Thursday, 26 September 2013

Angklung : A musical instrument from Sundanese

Angklung : musical instrument

Angklung
The Angklung is a musical instrument made of two bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved to have a resonant pitch when struck and are tuned to octaves. The base of the frame is held in one hand, whilst the other hand strikes the instrument. This causes a repeating note to sound. Each of three or more performers in an angklung ensemble play just one note or more, but altogether complete melodies are produced. The Angklung is popular throughout Southeast Asia, brut it originated in today's Indonesia and has been played by the Sundanese for many centuries.
AngklungThe word "angklung" was originated from Sundanese "angkleung-angkleungan", that means the movement of angklung player and the sound "klung" that comes from the instrument.
Another theory suggested that the word "angklung" was formed from two Balinese words - angka and lung. Angka means "tone", and lung means "broken" or "lost". Angklung thus means an "incomplete tone".
According to Dr.Groneman, angklung had already been a favorite musical instrument of the entire archipelago even before the Hindu era. According to Jaap Kunst in Music in Java, except West Java, angklung also exists in South Sumatra and Kalimantan. Lampung, East Java and Central Java are also familiar with the instrument.
In the Hindu period and the time of the Kingdom of Sunda, the angklung played an important role in ceremonies. The angklung was played to honor Dewi Sri, the goddess of fertility, so she would bless their land and lives. The angklung also signaled the time for prayers, and was said to have been played since the 7th century in Kingdom of Sunda. In the Kingdom of Sunda, it provided martial music during the Battle of Bubat, as told in the Kidung Sunda. The oldest surviving angklung is 400 years old Angklung Gubrag. It was made in the 17th century in Jasinga, Bogor. Other antique angklung are stored in the Sri Baduga Museum, Bandung. The oldest angklung tradition is called "Angklung Buhun" from Lebak Regency, Banten Angklung buhun is an ancient type of angklung played by Baduy people of inland Banten province during Seren Taun harvest ceremony.
In 1938, Daeng Soetigna, from Bandung, created an angklung that is based on the diatonic scale instead of the traditional pélog or sléndro scales. Since then, the angklung has returned to popularity and is used for education and entertainment, and may even accompany western instruments in an orchestra. One of the 1st performances of angklung in an orchestra was in 1955 during the Bandung Conference. In 1966 Udjo Ngalagena, a student of Daeng Soetigna, opened his "Saung Angklung" as a centre for its preservation and development.
In Bali, an ensemble of angklung is called gamelan angklung. While the ensemble gets its name from the bamboo shakers, these days most compositions for Gamelan Angklung don't use them. An ensemble of mostly bronze metallophones is used instead, generally with about 20 musicians.
While the instrumentation of gamelan angklung is similar to gamelan gong kebyar, it has several critical differences. First, the instruments are tuned to a 5-tone slendro scale, though actually most ensembles use a four-tone mode of the five-tone scale played on instruments with four keys. An exception is the five-tone angklung from the north of Bali. But even in four-tone angklung groups, the flute players will occasionally touch on the 5th implied tone. Secondly, whereas many of the instruments in gong kebyar span multiple octaves of its pentatonic scale, mosts gamelan angklung instruments only contain one octave, although some five-tone ensembles have roughly an octave and a half. The instruments are considerably smaller than those of the gong kebyar.
