Dharma Records

A record of Ānandajoti’s publication work.

Menu
  • Notices
  • Talks
  • Texts
  • Audio
  • Video
  • Photos
  • Ecology
  • Culture
  • Archives
  • About
Menu

Indonesian Classical Music from Sunda (West Java)

Posted on September 4, 2010May 3, 2020 by Ānandajoti

Here is some wonderful classical Indonesian music from West Java. The music is still very popular in Java and wherever you go in the country you can always hear the melodious music being played, and also find classical concerts to attend.

The music here is by the Kacapi Suling Instrumental Ensemble, and is being embedded from the Asian Classical Music in MP3 Format page, which also provides the notes. For more music from all over Asia, and for more information about it please visit their website.

Arum-Bandung-from-SundaThe province of Sunda in West Java experienced an amazing resurgence of interest in its own musical traditions in the late 1970s and into the 1980s. Centered on the city of Bandung, this renewed vitality led to the nation-wide (and world-wide) popularity of traditional genres like Kacapi Suling and modern ones like jaipongan.

Kacapi Suling is usually played at interludes between songs in a performance of the classical song-form Tembang Sunda. The term refers to the two plucked string instruments and the flute. There is a higher-pitched kacapi rincik, a lower-pitched kacapi indung and the suling ornamenting the melody.

During a dinner-to-dawn house concert of Tembang Sunda, instrumental pieces like these would offer light interludes between the weightiness of the songs. The pieces are in two scales. The first four are in laras pelog, conveying a lighter mood, while the next four are in laras sorog, a more somber mood. This change of key usually occurs around midnight, and lasts until dawn.

Arum Bandung:
https://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/Arum_Bandung_-_01_-_Arum_Bandung.mp3

Arang Arang/Renggong Gede:
https://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/Arum_Bandung_-_02_-_ArangArang-Renggong_Gede.mp3

Nimang/Kaleran:
https://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/Arum_Bandung_-_03_-_Nimang-Kaleran.mp3

Senggot/Tokecang/Tilam Sono:
https://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/Arum_Bandung_-_04_-_Senggot-Tokecang-TilamSono.mp3

Gawil:
https://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/Arum_Bandung_-_05_-_Gawil.mp3

Karanginan:
https://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/Arum_Bandung_-_06_-_Karanginan.mp3

Bungur:
https://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/Arum_Bandung_-_07_-_Bungur.mp3

Sinyur:
https://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/Arum_Bandung_-_08_-_Sinyur.mp3

5 thoughts on “Indonesian Classical Music from Sunda (West Java)”

  1. Victor Poole says:
    April 16, 2013 at 8:34 pm

    Dear Bhante Anandajoti,
    Sunda is the Indonesian name of the people and their language, who live in the Province of West Java. We would refer to them as Sundanese. The Degung and Suling music is my favorite in Indonesia.
    Metta cittena,
    Victor Poole.

  2. Davide says:
    October 16, 2013 at 3:53 am

    Thank you very much for your article and material. I would use a file of yours here into my website, shouwing your name of course.
    http://indonesiainviaggio.weebly.com/

  3. Emmanuel Ikan Astillero says:
    October 14, 2014 at 4:05 pm

    I lived with my family in INdonesia (Jakarta) 1980-1985 and travelled to 11 provinces from West Java to Sumatra. I love the INdonesian music. We, Filipinos, share the similar lilting, island freedom in music and movements. This is a great addition to my collection. Thanks.

  4. free to listen says:
    June 5, 2015 at 1:32 am

    Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful article. Many thanks for supplying
    this info.

  5. Michelle Chu says:
    March 24, 2016 at 9:40 pm

    Not sure if your the Victor Harold Poole i know from Philippines but its worth a try if my name is familiar to you comment back.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

QR code

SHORTLINK

RSS Feeds

  • All Posts
  • Texts
  • Photos

Donations

there are many expenses involved in the making of this website. Even a small donation really helps to maintain and expand the site.

choose amount:

Recent Posts

  • Two Photo Albums from Phimai Published
  • Photographs from Prasat Phanom Rung
  • Publication of the Introduction to the Jataka Stories
  • A Revised Presentation of the Jātaka Commentary
  • Comparative Dhammapada Table
  • Suttapitaka Index, with links to Pali Text and Translations
  • Karmavibhanga Stories Published in Hard Copy
  • Publication of The Theravāda Lineage (Nikāya Sangrahaya)
  • Paintings from the Thousand Buddhas Caves Published
  • Photos and Descriptions of 80 Stone Sculptures from Pagan Published

Top 10 Tags

  • Books
  • Buddha
  • Dhamma
  • Ethics
  • India
  • Monks
  • Poetry
  • Sri Lanka
  • Temples
  • Wisdom

Recent Posts

  • Two Photo Albums from Phimai Published
  • Photographs from Prasat Phanom Rung
  • Publication of the Introduction to the Jataka Stories
  • A Revised Presentation of the Jātaka Commentary
  • Comparative Dhammapada Table
  • Suttapitaka Index, with links to Pali Text and Translations
  • Karmavibhanga Stories Published in Hard Copy
  • Publication of The Theravāda Lineage (Nikāya Sangrahaya)
  • Paintings from the Thousand Buddhas Caves Published
  • Photos and Descriptions of 80 Stone Sculptures from Pagan Published

Other Posts

  • Vesakha Greetings
  • BWV 005: Four Ways to spend one’s Wealth
  • Sinhapura Vipassana Meditation Centre on Photo Dharma
  • Revision of the Materials on Mindfulness on ABT
  • Publication of Old Javanese Metres
  • Text and Translation of Namakkārapāli
  • BWV 031: Overcoming Defilements with their Opposites
  • Jātaka Tales of the Buddha – Review
  • Text and Translation version of the Dhammapada Published
  • Maps of the Chinese Pilgrims’ Journeys Published

Related Posts

  • Karmavibhanga Stories Published in Hard Copy
  • Foucher: Buddhist Art in Java Published
  • Prof. Krom: The Life of Buddha on the Stupa of Barabudur
  • Examples added to Old Javanese Metres
  • Karma-vibhanga Reliefs at Borobudur Published
  • Avadāna Stories published in Hard Copy
  • Photographs of Krishna’s Story at Prambanan
  • Photographs from Two Fertility Temples in Java
  • Photographs of Candi Sambisari Published
  • Photographs of Candi Plaosan Published
© 2021 Dharma Records | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme