Ritual Music by Bali Gamelan Sound

"Ritual Music" recorded in Singapadu, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia in September 2021. In this case the music took place in an every -twenty years- celebration of the Village, recreating the Temple Atmosphere for bringing in benevolent energies and clean the unholy experiences. It is an occasion when the Hindu village community comes together, invite the Gods to visit them for three or more days, perform religious services together offering refreshments and entertainment.

Senior players from Tegal Tamu Village are the performers in the Gamelan Gong Kebyar ensemble.

Balinese dance is an ancient dance tradition that is part of the religious and artistic expression among the Balinese people of Bali island, Indonesia. Balinese dance is dynamic, angular and intensely expressive.

The Dancers express the stories of dance-drama through the bodily gestures including gestures of fingers, hands, head and eyes.

Topeng (Indonesian for "mask") is a dramatic form of dance in which one or more mask-wearing, ornately costumed performers interpret traditional narratives concerning fabled kings, heroes and myths.

Rejang Dance (Indonesian: Tari Rejang) is a sacred Balinese dance, a sacrificial dance in which the girls offer themselves to the Gods.

Baris dance is a family of traditional war dances in Bali, Indonesia, accompanied by gamelan, in which dancers depict the feelings of a young warrior prior to battle.

In "Gender Wayang Suasana" I tried to represent the feeling of having several Gamelan ensembles playing at the same time for different manifestations, in this case, the Gender being the smallest one, during the puppets performance. It's interesting how powerful the atmosphere can become while so many offerings for the Gods and the Spirits in the Temple are taking place.

Tracklist

1.	Tari Rejang Dewa	8:26

2.	Tari Baris Gede	11:27

3.	Tari Topeng Keras Wirkea Sari	8:28

4.	Tari Topeng Tua Werda Lumaku	8:43

5.	Tari Topeng Penasar	5:57

6.	Tari Topeng Dalem Arsa Widaya	9:15

7.	Gender Wayang Suasana	6:58

8.	Tabuh Pisan	7:26

Credits

released August 27, 2022

This is a documentary process of recording Balinese Traditional Gamelan music, started in the year 2020.

Traditions have changed over time, but ancient musical compositions are adapted to nowadays life.

Agustín Oscar Rissotti, an Argentinian student of the University ISI Denpasar (Bali), developed an idea to join as many rehearsals, ensembles and religious ceremonies as possible with small microphones and recording equipment, to document the authentique "Bali Gamelan Sound".

In Bali, live performances are meant to be performed for the Gods. There is no egoistic purpose in this performances, but to admire the beauty of this world through the eyes of Hindu Balinese religion.

As for his ears, this is "The authentique Bali Sound", full of conversations around, people passing by, laughs, music of different performances played together (as it is meant to be in several Balinese Hindu ceremonies where -more than 1- ensembles are playing music very close to each other -at the same time-), background noises, sounds of coffee cups and arak shoots, breath of ciggaretes, animals hollowing around, hundreds of motorbikes passing by, and even mother nature earthquakes.

With all my respect, this is the vision of a South Latin American guy who ended up studying Balinese Culture and living in the Island during the pandemic.

I hope this can translate you to the world I am living in.

Thankyou, I hope you will enjoy this music. Astungkara, Matur Suksema.

All the economic contributions made to this project will be spent in developing the Balinese Culture and Artists.

Please donate buying the records in Bandcamp.

Special thanks to Bapak I Wayan Sweca who invited me to the celebration and helped me understand and recognize the songs of this concert.

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