JEGOG BALI as the most impressive music in the world

Thu, 9 Jun 2011

The Uniqueness of Traditional Balinese Bamboo music

Bali is rich of cultures; one of the famous cultures is traditional music. One of the special music is Jegog. This music is a kind of traditional bamboo music or gamelan from Jembrana regency, western part of Bali. The music classic from the bamboo and percussion arts is only could be found in Jembrana.  For those reason, many people identify Jembrana as the home of Jegog. This creation was created by Kiyang Geliduh in Sebual village by the year 1912. About 90 percents of the instruments made from bamboo with various measures and scales. The biggest has length around 300cm, with 18cm width, and 2cm thickness. Complete jegog music consist of some percussion instruments. Those are three barangan, seated in front play the main melody. Three kantilan, octave higher, three suir, all playing interlocking figuration. Two kuntung and, an octave higher, two undir, playing the bun (melody).  One jegog, an octave lower than undir, with two players executing the bun also playing paired detuned pitches. In addition, Suling (bamboo flutes) often embellish the bun. On occurrence, when it use to following the dance, the instrument will be completed also with kendang (drums), ceng-ceng (cymbals) and tawa-tawa (a beat-keeping small gong).

The gamelan jegog is one of the most remarkable sounding ensembles in the Bali or even in the world. It is an orchestra of bamboo marimbas, with keys (tubes) ranging from small to gigantic. The largest tubes, up to three meters long, are used for the bass jegog. The lowest instrument in a Jegog ensemble is also called a Jegog. The ensemble gets its name from this instrument. The instrument is so big and the mallets are so heavy that it takes two people to play it. Many unique forms of interlocking figuration have been developed for jegog, weaving multifarious melodic textures entirely within a strange four tone scale and it is not used for any other gamelan in Bali.

This is energetic and powerful music performance. It needs physical strength to play the heavy instruments. In occasion, this energy certainly comes from its most popular performance tradition, jegog mabarung, a battle of the bands competition between two groups. They will show strange atmosphere, speed, precision, exuberance and power are winning traits. While mabarung are also held quite famously between kebyar groups, their competitive style is of a different order, seldom showing the unrestrained frenzy found in jegog mabarung. Before one group is finished, the other will break open in with its own piece then both then play as furiously as possible in a contest of endurance, concentration, and group virtuosity

Is the "battle of jegog or mebarung" something you might want to experience??? Two groups of jegog players stand side by side on the same stage and compete against each other. One of them starts playing first, while the other group starts playing a little later. They continue playing while obstructing the performance of each another. Playing continues as long as their stamina lasts, trying not to be drawn in by the sound of the opponent. It is dubbed "musical battle”. In special event, Gamelan jegog also accompanies the buffalo races festival.

The sound is so powerful that it seems to enter the body through the stomach rather than the ear. An impressive bass produced due to its gigantic size rolls and swells, reverberating the ear, skin and mind. The sound will vibrate you deep inside. It will even make your body warm. Some people agree this music have healing effect by helping the brain to emit the alpha wave.

The keys are suspended on a wooden frame and struck with mallets (called pangguls), it made out of wood or rubber. There are also small Jegog ensembles with instruments called Jegog Tingklik. These smaller instruments are used primarily played by children.

Nowadays, some foreign people are also able to play jegog music and even better than Balinese player. If you interesting, why don’t you try to play while resting your mind. Jegog bamboo music is already famous in the world. They had made show in some countries fro example in United States, German, Japan, China, India amd some othe countries. in some occasion, foreign guests also learn how to play this music and take part for festival.

Look at the pictures, some foreign guests play jegog in high spirit and full of art power.

They did it well and felt so amazing, didn't they? how about you? Enjoy the music and take part for jegog traditional bamboo music preservation at once.