Impress you with these 4 unique Indonesian traditional musical instruments

1,Suling

The Suling, also known as Seruling, is a Southeast Asian bamboo flute used in a variety of traditional musical ensembles, including gamelan, gambus, and Malay dangdut . The flute is made from a long, thin-walled bamboo tube called a tamiang, with a thin rattan band surrounding the mouthpiece. This musical instrument originated in Malay culture and was developed in several Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia.

The simple and lively tunes or melodies played on the Suling flute are traditionally regarded as the “sound of happy learning”. There are many regions in Indonesia that use the flute as a traditional instrument and have different local names, in Java, Sunda, and Bali, the instrument is often called a suring; in Minang, it is called a sarang (saluang); in Toraja it is called Lembang; in Halmahera it is called bangsil; in West Nusa Tenggara ( West Nusa Tenggara), it is called silu.

One of the most popular suring flute musicians in Indonesia is Gus Teja. You can listen to his soothing performances on YouTube and Spotify.

2,Gamelan

Gamelan is a set of traditional Javanese musical instruments, usually consisting of gongs, kenongs, gambangs, celempungs and many other percussion instruments. Gamelan can create soft tunes that create a peaceful atmosphere in harmony with Javanese society. Etymologically, “gamelan” is derived from the Javanese term “gamel”, which means to beat/hit, and the suffix “an” makes it a noun. Therefore, the word “gamelan” can be interpreted as “strike object”.

Musical performances of Gamelan Ageng or all gamelan instruments are usually accompanied by puppet shows such as traditional shadow puppets (Wayang Kulit), Javanese opera (Wayang Orang), Ketoprak (Ketoprak), Javanese dance and many other performances. Besides Java, gamelan can also be found in other Indonesian cultures such as Sundanese (known as “degung”), Bali (known as “gambela”), Banjar and Lombok Island (Lombok).

Gamelan’s voice is famous all over the world. Russia even has the Gamelan Dadali Moscow, their own gamelan music group made up of Russian women trained by experts at the Indonesian embassy in Moscow, you can listen to them on YouTube.

3,Angklung

Angklung is a traditional Indonesian bamboo wind instrument that is often found in West Java. It is produced by shaking the instrument so that the bamboo pipes collide with each other. Since November 2010, Ungeron has been recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. There are many types of angklung: angklung kanekes, angklung dogdog lojor, angklung gubrag and angklung padaeng.

Etymologically, “angklung” comes from the Sundanese word “angka”, which means tone, and the word “lung”, which means broken. Hence, “angklung” means “broken or incomplete tone”, and according to Jaap Kunst’s book “Music of Java”, angklung can be found in South Sumatra and Kalimantan in addition to West Java The people of Gelung, South Java, East Java and Central Java also use this instrument.

During the period of the Sunda Kingdom (12th to 16th centuries), Ungeron was regarded as a rite of worship to the goddess of fertility (Nyai Sri Pohaci). During the war, Ungeron was said to have played a morale booster role.

There is a place called Saung Angklung Udjo in West Java where one can witness the live performance of Angklung musicians and learn how to make it.

Listen to their harmonious music on YouTube. You can also enjoy Angron music composed and played by Tjoek Suparlan on Spotify.

4,Sasando

Sasando is a traditional musical instrument in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) made of bamboo and palm leaves. It was invented by two shepherds on the island of Rothe in the 17th century, after they suddenly discovered that a container for fetching water could produce soft tones. Originally, Sasando strings were made from sticks of palm leaves, but later when the Portuguese came to Indonesia, they were replaced by steel strings commonly used on violins.

Sasando is played with both hands, but in opposite directions. Play chords with your right hand and melody and bass with your left. A special technique is required to play Sasando. At first, Sasando had only 7–10 strings made of natural materials, and by the 18th century, more strings were added, increasing the number from 24 to 28. Today, 32 to 48 strings are used in Sasando.

The philosophy behind Sasando’s look and voice is unique and has a special meaning for a step-by-step life. The nine strings of the original Sasando are used to symbolize the life cycle of a human child in the womb (approximately nine months).

You can listen to Natalino Mella’s calm Sasando on Youtube.

source:yummyadvisor,if you want to know more indonesian culture,you can check it.