the original Gamelan ensemble. The Gamelan evolved into its present form during the reign of the Majapahit Empire between the 13th and 16th centuries.
💡 Interesting fact: In Bali, the evolution of Gamelan has diverged from Javanese over the years, and the two now sound different. Javanese evokes a calm and almost mystical mood, whereas Balinese is rhythmic, explosive, and energetic, with frequent tempo changes. The Javanese reportedly refer to the Balinese as "barbaric"; conversely, the Balinese claim that the Javanese one puts them to sleep.
In Bali, there are several still-existing examples of the so-called Gamelan Selonding/Salunding, which are now sacred and date back to the 9th century when Bali was ruled by the first king Sri Kesari Warmadewa. These Gamelans are carefully guarded in temples and used only in some more significant ceremonies. Unlike the newer types, they are composed only of metal xylophones.
About & Instruments
A gamelan is a set of percussion musical instruments (those that make sound with the strike of a hand or mallets). The metal instruments are usually cast in bronze or brass with iron. Others are made of wood, bamboo, leather, and strings. The manufacturer of the Gamelan is called Pande, and the Gamelan tuning expert is Pelaras. He makes sure that the tones meet the current standards for Gamelan.
Bonang instrument
Metallophone
Gongs
Gamelan in Bali (Balinese name Gambelan) is most often kept near the temple or on its premises in a pavilion (Bale), covered but with open walls. Some types of Gamelan cannot be listened to in a closed room because its volume would exceed the level of pain one can handle. In addition, the music wafts from the open room through the village for others to enjoy. Gamelans are usually owned by the Banjar, a self-governing sub-unit of the village. The locals believe that the instruments belong to the community, so no one, in particular, owns any of the instruments.
Covered Gamelan
The group of musicians playing the Gamelan (all its instruments) is called Sekaha or Beleganjur. The Sekaha is led by one lead instructor, who has the task of, among other things, inventing new compositions. It is common for the band to combine old and new pieces and improvise a lot in creating them. Only the sacred compositions for the ceremonies remain unchanged.
💡 Interesting fact: Only men or only women play on Gamelan. Most of the time, you won't come across mixed groups. Also, female-only gamelans are pretty rare.
The Balinese Gamelan consists of several instruments, with one type represented by several types in different numbers. It can have up to 10 kinds of instruments and more than 40 pieces.
The main types include gongs, metallophones (metal xylophones), cymbals, drums, and bamboo xylophones.
Bamboo xylophone
In total, there are reportedly over 1,500 Gamelans in Bali.
There are about 20 types of Gamelan, each with its history, tradition, repertoire, and uses. Among the most important and most common are the following:
Gamelan Gong Gede: Located in the temple of Pura Ulun Danu Batur, this is probably the largest and most important Gamelan in Bali. It dates back to the 15th century and requires 40 people to operate.
Gamelan Gong Keybar: Gamelan's last state-of-the-art development branch from the 20th century. It can play traditional music for ceremonies and more modern pieces at cultural events.
Gamelan Bebonangan/Beleganjur: Gamelan is designed for ceremonial processions. It can be seen often and is part of every ceremony with a procession outside the temples, such as Nangluk Merana, Ogoh-Ogoh parade, etc.
Ceremony with Gamelan
Gamelan Angklung: It is primarily designed for ceremonies in temples but can be carried. It is one of the oldest types and still is widely used today, for example, in Ngaben cremation, Melasti, or Metatah (teeth filing) ceremonies.
Gamelan Jegog: A modern Gamelan used for cultural events and social entertainment, mainly in the western part of Bali. It is composed entirely of bamboo xylophones, which are of different sizes. Some "keys" can reach up to 3 meters.
Usage
Ceremonies and Rituals
In Bali, virtually all ceremonies in the temple and rituals outside the temple are accompanied by Gamelan music. Some particular pieces are played as opening and others as closing, so as soon as they are played, participants know the ritual is over and can leave. Alternatively, it is used for private ceremonies such as Metatah or Ngaben cremation.
Traditional Dances and Dramatic Performances
The Gamelan is an integral part of traditional dances, acting as an accompaniment. It adds rhythm to the performance, evokes the atmosphere of the action, and makes the performance a complex experience for the spectator. Traditional dances accompanied by Gamelan in Bali include Legong, Barong, Baris, and Gandrung, among others.
Wayang Kulit Shadow Puppet Show
Puppet theaters and performances in Bali have a very long tradition. Most often, they take place during the Tumpek Wayang day. The Gamelan acts as a complete backdrop to the performance and evokes the atmosphere that the performance is meant to represent.
Other uses of Gamelan are in theater and singing performances and festivals, where Gamelan is often the central motif, for example, in the Bali Art Festival.
Portable Gamelan is used during various ceremonies
Even the gongs are portable
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