Sukoharjo - The Sukoharjo regency administration, East Java province, held a "Gamelan Making City Festival" on November 29, 2009, to introduce the city as a Gamelan city.
Sukoharjo regency official Bambang Riyanto said that the event is held to introduce Sukoharjo as a Gamelan producing city, considering that other countries identified some cities in Indonesia like Solo and Jogjakarta having special characteristics.
He mentioned that most of gamelan makers came from Sukoharjo, which has 19 gamelan makers.
Therefore, the Gamelan Maker Festival is trying to make people understanding the importance of gamelan as a national heritage, Bambang said.
Many guests packed Kotakan Square, Polokarto sub-district, Sukoharjo, just to watch how a gamelan is being made. The event is led by five Empus (master craftsman) Empu Saroyo, Pardiyo, Suparno, Saleh Utomo, and Dasah Pujo Suwarno.
According to Empu Saroyo, the Gamelan Maker Festival 2009 not only introduce Sukoharjo as a gamelan city, it will also be followed by a promotion for making gamelans, which is still lacking.
Besides, Saroyo said that the introduction of gamelans during the early days of childhood can also serve as inputs of the empu to maintain gamelan making.
Oktobariantono, a Gamelan Maker Festival visitor said that the event is very interesting for people who did not know anything about gamelan making.
"People can be proud after watching how gamelans are made, although we hope the introduction is also done in the daily life of the people, not in certain events only, such in schools", he said.
Gamelan is a traditional Javanese ensemble musical instrument, usually made of brass of shapes and sounds.
Source: http://www.antaranews.com
Sukoharjo regency official Bambang Riyanto said that the event is held to introduce Sukoharjo as a Gamelan producing city, considering that other countries identified some cities in Indonesia like Solo and Jogjakarta having special characteristics.
He mentioned that most of gamelan makers came from Sukoharjo, which has 19 gamelan makers.
Therefore, the Gamelan Maker Festival is trying to make people understanding the importance of gamelan as a national heritage, Bambang said.
Many guests packed Kotakan Square, Polokarto sub-district, Sukoharjo, just to watch how a gamelan is being made. The event is led by five Empus (master craftsman) Empu Saroyo, Pardiyo, Suparno, Saleh Utomo, and Dasah Pujo Suwarno.
According to Empu Saroyo, the Gamelan Maker Festival 2009 not only introduce Sukoharjo as a gamelan city, it will also be followed by a promotion for making gamelans, which is still lacking.
Besides, Saroyo said that the introduction of gamelans during the early days of childhood can also serve as inputs of the empu to maintain gamelan making.
Oktobariantono, a Gamelan Maker Festival visitor said that the event is very interesting for people who did not know anything about gamelan making.
"People can be proud after watching how gamelans are made, although we hope the introduction is also done in the daily life of the people, not in certain events only, such in schools", he said.
Gamelan is a traditional Javanese ensemble musical instrument, usually made of brass of shapes and sounds.
Source: http://www.antaranews.com