Angklung is a traditional musical instrument from West Java, Indonesia. This instrument is made of bamboo. One angklung instrument produces one tone, for example an F tone. Therefore, we need several angklung instruments to play a song. You have to shake the instrument to produce the tone. Usually angklung are played by a group of people to perform a song. Every player in that group cooperates with each other in order to produce a harmonious sound.
I remember when I played angklung back then when I was in university. I & lots of people from all over Indonesia were performing several songs in the area of Presidential palace to celebrate 50th Indonesia Independence day. My group was playing certain part of the song & several other groups were playing other parts of the song. So, all of these groups had to be united into one enormous group, in order to be able to play one complete song. Before all groups met in Jakarta to play one complete song, each group had been given only its part of the song. So, before we went to Jakarta, my group was only practicing our part of the song, in Bandung. Other groups were also only practicing their part of the song, in their cities. Then one day, all groups met in Jakarta to practice playing one complete song, for each song that we had to play in the area of Presidential palace several days later. It’s not easy to play a complete song in such an enormous group because each group had never heard and never practiced a complete song before that day. But finally we made it.
Angklung produces a very unique sound. Maybe you won’t believe it if you don’t hear and see it by yourself. Do you want to hear & see angklung concert? Just click the videos below to hear & see the angklung concert.
video: Indonesian music
video source: youtube (by 40daysineurope)
video: classical music
video source: youtube (by ikyuson)
When you visit Bandung (West Java, Indonesia), you should go to saung angklung udjo to see the angklung concert & other performing arts. Click here to visit the website of saung angklung udjo.
Your blog is so informative … ..I just bookmarked you….keep up the good work!!!!
thanks Dennis