Tones of the giant
bamboo
Jembrana is home to a number of fascinating art forms found nowhere
else. By far the most popular and thriving of these is the fabulous
Gamelan Jegog, a big bamboo orchestra whose deep, resonating tones
vibrate through the air almost every night in Jembrana.
Gamelan Jegog is an ensemble of fourteen bamboo instruments so
big and resonant that their vibrations are felt by the body as
much as the ears. The biggest are so tall that musicians have
to sit on top of them in order to play them by striking the keys
with heavy mallets. These larger instruments play low pitched
melodies, while the smaller ones spin out intricately syncopated
variations with dazzling precision and speed. The result is a
dense, multi-layered fabric of sound, above which a single bamboo
flute trills a sweet, sinuous melody.
The most prevalent form of jegog today is the awesome Jegog Mebarung
where two or more orchestras perform together. Each plays in turn,
pitting their skills against one another in a fierce musical battle.
Jegog mebarung is an unforgettable event to witness. The instruments
sway back and forth, the musician's bob up and down, and the onlookers
cheer enthusiastically, occasionally helping the musicians to
replace a broken key. The winner is the ensemble that can make
it heard above the frenzy.
Jegogs are also evaluated for their visual appearance. The wooden
components of the instruments are all finely carved and brightly
painted, with tall ceremonial umbrellas and handsome statues affixed
to the big instruments in the back.
Other interesting art forms of the area include the Jegog Dance,
as unique as the gamelan itself, Pencak Silat, which is a mixture
of choral singing, theater, martial arts and acrobatics, supervised
by a sharp-tongued jester named Dag, and a daredevil knife dance
called Cabang. All of these have roots in the performing arts
of Java, Madura, and the Malay world. In recent times, traditional
Balinese dances and dramas from the gamelan gong repertoire have
been set to jegog music, and these renditions have become even
more popular than the originals.
Kendang Mebarung, a contest of giant drums, shares the competitive
spirit of jegog mebarung. The contest is between two oversized
drums, each 2 to 3 meters in length and one meter in diameter,
accompanied by abbreviated gamelan angk1ung ensemble. When the
drums compete, at cremation ceremonies, national holidays, or
simply for public entertainment, the drummers play interlocking
rhythms that challenge each other's resonance, volume, and rhythmic
dexterity.
Another type of ensemble indigenous to Jembrana is the Bumbung
Gebyog. Eight to twelve lengths of bamboo of varying pitches are
struck on the ground in rhythmically intricate, interlocking patterns.
Probably the only music in Bali that originated and has remained
the preserve of women, bumbung gebyog derives from the pounding
of newly harvested rice in the lesung to remove husks. Nowadays
it is performed on national holidays and at ceremonies related
to rice agriculture, usually accompanied by narrative dances or
the playful Ngibing Dance where spectators may take turns dancing
with dancer.
There are no regularly scheduled performances, so you will have
to hunt a little to see any of the above. Of the 46 jegog ensembles
in Jembrana, the champion today is Jegog Niti Swara in the town
of Tegalcangkrin Jegog Suar Agung in Sankar Agung near Negara
is also well known for their presention of the new style of jegog
dance and drama. To see them, it may be necessary to commission
a performance.
Contact Ida Bagus Raka Negara in Tegalcangkring for assistance.
It costs about $80 to arrange a jegog performance, and you should
book a few days in advance. Bumbung gebyog and kendang mebarung
are less common today; Ida Bagus Raka Negara can nevertheless
help locate or commission one. Another source of information is
the Office of Fducation and Culture (Kantor Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan)
in Negara.
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