Traditional Javanese and Balinese Ensemble Music Gamelan, Determined by UNESCO as WBTB

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FEMUSINDO.com - Traditional Javanese and Balinese ensemble music gamelan in Indonesia that has a pentatonic scale in the slendro and pelog scale (laras) system. Gamelan, consists of percussion instruments used in karawitan music art.

The most commonly used instruments are metallophones, including gangsa, gender, bonang, gong, saron, slenthem played by wiyaga using a mallet (beater) and membranophones in the form of drums played by hand.

Meanwhile, idiophones in the form of kemanak and other metallophones and some of the commonly used gamelan instruments. Other instruments include xylophones, in the form of gambang, aerophones in the form of flutes, chordophones in the form of rebabs and vocal groups called sinden.

A set of gamelan is grouped into two, namely gangsa pakurmatan and gangsa ageng. Gangsa pakurmatan is played to accompany hajad dalem (traditional palace ceremony) and jumenengan (coronation ceremony of king or queen).

Then, tingalan dalem (commemoration of the ascension of the king or queen), garebeg (important event ceremony), sekaten (ceremony to commemorate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad).

Meanwhile, Gangsa ageng is played as an accompaniment to cultural arts performances, generally used to accompany beksan (dance), wayang (performing arts), uyon-uyon (traditional ceremony/celebration), and others.

Gamelan itself comes from the Javanese word "gamel" which means 'to hit' or 'to beat'. Gamelan is generally played by a group of people and will produce a soft and calming tone. Javanese gamelan is the oldest musical instrument in the world.

The music produced by Gamelan reflects the harmony and harmony of cooperation. Gamelan was first created by Sang Hyang Era Saka. He was known as the ruler of the Land of Java which was intended as a summoning of the gods. Gamelan is usually used as an accompaniment to wayang kulit and traditional dances.

Gamelan is spread across various regions, such as Java, Madura, Bali, Kalimantan and Lombok. However, the main types of Gamelan are Javanese Gamelan and Balinese Gamelan, native to Java and Bali.

Because of the importance of Gamelan as a world cultural tradition, in 1977, NASA included Javanese Gamelan music in the Voyager I and Voyager II satellites. Meanwhile, the Gamelan that is widely circulated and most preserved is the Reyog Gamelan from Ponorogo.

Abroad, Gamelan has been established as an educational curriculum at foreign universities, such as the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, Cambridge University and the University of Manchester. Meanwhile, in Singapore, Gamelan is made a subject at elementary, middle and high school levels.

Gamelan was designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) which was determined at the 16th session of UNESCO in Paris, France, December 15, 2021. Through this determination, Indonesian Gamelan officially became the 12th world cultural heritage from Indonesia. (*)