A love story between Jazz and Gamelan

This was the title of a concert performed by Kua Etnika of Indonesia at the Esplanade last night. I had no idea what it was going to be like but the accompanying photos on the concert flyer were enough to whet my appetite. The band consisted of eleven musicians made up of two electronic organs / synths, tabla type drums, an excellent drummer using traditional kendang drums instead of the more usual drum set, three musicians playing instruments resembling xylophones but smaller and more crude, and an array of brass bell like bowls that could sound resonating or a harsh depending on how they were struck. There was also an electric guitar and a five string bass and the whole group was brought together by the main man Djaduk Ferianto and the delightful and powerful voice of Silir Pujiwati (very attractive female vocalist) who acted as interpreter as well.

The music is described as 'a fusion of Balinese, Javanese and Kalimantan musical elements along with jazz, reggae, rock and pop. Their performance is varied, dynamic and exciting'. It certainly was. Right from the first note there was excitement, pace and above all happiness. They actually enjoyed what they were doing and the interaction between all them was natural, well rehearsed and very tight. This engaged the audience and foot tapping and smiling faces were seen all around the small recital room.

It is impossible to name the tunes but they played a variety of pulsating exciting drum beats complemented by the bell / xylophone tones in simple but very together 'riffs'. This was contrasted by solo but atmospheric beats and sometimes silences of missing beats - the stuff I really like! Djaduk is a bit of a joker and interacted with Silir to good effect. His talent was exceptional and he played an array of objects from an old tin can and string (really) to electric drum pads as well as voice effects and interaction between all the other musicians.

But the the really exceptional piece was a duet between Djaduk and Silar in which he played a drum that I can only describe as similar in sound to a softer Jamaican calypso type oil drum but looking like a large wok turned upside down. He played this with his hands and achieved a slightly different sound and tone depending where he hit it. He could play loud and soft but the compliment of Silar's voice to this produced an amazing and lovely tune. The simplicity of the voice and a drum was evocative and very powerful. One of the all time memorable moments you could ever experience at a gig.

In contrast there was an amusing take on the Mission Impossible theme. Taking this familar western tune and looking at the activity on the set I was struck by the enthusiasm and interpretation. Their traditional instruments, clothes, bare feet, interaction between themselves and the audience are all images still racing in my head. I am now a fan.

If you are interested I have found a You Tube link.