The Power of Music series presents the Bay Area group Gamelan Bamboo Bali in a concert of Balinese music and dance, tonight at 7 p.m. at Church of the Pacific in Prince-ville. Gamelan is the name given to a traditional
The Power of Music series presents the Bay Area group Gamelan Bamboo Bali in a concert of Balinese music and dance, tonight at 7 p.m. at Church of the Pacific in Prince-ville.
Gamelan is the name given to a traditional form of Indonesian ensemble music, performed on handmade instruments. A gamelan group consists of three to upwards of a dozen musicians, playing marimba-like or brass percussion instruments called Jenglong and Bonang, accompanied by flute, drum and gong. In most ensembles, the marimba-like instruments are also made of brass, but true to its name, in this concert Gamelan Bamboo Bali will play all-bamboo instruments.
In addition to traditional Balinese music, the concert will feature the dancer Rotrease Yates performing “Panyembrama,” a welcoming dance, and the crowd-pleasing “Joged” flirtation dance.
Members of Gamelan Bamboo Bali are eager to share their knowledge, and are also offering a workshop on making musical instruments from bamboo.
In the workshop, which will be offered twice, participants will learn traditional techniques for fabricating the marimba-like grantang, and suling, the Balinese flute.
The visiting artists will also introduce the non-Western pentatonic slendro musical scale, and teach basic playing techniques. No prior knowledge of music or bamboo is required.
This weekend’s workshop will be tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will be held at the Steelgrass Ranch in Kapa‘a.
Concert tickets will be available at the door for a donation of $15. Advance registration for the workshops is required, and a donation of $35 is requested. To register, or for more information, e-mail steelgrass@hawaiiantel.net, or call the ranch at 821-1857.
