Raiwai - A group of Indonesian musicians are in the country to teach and train locals on how to use bamboos to create pleasant and soothing music.
In a visit arranged by the Indonesian Embassy here, the three prominent musicians, Yayan Mulyana, Wilyana, and Rudi Lili are from Bandung in West Java the most renowned centre of Sundanese music and dance.
The musicians in a two-week workshop at the Fiji Institute of Technology`s School of Arts Culture and Design in Raiwai, will be making and playing Angklung and Arumba traditional bamboo musical instruments.
Angklung and Arumba are the most distinctive Sundanese sounds. The word "Sunda" denotes the region of West Java where the Sundanese people, arts and tradition live.
Angklung is wooden percussion instrument made from bamboo pipes of differing length and pitch. These are fixed loosely to a small wooden frame and shaken in a certain way to produce a tremolo of diatonic tones and harmonious melody. The angklung originates from the Badui people of West Java, where it was first used to rouse soldiers` spirits as they went into battle.
The musicians say Fiji is a rich country with the availability of the resources and that locals could go a long way with the learnt skill. They are excited to play and teach the local people.
This is their first visit to Fiji and in an effort to promote Indonesian art and culture, the trio will be joining 14 cultural exchange students from South Pacific Island countries to Indonesia for public performances in November.
There is a performance on November 5 at Suva`s Civic Centre and the on November 7 at Kshatriya Hall in Lautoka.
The aim of the gathering is to foster strengthening and closer relationship between the two countries.
Source: http://www.fijitimes.com (October 21, 2008)