SambaSunda: The Vibrant Sounds of Gamelan Music – OzAsia Review

[INDONESIA] Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, Fri 25 Sep. Gamelan music from Indonesia can be an acquired taste. Gamelan orchestras are primarily percussive ensembles featuring a range of metallophones (the metal version of xylophones), and bamboo flutes. The sounds of SambaSunda are augmented with guitars and violin and make it more accessible to Western ears and the incorporation of samba rhythms from Brazil fits comfortably into their repertoire. SambaSunda featured at WOMADelaide on their previous visit here and are another example of a musical group with roots in traditional music who have ridden the world music wave. They combine traditional and modern elements to forge a new sound that mostly manages to preserve something of the essence of their culture. The presence of vocalist Rita Tila adds a sparkling and sensuous visual dimension to their show, and offers another layer to a complex sound that is rhythmic, melodic, and catchy. Her thrusting hips and delicate twisting hands and arms – the characteristic elegant moves of much South East Asian dance – are an alluring mix. A beautiful piece jointly written by the group and an Australian composer was my favourite, and I really enjoyed the work of the violinist as he skilfully complemented the vocal and flute parts. A large contingent of Indonesian people in the audience readily accepted the invitation to dance and provided an entertaining sideshow to the main event. In my opinion the last few pieces descended to a place where so much fusion music sadly goes. Emphasis on beat and speed turns the sound into an amorphous funk that could come from anywhere, and any evidence of the roots of the music gets lost in the desire to get everyone dancing and clapping along. Many, it must be said, enjoyed it but I’d rather struggle with the strangeness of gamelan than suffer yet another offering of fusion music that just sounds like everyone else. Such can be the effect of the globalisation of music. Still, it was an entertaining and enjoyable concert from a group who can comfortably deliver music in a variety of styles. Michael Coghlan