What is gamelan, and where can you hear it in Bali?
Gamelan is Bali's percussion orchestra. If you have heard shimmering metallic sounds in a temple, a dance performance or a hotel lobby, that was it. It accompanies almost everything: ceremonies, dances, shadow-puppet plays.
What you will see:
- The metallophones (gangsa), bronze keys struck with a mallet: the ugal (the lowest, which leads the orchestra), the pemade and the kantilan (the highest).
- The gongs, including the great gong gedé, which gives depth.
- The drums (kendang): a “female” one (wadon), lower, and a “male” one (lanang), higher. They lead the tempo and the changes of rhythm.
- Bamboo flutes (suling) and cymbals (ceng-ceng).
The secret of the sound: the instruments are made in pairs, tuned very slightly apart, to create a beating shimmer. The Balinese call it ombak, “the wave”. Each set of about twenty bronze instruments is made in a single workshop, with its own tuning, so no two gamelans are identical. The carved wooden frames, in red and gold, are often as beautiful as the keys.
The most famous style is gong kebyar, fast and explosive music that appeared in the north of the island in the early 20th century. Its first public presentation dates from December 1915, at a competition in Jagaraga. There are many other ensembles (angklung, gender wayang, selonding), older and more sacred.
Where to hear it:
- Ubud dance performances, with a full orchestra.
- Temple ceremonies, open to respectful visitors.
- The Bali Arts Festival, from mid-June to mid-July in Denpasar.
- Rehearsals and events in a banjar, if you are lucky enough to be invited.
Verdict: you don't need to know anything about music to enjoy it. Give it ten minutes and the shimmering starts to feel like Bali itself.
Tip: during a dance, watch the musicians too: they often play from memory, exchanging glances, and they are half the show.
More landmarks in this section
- What can you discover of Balinese culture, and where to start?
- Which Balinese dance should you see: Legong, Barong or Kecak?
- Where can you see Balinese painting, and what are the styles?
- Where to buy Balinese carvings, and how do you spot good work?
- Batik, endek, songket, geringsing: what's the difference?