Bali 1928: Gamelan Gong Kebyar – Emergence of Kebyar – Part 1



Kebyar came into being around the turn of the century and innovations were brewing between 1910 and 1915 in North Bali’s Buléléng region, the Dutch colonial administration center. Elders in Bungkulan have said that the musical dynamics of Dutch military marching bands influenced the nascient kebyar aesthetic. (Admittedly, the influence seems to have been limited to the element of explosive energy). The late 19th century, throughout the island, witnessed a creative era of Balinese–language gaguritan sung poetry (pupuh) taking on historical, mystical and romantic themes as well as sociopolitical topics expressed through the classical kakawin poetic style in the Old Javanese literary language of Kawi. At the turn of the century, a revival of interest in classical texts led to a plethora of seka papaosan literary clubs emphasizing the skills of recitation in Kawi and translation into the Balinese language using the stylized vocal phrasing of palawakya . Palawakya refers to non–metric prose ucapan ‘spoken’ in broad melodic contours, using either Kawi or alus ‘refined’ or ‘high,’ Balinese language. Literary clubs from different villages would compete against one another before ever–increasing audiences at ceremonial religious events and at night markets.

Sometimes the juru baca (pangewacen) ‘singer’/‘reader’ and juru basa (paneges) translator would sit amidst a gamelan ensemble intoning kakawin verses from the Bharatayuda(Mahabharata), or individual musicians in the gamelan might sing a verse of impromptu kakawin. (It was expected of musicians to be familiar with kakawin in order to respond musically to the sung texts). The surrounding gamelan gong would play short instrumental interludes from the classical repertoire and increasingly in the flashier musical phrasing that became kebyar. Most significantly, a solo singer would alternate his vocalizing by playfully rendering melodies on the solo trompong, a row of tuned, knobbed gongs, performed with some gaya ‘flourish’. It is uncertain at which point this trompong playing began to resemble baton–twirling in a marching band or main sulap ‘sleight of hand’. The Palawakya dance performed today derives from this practice, generally credited to I Marya’s Igel Trompong although other opinions have come to light. However, it should be noted that Marya always insisted that trompong–playing did not become a dance until he originated the idea. Indeed, two approaches to Igel Trompong developed over time: Marya’s style prioritizing the dance (and improvisation) in contrast with a style exemplified by I Nyoman Nyongnyong of Belaluan  in which the dancer would play specific melodies with trompong technique meeting the musical expectations of gamelan leader Madé Regog.

I.G.B.N. Pandji and I Gusti Bagus Tika have told us that musicians in their own village of Bungkulan were performing this explosive musical style as early as 1914 with syncopated rhythmic phrases played in unison, in combination with the gong kuna ‘old gamelan’ style called sekatian. Gong kuna was a transitional form between gong gdé and kebyar in that a more traditional lelambatan and sekati repertoire was performed on the newly evolving barungan gdé ‘expanded ensemble’ featuring—most significantly—a row of réyong ‘kettle–shaped gong chimes’ increased from four to twelve and additional bilah ‘keys’ on the gangsa ‘full–melody flat–key metallophones’ from five to between seven and ten, expanding the melodic range.

McPhee calls sekaten the “old word for bonang,” an instrument similar to trompong and reyong. But there is in fact no such literal correspondence and scholar I Nengah Medera tells us that the linguistic source of the word derives from the Arab sahadat + tain (the Muslim confession of faith) which became Javanized as sekaten during the Islamization of Java. But most relevant is a description of Javanese sekatén provided by Sumarsam: “The bonang is also used differently than in the regular gamelan ensemble. In sekatén the bonang is played by three musicians. One musician plays the row of seven gong–chimes for the upper octave, and the others play the row of seven lower–octave kettles. The musician who plays the upper–octave has a different melody than the musicians who play the lower–octave. Therefore, the sekatén bonang can be seen as two instruments, although physically it is only one.” In some way, the Balinese gong kuna innovation of a four–player réyong based on the trompong design of one long instrument actually had a precedent in 16th century Java (at the latest) and Balinese musicians were clearly cognizant of the influence, since they retained its name. Sumarsam points out historical connections (and wars) since the 17th century between Mataram, Central Java, and Banyuwangi, East Java, which was very much influenced by Balinese culture.

Before we attribute too much weight to the influence of Javanese sekaten it should be mentioned that the ancient saih pitu ‘seven–tone’ Balinese gamelan luang also has a set of trompong played by four musicians in interlocking kotékan parts. It is arranged with two sets placed up against one another, each with seven gong–chimes (or ‘kettles’), and two musicians at each set facing the other two players—rather than a single row of twelve gong–chimes with the modern réyong. Similarly, the gong gdé arrangement of two musicians side by side, each playing a separate pair of réyong, was precedent enough for a Balinese origin of the expanded réyong, save for the intriguing link with the term sekaten.

to be continued………..