About Gamelan

The term gamelan covers various traditional gong/percussion ensembles found in Indonesia in Southeast Asia. There are many different regional variations found throughout Indonesia, the most famous being found in Central Java and Bali. Used in various contexts, from ritual to social, gamelan remains (even today) an integral part of Indonesian society.

Surakarta (Solo) and Yogyakarta are the two main centres of excellence for gamelan in Central Java, and there are several renowned gamelan manufacturers in both of these court cities. Traditionally constructed using iron, with intricate carvings on the wooden casings, this particular gamelan was made in Solo in 2002 by renowned gongsmith Pak Mulyadi. It is a complete gamelan in both tuning systems, Slendro and Pelog.

Performance context

Gamelan is traditionally used in a number of different contexts. It is used to accompany traditional dramatic forms eg wayang (shadow puppet theatre), dance, dance drama, as well as in klenengan (formal/informal gathering where concert music is played)

Ritual celebrations eg weddings, village cleansing ceremonies

Radio/TV broadcasts, recordings