Sumunar invites you to experience the rich sounds, stories and traditions of Indonesia! Whether you come to a performance, take a class, join a performing ensemble, or volunteer, we look forward to seeing you!
1360 Lexington Pkwy. N
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Time: 7 pm
Join us for a free concert of gamelan music and dance at this beautiful, lake-side location
4135 West Lake Harriet Parkway Minneapolis, MN 55419
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Time: 5 pm
Join us for a free concert of gamelan music and dance at this beautiful, lake-side location.
The East Metro Symphony Orchestra (EMSO) and Sumunar Gamelan and Dance Ensemble presented a collaborative concert titled "Meeting of Two Spirits" in March 2012. Here's an excerpt from that concert.
When: Sunday, March 11, 3 PM, 2012
Where: East Ridge High School Auditorium, 4200 Pioneer Drive, Woodbury, MN 55129-9534
Tickets: $8 adults; $6 students and seniors. Available at the door.
This unusual program combining Indonesian and Western classical music traditions included
1) Traditional gamelan/dance pieces by the Sumunar Ensemble;
2) Orchestral works influenced by Indonesian tradition;
3) Several pieces arranged for combined orchestra and gamelan/dance.
Combining Indonesian and Western music making systems is not easy—they are very different,and it isn’t often attempted. Musical directors Elizabeth Preilozny Barnes (EMSO) and Joko Sutrisno (Sumunar) found ways to blend these very different traditions.
For more EMSO information, see www.emsorch.org.
For Sumunar information, see info@sumunar.org
On January 29, 2012, The Sumunar Gamelan Ensemble presented Klenengan, quiet music for contemplation. Here's an excerpt from Gendhing Bonang, Babar Layar from that evening.
The audience was invited to relax, have some tea, read a book, meditate, knit, or just enjoy the soothing sound of the gamelan. This piece features the bonangs, kenong, demung, selentem and other deep-voiced instruments. It was a lovely evening and the audience enjoyed it greatly.
Here's a short introductory video to present some of Sumunar's goals and activities.
This draws on some of our concerts and events from the past few years, including school residencies and our 2010 Indonesian tour where Sumunar participated in the International Gamelan Festival in Yogykarta.
Would you like to learn some practical, every day Indonesian? Even if you don't have immediate plans to visit this fascinating country, your experience of Indonesian music, culture, and even food can be enhanced by knowing a few simple words. Here's a beginning vocabulary and a few useful words and phrases for everyday life.
1= satu, 2= dua, 3= tiga, 4= empat, 5= lima, 6= enam, 7= tujuh, 8 = delapan,
9 =sembilan, 10= sepuluh, 11= sembalas, 12= dua belas, 13= tiga belas, etc
tens = puluh: 20= dua puluh, 30= tiga puluh, 31= tiga puluh satu (3 x 10 +1), 40= empat puluh,
hundreds = ratus: 100 = seratus, 200= dua ratus, 300= tiga ratus, etc.
thousands = ribu: 1000 = seribu, 200=dua ribu, etc.
Father: Bapak (or Pak), Mother: Ibu (or Bu), Brother: Mas, Sister: Kakak
Morning = pagi, Midday = siang, Afternoon = sore, Night = malam
Selamat is derived from the Arabic Salam, meaning "May you action be blessed"
Good morning: Selamat pagi; Good night: Selamat malam; Good journey: Selamat Jalan
Good bye: Selamat tinggal (if you're going); You're welcome: Selamat datang
Good sleep: Selamat tidur.
Apa kabar? How are you?
Kabar baik: fine or bagus (great)
Silakan: please
Terima kasih: thank you
Kembali: you're welcome (literally, return)
Sama-sama: You're welcome (literally, the same)
Ma'af: I'm sorry, excuse me
Permisi: excuse me, permit me
This unique cross-cultural collaboration brought together Japanese Nihon Buyoh, a dance style seen in kabuki theater, and Indonesian gamelan music. The original performance piece is entitled “Laughing Waters.” The sound and sight of flowing water is connected with both artistic traditions involved, and is also an important symbol for the Twin Cities and Minnesota. The commissioned piece was performed on the Pantages Theater stage at the Minneapolis MOSAIC celebration on Saturday, June 4, 2011 (time TBA). For more information, see www.greentproductions.org.
Sumunar has had the good fortune to receive several grants this year for the purpose of funding school residencies; in these activities, students become involved in gamelan music making and in Indonesian dance, with concomitant introduction to Indonesian culture. Funding sources include the following:
Arts Access and Arts Learning activities are made possible, in part, by grants provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota state legislature from the Minnesota arts and culture fund, with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
United Arts Fund, a program of COMPAS (School Arts grant), including contributions from hundreds of employees at companies throughout Minnesota
Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Arts Learning grant.
This activity is funded, in part,the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
In July, 2010, Sumunar members did a two-week tour of central and western Java visiting four major cities: Jakarta, Bandung, Surakarta, and Yogyakarta. The group gave about a dozen performances at universities, theaters, civic centers, and on national public radio.
The study tour was the fulfillment of a long-time dream for the Sumunar organization. The objectives for the project were the following:
1. To experience gamelan and dance performance in its Indonesian environment to better understand and appreciate it both artistically and culturally.
2. To learn from and collaborate with various Indonesian performing groups through performance exchanges, observations and discussions.
3. To make connections that will lead to ongoing collaborative projects, both in Indonesia and in the United States.
The performance repertoire the Sumunar Ensemble took to Indonesia included arrangements of American song material that could be performed in collaboration with Indonesian groups. In these pieces--including “Wondrous Love,” “Foundation,” “Holy Manna,” and “Shady Grove,” the language, melodies, and vocal style are clearly Western, while the tuning, instrumentation, and overall musical sound are distinctly Indonesian. The combination of cultural elements is soon clear to listeners.
Sumunar Gamelan and Dance Ensemble:
Summer term runs from July 21 to August 28 (exceptions: see Classes Page).
Sumunar Gamelan Ensemble's latest album,
Sayuk: Together in Harmony
is available to purchase online now! New and traditional compositions showcase both the versatility of the ensemble and the rich tones of the instruments used for the recording, which are part of the collection of the National Music Museum in Vermillion, SD.
To purchase online, go to http://www.CDBaby.com