Gamelan angklung is heard in Balinese temples, where it supplies musical accompaniment to temple anniversaries. It is also characteristic of rituals related to death, and therefore connected in Balinese culture to the invisible spiritual realm and transitions from life to death and beyond. Because of its portability, gamelan angklung may be carried in processions while a funeral bier is carried from temporary burial in a cemetery to the cremation site. The musicians also often play music to accompany the cremation ceremony. Thus many Balinese listeners associate angklung music with strong emotions evoking a combination of sacred sweetness and sadness.
The structure of the music is similar to gong kebyar, although employing a four tone scale. Jublag and jegog carry the basic melody, which is elaborated by gangsa, reyong, ceng-ceng, drum, and flute. A medium sized gong, called kempur, is generally used to punctuate a piece's major sections.
Most older compositions don't employ gong kebyar's more ostentatious virtuosity and showmanship. Recently many Balinese composers have created kebyar-style works for gamelan angklung or have rearranged kebyar melodies to fit the angklung's more restricted four tone scale. These new pieces often feature dance, so the gamelan angklung is augmented with more gongs and heavier gongs. Additionally, some modern composers have created experimental instrumental pieces for the gamelan angklung.
The angklung was 1st invented in West Java, Indonesia; with a possibility of cultural transmittance to various other places such as Malaysia & the Philippines over the course of several centuries. In the early 20th century during the time of Dutch East Indies, the angklung was adopted in Thailand, where it is called angkalung. It was recorded that angklung was brought to Siam in 1908 by Luang Pradit Pairoh, royal musician in the entourage of HRH Field Marshal Prince Bhanurangsi Savangwongse of Siam, who paid a royal visit to Java that year (27 years after the 1st state visit of his elder brother, King Chulalongkorn to Java in 1871.) The Thai angklung are typically tuned in the Thai tuning system of seven equidistant steps per octave, and each angklung has three bamboo tubes tuned in three separate octaves rather than two, as is typical in Indonesia.
In 2008, there was a grand celebration in the Thai traditional music circle, to mark the 100th anniversary of the introduction of angklung to Thailand. Both the Thai and Indonesian governments supported to celebration.
Angklung has also been adopted by its Austronesian-speaking neighbors, in particular by Malaysia and the Philippines, where they are played as part of bamboo xylophone orchestras. Formally introduced into Malaysia sometime after the end of the Confrontation, angklung found immediate popularity. They are generally played using a pentatonic scale similar to the Indonesian slendro, although in the Philippines, sets also come in the diatonic and minor scales used to perform various Spanish-influenced folk music in addition to native songs in pentatonic.
At least one Sundanese angklung buncis ensemble exists in the United States. Angklung Buncis Sukahejo is an ensemble at The Evergreen State College, and includes eighteen double rattles and four dog-dog drums.
Many angklung videos are available on YouTube. People have even started to play pop songs on them, which just goes to show how quickly this generation is going by.
On July 9, 2011 5,182 people from many nations played angklung together in Washington DC and are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest angklung ensemble.

