PREORDER Mekar KemBali 2019: Live from Pesta Kesenian Bali Double Vinyl

Based in Denver, Colorado, Gamelan Tunas Mekar is a community ensemble under the direction of Balinese composer and Artist-in-Residence I Made Lasmawan and family. Founded in 1988, the group presents traditional and new music and dance for Balinese gamelan. Modeled after typical village groups found throughout Bali, and learning by traditional methods, Tunas Mekar provides American audiences the rare opportunity to experience one of the world’s most fascinating cultures.

Gamelan Tunas Mekar was invited to perform at the 41st Annual Bali Arts Festival (Pesta Kesenian Bali) on June 21, 2019 in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. This return to Bali marked Tunas Mekar’s second performance at the Bali Arts Festival, where they first performed in 1996. The program featured traditional and new compositions and choreography on gamelan gong kebyar and gamelan angklung.

Track List

1. Tari Penyembrama (a welcome dance), composed and choreographed by I Wayan Beratha. This piece was transposed to gamelan angklung by Lasmawan in 1976 in Denpasar, Bali. 

2. Tari Truna Jaya (Victorious Youth), Classical Balinese dance has three genders: male, female, and—honoring human complexity—androgynous. Teruna Jaya—Victorious Youth, is a beloved masterpiece in the androgynous bebancihan style. The female dancer depicts a volatile and moody character: a young man going through puberty. The piece was created in the 1950s by I Gede Manik from North Bali. The character quickly became popular, regions adapted the dance, and it became a virtuosic piece. Originally accompanied by gong kebyar, this was transposed by Lasmawan in 1996 for the first Tunas Mekar performance at PKB.

3. Lelasan Megat Yeh (Lizard Crossing the Water), traditional piece for gamelan angklung. This piece was one of Gamelan Tunas Mekar’s first pieces learned; taught by Pak Madri from the village of Pengosekan in 1990.

4. Tabuh Kreasi Kayu Sakti (Sacred Tree) was composed by Kendall Burks (b. 1990) in 2018 as a part of his ongoing study of Balinese Gamelan music. This study has above all been an encounter with the community of Tunas Mekar (which he joined in 2011) and the tradition that vitalizes it, particularly through the outstanding generosity of the Tangkas family. This piece is part of his attempt to learn from this amazing tradition and perhaps contribute in some small way to the community that facilitated his encounter with it. The title reflects the nature of a living tradition, rooted in the earth and history, yet maintained and updated by living consciousness.

5. Tari Kreasi Laku was composed by I Putu Tangkas Adi Hiranmayena (b. 1989), “Laku” was completed in 2019 with choreography by Dewa Ayu Eka Putri. “Laku”: the active behaviors of a person; direction indicative of demand. This is a contemporary dance piece composed as a neo-traditional welcome dance embodying the idea of behavioral changes and parallel social flow. As the popularity of travel becomes normalized, how do the behaviors of humans change? How do we welcome people that seem to be intruding in our space? The answer lies ostensibly within the beauty of co-motion. 

6. Tari Legong Catur Dewi Manik Galih was composed by I Made Lasmawan, with choreography by Ni Ketut Marni (b. 1973), in 2018. This piece premiered at the International Gamelan Festival in Solo(Java, Indonesia) in 2018. Lasmawan and Marni based their legong on a legend from the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, in which the supreme god, Batara Siwa, asked the Catur Dewi to take care of the four lakes in Bali: Lake Beratan, Lake Batur, Lake Tamblingan, and Lake Buyan. The Catur Dewi, or four goddesses, depicted in this dance are: Dewi Danu (the goddess for the lakes), Dewi Gangga (the goddess for the rivers), Dewi Uma (the goddess for the rice fields), and Dewi Sri (the goddess for the rice). 

7. Tabuh Kreasi Catur Guru (Four Teachers) is a new piece composed in 2018 by I Made Tangkas Ade Wijaya (b. 1999). He drew inspiration from the Balinese belief that children learn from their four gurus (or teachers): guru rupaka (their parents), guru penggajian (their school teachers), guru wiwesa (the government), and guru swadiaya (their gods). Wijaya’s concept of learning Balinese music through catur guru emphasizes learning from his father and the many teachers who have impacted him. His musical training is based around the concepts of meguru panggul (following the mallet), meguru kuping (learning by listening), meguru lagu (learning through notation or singing melody), and meguru rasa (learning the feeling). Wijaya’s composition is dedicated to his teachers: “whether that be friends, family, or mentors, because they have all created my character in their own significant way. I realized many teachers don’t get the credit they deserve, and I want this song to act as my way of paying respect to them.”

8. Tabuh Kreasi Tirta Bhuana (World Holy Water) was composed by I Made Lasmawan (b. 1958). Drawing on a Balinese proverb, “Nila setitik merusak susu seblanga” (a little bit of poison will destroy all of the milk), the concept of this piece switches the meaning, saying that a small amount of holy water can create peace throughout the whole world. This piece further reflects the way Balinese people use water in Bali for all aspects of their life: religious, farming, village life, and business.