Welcome to Gamelan in Singapore. For more information, please see “About”.
This is a personal project and is constantly being updated. If you have any queries or would like to have your event or group listed here, please contact me.
I’m also interested in putting up – or linking to – any articles people write to share about their experience playing gamelan, the history of the groups their in, performances they liked, photos of their events (public or private) and so on.
An asian adaptation of King Lear, featuring an intriguingly eclectic “intercultural music theatre”
In Lear, TheatreWorks’ artistic director Ong Keng Sen had a vision, one where he imagined Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy as a juxtaposition of different Asian cultures, languages and art forms, both traditional and contemporary. It was an ambitious notion but Ong accomplished it. Upon its 1997 premiere in Japan, it quickly became a groundbreaking intercultural theatre production, and subsequently performed to nine cities in the Asia-Pacific and Europe.
In 2012, LEAR DREAMING distils this Shakespearean tragedy on patriarchy and succession through the purity of Japanese Noh theatre. You will enter the mind of a past king and access his memories.
You can read the full description [ at their website, on this link ]
Personally, I find the writeup a little condescending and pretentious – I mean, they practically give a “Reading Circle Questionaire on Themes and Issues in the Work” – but I have a feeling that’s the fault of the Singapore Arts Festival Copywriters who produced the website, rather than Theatreworks.
More to the point: Pak Rahayu Supanggah is directing the Gamelan component of this work, which is always a good thing.
Date: 31 May & 1 Jun, 8:00PM
Tickets: $45, $25
Venue: SOTA Drama Theatre
Singa Nglaras Gamelan Ensemble performing “Jagung Jagung” at the Esplanade Waterfront (April 20)
Gamelan Sekar Sersan doing a sound check with Ladrang Sri Rejeki, Library@Esplanade (April 28). Audio only, and rather soft audio at that.
Master Gamelan Musician and Composer Pak Rahayu Supangah will be giving a talk in Singapore at the Esplanade Recital Studio, 2 June 2012 (Saturday), at 11am. This is part of the ConversAsians series of talks, presentatations and workshops.
Born into a family of puppet masters (dalang), Supanggah’s early exposure to the arts led him to study gamelan at the Karawitan Conservatory (KOKAR). At 16, he performed internationally to audiences in China, Japan and Korea. Following his time at Institut Seni Indonesia (Indonesia Institute of the Arts), he went to France to pursue a doctorate in ethnomusicology. Over the years, Supanggah has lectured all over the world and has published many influential articles on gamelan music and theory.
Tickets are at $16 (or $12 if you have the rather icky-corporate sounding “networking pass”) and details can be found [ on their website ]
Even MORE gamelan this week? Gamelan Naga Kencana will be performing in the Republic Polytechnic Library, this Wednesday 18 April.
The Gamelan Therapy
18th April 2012, Wednesday
Republic Polytechnic Library, Reel Room
3:30pm
FREE – Open to public
Gamelan Asmaradana will be performing outdoor at Bussorah Mall over two evenings, Friday 20 April and Saturday 21 April. This means that together with the NUS performance on 22 April at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre, that weekend should give you a nice fix to last you till the next AirAsia bargain flight to Yogyakarta.
Details can be found on the Malay Heritage Centre’s events page (this is Neighbourhood Sketches, Episode 6).
| Fees: | Free admission |
| Date: | 20 Apr 2012, Friday 21 Apr 2012, Saturday |
| Time: | Friday: 9.30pm – 10.30pm Saturday: 3.00pm – 3.30pm & 9.30pm – 10.00 pm |
| Venue: | Bussorah Mall, Kampong Gelam |
22 Apr, Sun (Free admission)
7.30 – 8.15 pm
8.45 – 9.30pm
Two weekends coming up with performances of Javanese Gamelan! NUS Singa Nglaras, having just completed it’s first Windu (A Javanese 8 year cycle), is pleased to be performing at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre as part of the “What a Wonderful World” series of world music. If you’re wondering why they don’t do this sort of thing more often, try carrying one of their instruments.
Official Esplanade Webpage is [over here]
Other groups performing that weekend include the Black Mountain Celtic Ensemble (Friday 20 Apr) and Marisma Flamenco (Saturday 21 Apr).
Date: 28 April (Sat), Free Admission
Time: 7.30pm – 8.30pm
A new Gamelan group (consisting of old names) will be performing a selection of Javanese Spiritual music, including one piece considered to have power in itself, to others with ritual significance for weddings, one from the repetoire of Javanese Christian Music, and a short “Talu”, often played before Wayang Kulit.
“Sekar” is High Javanese for singing and poetry, while Sersan is an Indonesian portmanteau combining “serius” (serious) and “santai” (relaxed). As the name suggests, Gamelan Sekar Sersan is a relaxed group of serious musicians from diverse backgrounds, brought together by the seriously relaxing pastime of playing Gamelan music.
Official Esplanade Library publicity is [over here]
Videos taken by a friend of mine of the Balinese Gamelan Concert “Mebarung” held recently at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music can be found [over here] in the youtube channel.
Here’s one of my favourites, Bebarongan, performed by Gamelan Singamurti, with Guest Musicians Pak Nyoman Kader and Pak Nyoman Suteja:
Also: Topeng Lucu, danced by Prof Irving Johnson from the Faculty of South East Asian Studies at NUS, accompanied by Gamelan Gita Buana from the Conservatory.
Gamelan Gita Buana (housed at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music) in friendly competition with Gamelan Singamurti, a community group that plays Balinese Gamelan music, will be presenting Mebarung at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. There will be music, dances, and Guest Performers from Bali!
It’s on at 7.30pm, Tuesday 3 April 2012, at the Conservatory’s Orchestra Hall (3rd Floor). Admission is free.
Please click on the link below to view the flyer! (.pdf)
*edit*: Here’s the official facebook page, which includes, among other things, a map
Degung Singalagena, a Singaporean group which plays gamelan music from Sunda (West Java), will be performing at the Esplanade Concourse Sunday and Monday Evening (1st and 2nd April).
Timings are:
Sun: 5.15 – 5.45pm, 6.15 – 6.45pm, 7.15 – 7.45pm
Mon: 7.15 – 7.45pm, 8.15 – 8.45pm
Degung Singalagena was formed in Singapore in 2006 and is led by composer and Sundanese kendang (a two-headed drum) teacher, Kang Atung. The group enjoys performing a wide repertoire, spanning sweet melodies to exciting and pulsating rhythms. The group’s love for music can be seen in their name “Singalagena”, which means “to relax and find pleasure in the harmony of music”.
Check out the Esplanade Page for more information
NUS Department of South East Asian Studies is organising it’s not-entirely-regular but more or less once a year South East Asia night, this year bringing you Javanese Gamelan (by the NUS Singa Nglaras Gamelan Ensemble), Balinese Dance, and Philippine Rondalla (by NUS Rondalla).
In case, like me, you were wondering:
NUS Rondalla
A Member of NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA)
Formed in 1981, the NUS Rondalla is an ensemble which performs on a mix of Spanish and Filipino-made instruments. The group uses Tremolo-stringed instruments – bandurias, lauds, mondolas, octavinas, mandolins, guitars and double basses. It has also developed its own instrumental mix and music arrangements alone the past 30 years. Under the leadership of Music Director and Conductor Dr Joseph Peters, the NUS Rondalla’s repertoire ranges from folk to popular music.
Monday, March 19th, 7:30pm
The Theatrette (LT13), Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, 3 Arts Link, NUS
Free Admission
Check their Facebook Page for information.
