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.
Rumput is honored to support keroncong royalty Endah Laras and Danis Sugiyanto for a concert of keroncong classics, plus workshops at the Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian Institution.
Workshops:
Sunday October 6, 1pm and 4pm, Freer Gallery 5
Lecture/demonstration on the history and fundamentals of keroncong. Bring a stringed instrument to play along! http://events.si.edu/133840708
Endah Laras is a renowned keroncong performer with an equally robust background in traditional Javanese arts. Her father was a dalang (shadow puppeteer), her mother a dancer, and they taught her karawitan, sindhenan, and Javanese dance. This foundation in traditional Javanese arts laid the groundwork for her studies and collaborations in contemporary and experimental music. Laras has performed with acclaimed dalang Ki Enthus Susmono in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Korea. She collaborated with Japanese choreographer Akiko Kitamura on “To Belong”, which appeared in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia. She routinely gives dance and music workshops at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and UWCSEA, an international school in Singapore. Her mellifluous and versatile voice lends itself well to keroncong, as heard on recordings with keroncong maestros Andjar Any and Mus Mulyadi.
Danis Sugiyanto is a professor of karawitan at Institut Seni Indonesia Solo (Indonesian Arts University of Solo) and a master keroncong musician. Born in Surakarta, Sugiyanto has appeared in musical and theatrical productions throughout the world. In 1997, he performed in a production of “King Lear” in Japan under the direction of Ong Ken Seng and Rahayu Supanggah. He also performed karawitan in a production of “I Lagaligo” by acclaimed director Robert Wilson and Rahayu Supanggah in New York (2005), Jakarta (2006), Melbourne (2006), Milan, and Taipei (2008). He is an accomplished composer who contributed music for a production with “Wayang Keroncong Gendut” at the Malay Festival of Singapore, 2016. With the support of a Fulbright fellowship, Danis Sugiyanto taught at the University of Richmond and the College of William & Mary as a scholar-in-residence during the Spring semester of 2018.
Rumput is honored to support keroncong royalty Endah Laras and Danis Sugiyanto for a concert of keroncong classics on the CarMax Family Stage at The Richmond Folk Festival, sponsored by JAMinc.
Endah Laras is a renowned keroncong performer with an equally robust background in traditional Javanese arts. Her father was a dalang (shadow puppeteer), her mother a dancer, and they taught her karawitan, sindhenan, and Javanese dance. This foundation in traditional Javanese arts laid the groundwork for her studies and collaborations in contemporary and experimental music. Laras has performed with acclaimed dalang Ki Enthus Susmono in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Korea. She collaborated with Japanese choreographer Akiko Kitamura on “To Belong”, which appeared in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia. She routinely gives dance and music workshops at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and UWCSEA, an international school in Singapore. Her mellifluous and versatile voice lends itself well to keroncong, as heard on recordings with keroncong maestros Andjar Any and Mus Mulyadi.
Danis Sugiyanto is a professor of karawitan at Institut Seni Indonesia Solo (Indonesian Arts University of Solo) and a master keroncong musician. Born in Surakarta, Sugiyanto has appeared in musical and theatrical productions throughout the world. In 1997, he performed in a production of “King Lear” in Japan under the direction of Ong Ken Seng and Rahayu Supanggah. He also performed karawitan in a production of “I Lagaligo” by acclaimed director Robert Wilson and Rahayu Supanggah in New York (2005), Jakarta (2006), Melbourne (2006), Milan, and Taipei (2008). He is an accomplished composer and contributed music for a production with Wayang Keroncong Gendut at the Malay Festival of Singapore, 2016. With the support of a Fulbright fellowship, Sugiyanto taught at the University of Richmond and the College of William & Mary as a scholar-in-residence during the Spring semester of 2018.
Rumput is honored to support keroncong royalty Endah Laras and Danis Sugiyanto for a concert of keroncong classics at Perkinson Recital Hall, University of Richmond.
Endah Laras is a renowned keroncong performer with an equally robust background in traditional Javanese arts. Her father was a dalang (shadow puppeteer), her mother a dancer, and they taught her karawitan, sindhenan, and Javanese dance. This foundation in traditional Javanese arts laid the groundwork for her studies and collaborations in contemporary and experimental music. Laras has performed with acclaimed dalang Ki Enthus Susmono in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Korea. She collaborated with Japanese choreographer Akiko Kitamura on “To Belong”, which appeared in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia. She routinely gives dance and music workshops at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and UWCSEA, an international school in Singapore. Her mellifluous and versatile voice lends itself well to keroncong, as heard on recordings with keroncong maestros Andjar Any and Mus Mulyadi.
Danis Sugiyanto is a professor of karawitan at Institut Seni Indonesia Solo (Indonesian Arts University of Solo) and a master keroncong musician. Born in Surakarta, Sugiyanto has appeared in musical and theatrical productions throughout the world. In 1997, he performed in a production of “King Lear” in Japan under the direction of Ong Ken Seng and Rahayu Supanggah. He also performed karawitan in a production of “I Lagaligo” by acclaimed director Robert Wilson and Rahayu Supanggah in New York (2005), Jakarta (2006), Melbourne (2006), Milan, and Taipei (2008). He is an accomplished composer and contributed music for a production with Wayang Keroncong Gendut at the Malay Festival of Singapore, 2016. With the support of a Fulbright fellowship, Sugiyanto taught at the University of Richmond and the College of William & Mary as a scholar-in-residence during the Spring semester of 2018.
Rumput will accompany Indonesian guest artist, Ubiet Raesuki, for an evening of traditional kroncong. Indonesian Food Trucks at 7:00. Tickets are free but need to be reserved in advance https://kroncongmusic.eventbrite.com.
This concert will be part of “Performing Indonesia”, an annual event presented by the Smithsonian Institute. Members of Gamelan Raga Kusuma will join New York’s Momenta String Quartet and Ubiet Raesuki for an evening of contemporary music by Indonesian composers: featuring I Wayan Yudane’s and Jack Body’s setting of Colin McPhee’s memoir “House in Bali” and Tony Prabowo’s “Pastoral.” Rumput will accompany Ubiet Raseuki for some traditional kroncong pieces. Tickets to this concert go on sale September 6, through gwutickets.com
Kroncong by Rumput, plus music composed and improvised by Andrew Timar, CAGE, and Szkieve.
The Cornell Modern Indonesia Project brings together some forty participants from the US, Canada, and Indonesia, to sound out the state of Indonesian music, both as a subject of scholarly inquiry, and as an artistic practice pursued within and beyond Indonesia. Those who work primarily as scholars of Indonesian music, mostly within the field of ethnomusicology, will be joined by others from in, around, and outside academia who work primarily as practitioners: as performers, composers, ensemble directors, and promoters. The mix of paper presentations, roundtables, and performances will build on the overlap and connections between these constituencies, whose priorities and attentions may differ but who fundamentally share a common cause.