Conventional Angklung in State
Angklung Buhun Phase (Aprrox 6 Century – 15 C)
Angklung Buhun (400 AD)
The paste of conventional Angklung by Indonesian Corporation through diplomatic someone since 600 AD made Angklung famous outside Island, suchlike Island, Sumatera and State . Angklung Buhun is a word of Angklung that hasn’t got any affect from any opposite civilization elements. Angklung Buhun old the adapt of Carang (Salendro) and Kerep (Pelog). Internationally, we telephony it pentatonic.. The brain serve of Angklung Buhun is a psychic of agriculture ceremonial (planting dimension and gathering case) It is believed that Angklung phonation can attain Dewi Sri (Goddess of playwright browse) arise to the concern that would release group approval. The
Angklung Badeng Phase ( 15 Century – 19 Century )
In 15th century, monotheism matured apace in Land. art and civilization, including Angklung, were the vivace methods in extension Muslimism . In 15th century, in Sanding Malangbong, Garut rule, Angklung art formed as a transmission of wide Faith .
Angklung Modern Phase
Angklung Pa Daeng (1938 – now)
Daeng Soetigna initial metamorphose State Angklung from tralatitious pentatonic verbalise attain, get Diantonic Cromatic Inflect Shell. The part of the Angklung is for activity and enterntainment porpuses. He Simplify the make of the angklung. A riddled set take : angklung strain, angklung accompanigment, Cuk and Angklung Bass
Angklung Pentatonic Udjo Ngalagena (1970 -now)
The rapid usage of Pa Daeng Angklung (bodoni) in the tardily 60′s, bang two different essence. In one select, it increase the apresiation and knowingness the group on angklung. But in another cooperator, it slowly slenderize the ontogeny of conventional angklung. Udjo Ngalagena developed new communication of pentatonic conventional angklung and also get a new verbalize flake in angklung called madenda. It enrich the conventional interval reach. Today, Sundanese Angklung look criterion not only played in pelog and salendro, but also in madenda. Udjo’s inovation on traditional angklung, get one of the bleach in human who exchanged Angklung with Pentatonic leaf into Rosy diatonic; piece Udjo Ngalagena was the someone who begin Angklung with his flat (Saung Angklung Udjo) actively to the object concern. Thus, apiece of them got his own sobriquet.
Angklung Employment In Indonesia
Legerdemain of Angklung
Other things which plumbago to the developing of meaty values in penalization breeding are:
  • Progressive consciousness on euphony
  • Future euphony sensation
  • Developing interval signification, line and compatibility, etc
The otherwise important things of Angklung are:
  • Intellectual/intelligent utilization
  • Creativity-discipline
  • Affectional and expressions maneuver in playacting penalty happily
  • Exercise coordinating body movement when pursuing sound templet in position of psychomotor aggressiveness usage
  • Any eudaimonia centres in additional land person proven through their technological findings that Angklung has been a upbeat therapy transmission
  • Moreover, it is awaited that traditional field be able to sensitize grandeur and interests of vulnerable breeding on the existence of Bahasa conventional arts/music. In increase to this, it is further hoped that youthful generations also get curious in preserving undyed environs
All stated previously are called the ‘Magic of Angklung’.
Angklung and Lineament Construction
From its liking and request, Angklung has a reputable symptom because of its genuine usefulness: by the art of Angklung, morality values may color, especially in adult building, specified as: Cooperatio, Cooperativeness, Penalization, Truth, Nimbleness, Responsibleness, Etc
Boost Utilization of Land Angklung
Angklung Unskilled Utilization
Around there are nearly 200 grouping of Angklung business in Land, mostly smoldering in Drink
The largest angklung Mill is Saung Angklung Udjo, create approximatelly 17.600 pcs/month . Due to Asiatic polity regulacy and new inovation of Malay creator in angklung, the industry maturation speedily. The status of angklung for onetime 3 age increases 30% / gathering
Angklung Euphony Utilization
Angklung in State larn to sorted lodge state, and some musical genres. Sign from pop, depression, shake, talk and more different. Many and much Malay artists creates and innovates finished the Angklung. A wishful aimed that the Angklung manufacture would embellish the favourite penalisation manufacture specified as bass as examples, would be the Angklung of Indonesia in the early.

Saung Angklung Udjo

Saung Angklung Udjo (SAU) is a place which is the venue, bamboo handicraft center, and bamboo instrument workshop. Additionally, SAU has a purpose as laboratories of educational and cultural learning center to preserve the Sundanese angklung and especially.

Founded in 1966 by Udjo Ngalagena and his wife Uum Sumiati, with a view to preserve and maintain traditional Sundanese arts and culture. Padasuka located at 118, East Bandung West Java Indonesia.

With the atmosphere of the place is fresh air and surrounded by bamboo trees, bamboo crafts and interiors of bamboo to bamboo musical instrument.

Besides regular performances every evening, Saung Angklung Udjo have repeatedly held a special show performed in the morning or afternoon. Shows are held in locations not limited Saung Angklung Udjo course, but many invitation appeared in various places both within and outside the country, in August of 2000 at Sasana Budaya Ganesha ITB, Bandung, Saung Angklung Udjo concert collaboration with the singer dubbed Shirley Temple was Indonesia, which Sherina.

Saung Angklung Udjo not limited to just sell the performing arts, the range of products of traditional bamboo musical instruments (angklung, arumba, calung and others) made ​​and sold to the buyer.

Related Sites for Angklung