Rumput with Balinese shadow puppet master Gusti Sudarta at the Smithsonian

 

Gusti Sudarta with wayang kulit

Wayang kulit (shadow theater) performed by I Gusti Putu Sudarta, accompanied by live kroncong and gamelan music performed by Rumput and members of  Gamelan Raga Kusuma.

Visit the Smithsonian Institute’s Freer Gallery of Art events calendar for FREE (but strongly recommended) tickets and contact information.

Sudarta will perform Sutasoma. In this shadow play, the only child of a royal family rejects the throne and escapes to the forest for a life of Buddhist contemplation. But first he must conquer various ogres in the forest.

Wayang kulit are flat leather puppets made from carved and painted rawhide. The Javanese and Balinese shadow play tradition is at least 1000 years old. It is both a sacred genre and a mass entertainment for local communities. Besides philosophical and religious instruction, performances include a healthy dose of bawdy humor and manic fight scenes.

The performance lasts approximately 75 minutes. Afterwards, you can meet Sudarta and learn about his puppets.

I Gusti Putu Sudarta is Faculty and Director of the Theatre Program at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. Sudarta was born into a family of artists in the village of Bedulu, Bali, in 1968. From a young age, he studied traditional Balinese gamelan music with teachers in his village. He is a prolific musician, dancer, composer, and shadow master, actively performing at Balinese temple ceremonies, in academic contexts, at national cultural festivals, and on international stages. He has taught frequently as a visiting artist in American and Taiwanese universities.

Peni Candra Rini album Wulansih released

Available now for free streaming and digital or vinyl purchase on Bandcamp, frequent visiting artist Peni Candra Rini‘s album Wulansih was officially released Friday July 12, 2024.

From label New Amsterdam’s press release:

The 8 songs on Wulansih exert a deep sense of spiritual calm and act as, in Rini’s words, “a reminder that you are still human, listening to expressions of other humans.” Her music is deeply inspired by the poetry of Rumi and Hafez, Wayang Kulit (Indonesian shadow play), and Serat, the tradition of Sufi thought in Central Javanese court poetry. Rini says that Wulansih aims to “express my inner feelings, my soul, to provide inspiration to younger Indonesian composers, and to introduce Indonesian new compositions to new global audiences.”

Rumput is featured on her original composition Warasih, recorded at Montrose Recording in Richmond. Andy features on every track as performer, co-arranger, and co-producer. A minimalist treatment of the traditional keroncong tune Jenang Gula features selo and guitar from Andy and John plus beautiful subtle additions from Shahzad Ismaily on guitar and Curt Sydnor on synthesizer. Other tracks feature experimental compositions and group improvisations featuring Andy, Shahzad and a rotating crew of stellar guest musicians at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn.

Peni Candra Rini at Reveler with Rumput and Gamelan Raga Kusuma

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From traditional performances in small Javanese villages, to performing with the Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall, Peni has performed around the world.

Peni Candra Rini composes and performs traditional, neotraditional, and experimental music from Java. Faculty at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, she has received awards and support from the Aga Khan Foundation, the Asian Cultural Council (NYC), the Asia Society (NYC), the US State Department, the Fulbright Program (Washington DC), the Indonesian government, and many other programs. She has composed and performed with renowned musicians and ensembles around the world: from traditional performances in small Javanese villages, to performing with the Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall, to touring the world as part of Robert Wilson’s I La Galigo project.

Peni Candra Rini is the daughter of a master puppeteer from East Java Indonesia, and one of few female contemporary composers, songwriters, poets, and vocalists who performs sinden, a soloist-female style of gamelan singing. Strongly committed to preserving and sharing the musical traditions of her country, Candra Rini has created many musical compositions for vocals, gamelan, and karawitan, and has collaborated with various artists worldwide, including Katsura Kan, Noriko Omura, Aki Bando, Kiyoko Yamamoto (JP), Found Sound Nation New York, Elena Moon Park (USA), Ali Tekbas (Turkey), Mehdi Nassouli (Morocco), Asma Ghanem (Palestine), Rodrigo Parejo (Spain), among many others.

Candra Rini has collaborated with various gamelan groups from all over the world, and has performed at major festivals including Mascot SIPA Solo International Performing Arts 2016, TEDx Ubud 2019, Big Ears Festival 2019, Mapping Melbourne 2018 Multicultural Art Festival, International Gamelan Festival 2018 Surakarta, Indonesian Tong-Festival Festival 2018 in The Hague, Holland Festival 2017, WOMADelaide festival 2014 in Adelaide, Spoleto Dei Duo Mondi Festival 2013, and Lincoln Center White Light Festival 2011. Her recorded albums include Ayom (2019), Timur (2018), Agni (2017), Mahabharata – Kurusetra War (2016), Daughter of the Ocean (2016), Bhumi(2015), Sekar (2012), and Bramara (2010).

In 2012, Candra Rini completed an artist residency at the California Art Institute with funding from the Asian Cultural Council. During that time, she appeared as a guest artist at eight American universities and participated in master classes with vocal master Meredith Monk. In addition to this extensive work as a performer, Candra Rini is also a lecturer in the Karawitan Department, an Aga Khan Laureate, and a former Fulbright Scholar. In 2021, she earned a doctorate in Musical Arts from the Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) in Surakarta.

Peni will perform traditional keroncong with Rumput, and traditional gamelan with Gamelan Raga Kusuma.

Peni Candra Rini: New music from Java at Spacebomb

Renowned Indonesian singer Peni Candra Rini presents a concert of new music from Java, ranging from new works for traditional instruments to avant-rock compositions from her new album produced by members of Deerhoof.

In addition to our traditional keroncong repertoire this show will feature two new ensembles performing experimental music from Java: an electric keroncong group that incorporates elements of surf-rock, noise, and metal, and a new percussion ensemble playing groove-oriented accompaniment on a hybrid set of gamelan & western drum kit.

Compositions by Peni Candra Rini, I Wayan Sadra, Danis Sugiyanto, Zoel Mistortoify, and Andy McGraw.

Peni Candra Rini: New music from Java at The Hill Center, Washington DC

Renowned Indonesian singer Peni Candra Rini presents a concert of new music from Java, ranging from new works for traditional instruments to avant-rock compositions from her new album produced by members of Deerhoof. Peni will be supported by the Balinese master musician Gusti Sudarta and Richmond musicians.

In addition to our traditional keroncong repertoire this show will feature two new ensembles performing experimental music from Java: an electric keroncong group that incorporates elements of surf-rock, avant-noise, and metal, and a new percussion ensemble playing groove-oriented accompaniment on a hybrid set of gamelan & western drum kit.

Compositions by Peni Candra Rini, I Wayan Sadra, Danis Sugiyanto, Zoel Mistortoify, and Andy McGraw.

Peni Candra Rini: New music from Java at P.I.T., Brooklyn NY

 Renowned Indonesian singer Peni Candra Rini presents a concert of new music from Java, ranging from new works for traditional instruments to avant-rock compositions from her new album produced by members of Deerhoof.

In addition to our traditional keroncong repertoire this show will feature two new ensembles performing experimental music from Java: an electric keroncong group that incorporates elements of surf-rock, noise, and metal, and a new percussion ensemble playing groove-oriented accompaniment on a hybrid set of gamelan & western drum kit.

Compositions by Peni Candra Rini, I Wayan Sadra, Danis Sugiyanto, Zoel Mistortoify, and Andy McGraw.