Balinese gamelan shakes Russian music

The clink of Balinese traditional music, Gamelan, performed by a team from Indonesian Fine Arts Institute of Denpasar shook Russian music community, a release from the Secretary of the Indonesia Embassy in Moscow, Johannes O S Manginsela, said Monday.

The Indonesian team initiated their performance in the Philharmonic in Tula, 200 Km from Moscow.

With the theme "The color of Indonesia", the performance was part of the 60th anniversary of Indonesia-Russia diplomatic relations at the Indonesia Embassy, the Indonesian Fine Arts Institute of Denpasar, and supported by the Indonesia Education Ministry.

The Gamelan and Indonesian dance performances dazzled about 750 spectators at the theater in the hometown of the great Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy.

At the end of the performance, the spectators applauded and exclaimed `malajet...malajet,` which means great.

The Indonesia Fine Art Institute`s team also managed to mesmerize the Moscow art community in Rachmaninov Hall, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Some 200 spectators crammed the concert hall of the most prestigious school of classical music in Russia.

At the end of the show, the spectators kept applauding continuously that the Balinese artists had to drag themselves back to the main stage to perform an encore of additional Gamelan play for at least another 3 minutes as the final performance which was applauded by the spectators with a standing ovation.

The Gamelan play served as a background music of Indonesian dances such as Selat Segara from Bali, Padang Bulan from E Java, Oleg Tambulingan from Bali, Pakerana of Sulawesi, Mandau, Garuda, and Berburu from Papua.

Saman dance from Aceh, however, was accompanied by live traditional music relying the prime acoustic design of the concert hall without speakers or sound system.

Indonesia Ambassador to Moscow, Hamid Awaludin said the Indonesian art and culture exhibition and performance, which was artistic and cultural diplomacy, can encourage the development of Indonesian tourism sector.

The Russians who had known Bali as one of the tourism objects were expected to know Indonesia entirely through Bali.

The 60th anniversary of Indonesia-Russia diplomatic relations was a great momentum to improve the relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Margaritha Karatygina of the Moscow International relations department Tchaikovsky Conservatory appreciated and welcomed the success of Indonesia Fine Art Institute of Denpasar, and believed that the success will encourage Russian students to study Eastern music, especially Gamelan.

Indonesia has a very rich cultures, assistant rector of the Indonesia Fine Art Institute of Denpasar, I Wayan Suweca said, adding that the Institute presented a `Nusantara Package`.

Russia was one of the countries rich in arts and cultures with high appreciations, he said.

Both countries had potentials to develop cooperation in art and culture and the Art Institute of Denpasar was willing and ready to establish cooperation with the Russian Art institute, he said.