Tracks
All five of the classical Cirebon genres are represented, performed by Gamelan Sinar Surya, a dedicated American ensemble that effectively helps keep that tradition alive.
1 – 7:45 Jipang Walik (gamelan prawa)
2 – 11:42 Bayeman (gamelan pelog)
3 – 6:28 Kaboran (gamelan prawa)
4 – 6:41 Sekaten (gong sekati)
5 – 4:46 Bale Bandung (gong renteng)
6 – 6:59 Denggung – Wawa Bango (denggung)
7 – 6:50 Rangsang (gamelan pelog)
8 – 8:42 Pacul Goang (gamelan prawa)
9 – 3:58 Monggang (gamelan pelog)
Five. Cirebon Tradition in America
Collection: Gamelan of Java, Lyrichord Series
Some of this music is nearly extinct in its natural habitat, but an American scholar and player, Richard North, is keeping the tradition alive, directing groups from Seattle and Santa Barbara. The music is simpler and more spacious than central Javanese gamelan, and there’s no singing. The risk is that things will get samey, but skilful programming, showcasing different forms, tunings and contexts, avoids this…
John Whitfield, Songlines
This unique CD offers a fresh window on the courtly music of Cirebon, an ancient royal city on the north coast of Java, with a culture little known even in its homeland of Indonesia. This is the first ever commercial recording of the music of all five main types of traditional gamelan from Cirebon, displaying considerable variety in mood and emotional value…
This regional repertoire appears to have been a hidden facet of the gleaming jewel that is the art of the gamelan – until now… This CD is a requisite for any world music course, world music student or casual sonic explorer. I encourage all intrepid listeners to add it to their music library.
Andrew Timar, Amazon.com
Booklet
Five. Cirebon Tradition in America
Founded in 1369, the ancient Javanese kingdom of Cirebon is an important cultural area located on the Pasisir, or north coast of the island of Java in the modern-day Indonesian province of West Java. In the 1400’s a string of a dozen or so kingdoms were established along the Pasisir by the Wali Sanga, a group of nine Sufi saints who are credited with introducing the Islamic faith to Java–in part through teaching and performing the traditional arts of gamelan, wayang (puppet theater) and topeng (masked dancing), which they imbued with mystical symbolism and philosophy.