Tripartite Symbolism in Balinese Gamelan Gong Kebyar

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Tripartite Symbolism in Balinese Gamelan Gong
Kebyar
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Triloka tri loka macrocosmic, three
worlds svahloka (upper) bhvahloka (middle)
buhrloka (lower)
Triangga tri angga microcosmic, division of
bhvahloka utama (mountain) madya (middle)
nista (sea)
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(No Transcript)
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Sanga mandala showing orientation to Mt. Agung
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Sanga mandala at left house plan below village
plan at right
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Sanga mandala and relation to plawah construction
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Sanga mandala and gong stand construction
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Schematic showing apparent tripartite symbolism
on gongs and metalophone keys
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• Gong kebyar repertoire
• Form is tripartite, emulating triloka and
  triangga
• Pangawit slow introduction, flaring up
• 2. Pangawak establishes gong cycle, long middle
  section
• 3. Pangecet change in tempo, final sounding of
  the gong
• This form is considered fundamental to
  composition

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• Kreasi Baru (New Creation)
• Largely secular genre, emerging in the 1950s
• Generally respects traditional structure and
  orchestration
• Allows for increased individualism in a
  communal-oriented society
• Sekar Kumuda
• Pangawit slow introduction, flaring up
• 2. Pangawak establishes gong cycle, long middle
  section
• 3. Pangecet change in tempo, final sounding of
  the gong

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Popular Music in Indonesia During the colonial
period, the Dutch pushed for a pan-Indonesian
national sentiment to help control the
region After the Dutch left (in 1947), this
sentiment was quite firmly in place -various
cultural groups began thinking of themselves as
Indonesian -a national language called
Indonesian was created out of various bits of
Javanese, Balinese, Dutch, and Sanskrit-derived
languages. -several forms of popular music
emerged that began speaking for a national rather
than regional audience Kroncong, Dangdut, Pop
Indonesia
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• Dangdut popular music associated with the
  working class
• Name derives from the sound of a tabla-like drum
• X low pitch O high pitch
• 1 2 1 2 1.
• O ( ) X O ( ) X O
• Emerged in 1970s, hit it big in 1980s
• Subject matter focuses on traditional Islamic
  values
• Outward image is one of modern Indonesia
• Musical influences from Malaysia, India, and
  Middle Eastern, European, and American pop music

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Rhoma Irama The King of Dangdut
Quran dan Koran (1980s) Quran vs. the
Newspapers As progress marches on/ People get
so busy / That they forget their duty / To pray
to God five times a day / They get so drunk with
progress / They think the computer is God (group
Youre kidding!) Reading the newspaper is
a necessity / The Quran is just there for
decoration / Everybodys crazy to learn Engish /
But Arabic is considered backward (group
Theyre wrong!)
Definitely the 1980s
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Inul Daratista The Queen of Dangdut
Lots of English translations of Rhoma Iramas
music. Not so much for Inul
Daratista. Local and international press focuses
more on her seksi dancing than her lyrical
content.
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Project Pop one of Indonesias top Pop Indonesia
groups
Project Pop PopOK (2003) Featuring Dangdut
is the Music of My Country