Visitors have fun with 'angklung'

Visitors have fun with 'angklung'

T. Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Bandung

Clad in colorful traditional costumes, dozens of children and
teenagers cheerfully sing while playing unique bamboo musical
instruments called angklung. Beautiful sounds fill the air,
mesmerizing the audience who clap their hands in rhythm to the
music.

At the end of the show, they dance together in a happy
atmosphere, sharing a moment that will no doubt become an
unforgettable memory.

"That's amazing. I've never heard such unique music," said
Andre, a tourist from Germany.

He was one of some 40 tourists, mostly foreigners, who watched
the show at Saung Angklung Udjo Sundanese Art and Bamboo Craft
Center in Bandung, one of the most important tourist places in
West Java.

Another Western tourist, who got a chance to dance with a
toddler, seemed to be so impressed that she spontaneously took
some gifts out of her bag and gave them to the little girl and
her friends, while a Japanese woman asked the young artists to
pose with her for a series of photo sessions.

The performance at Saung Angklung Udjo begins with a wayang
golek (wood puppet) demonstration. It only lasts a few minutes,
which is very short compared to the real wayang golek show that
usually takes more than seven hours to perform.

The audience also learns something about traditions here with
the young artists performing a khitanan (circumcision) show. In
the village, there is a tradition where young boys who have just
been circumcised will be entertained by children with dancing and
singing accompanied by angklung music.

A mask dance and an arumba (bamboo music played in a band
formation) show are performed, too.

The highlight of the whole presentation is, of course, the
angklung recital. Angklung are played by shaking the instrument,
and they produce beautiful sounds in harmony. The songs vary,
from traditional ones like Burung Kakaktua from Maluku, to Do Re
Mi (a song of The Sound of Music), and Tulpen oit Amsterdam
(Tulips from Amsterdam).

The audience is invited to participate by playing along with
angklung. They can even bring home a set of angklung as the
musical instruments are available at the souvenir shop. Other
merchandise on offer includes wayang golek, CDs of angklung
music, and various bamboo handicrafts.

Saung Angklung Udjo Sundanese Art and Bamboo Craft Center
(saung means thatch-roofed pavilion with no walls, like an open
gazebo) is situated on a 1.5 hectare plot of land on Jl. Padasuka
in the Cicaheum area. It was established in 1967 by Udjo
Ngalagena (1929-2001), and his wife Uum Sumiati to increase
public appreciation of the traditional art. Udjo was a student of
Daeng Soetigna, the angklung master who created the do-re-mi
tones for angklung in 1938.

The concept of angklung is 5-M; Mudah (easy), Murah (cheap),
Mendidik (educating), Menarik (interesting) and Masal (for the
masses, or common people). In other words, the center is aimed at
providing an alternative musical education by means of low-priced
bamboo musical instruments that can be easily learned, and that
involve a lot of people who can produce an interesting show.

Saung Angklung Udjo, which won the PATA Gold Award in Jeyu,
South Korea last year, has so far taught more than 1,000
students. Today there are some 150 students here. Interestingly,
the parents and relatives of many students used to learn at the
art center, too.

"My parents used to perform here," said Ika, 14. "And now me,
my two siblings and some of my nieces and nephews learn here."

A master of ceremony at Saung Angklung Udjo, Cathy, is a
student at the Padjadjaran University whose mother was also
Udjo's student.

Considering the importance of interaction with the audience,
students learn not only traditional songs from various parts of
the country, but also some popular foreign songs as well as
classical music. They also learn how to greet guests in English,
German, Dutch and French.

The daily performance is held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Entrance
tickets for the regular show are Rp 25,000 for locals and Rp
35,000 for foreigners.

The business has been much affected by the ups and down of the
country's tourist industry. Due to the tragedy of the Bali
bombings in 2002, Saung Angklung Udjo experienced a really hard
time. Today, it is doing well, as seen in the number of
performances that are held everyday.

"Now, we perform three or four times a day," said Cathy. "In
the morning, the shows are usually for kindergarten children and
high school students."

Saung Angklung Udjo, Jl. Padasuka 118, Bandung. Tel. (62) (22)
727 1714, 720 1587. Daily performance: 3:30 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.