Indonesia/Gamelan

The many islands of Indonesia are rich in classical and popular music. Electric guitars and synthesized beats mingle with traditional forms in the major cities; local cassette shops are filled with listeners hungry for the dance-friendly hybrid of electric rhythms and ancient scales known as dangdut. Jaipongan is another mixture of old and new: the form was created in the early 1970s (as part of a government-sponsored Indonesian identity drive) by injecting some rock 'n' roll energy into an old village dance known as ketuk tilu. Perhaps most famous, however, are the alluring, layered tones of traditional gamelan orchestras. A gamelan performance is highly structured and lasts all night; audience members come and go as an orchestra composed entirely of gongs and percussion plays a ritualized, complex music. In most traditions, gamelan is meshed with poetry and theater. The style of music has caught the ear of Westerners eager for the fresh sounds of unique musical philosophies.