Como Park Lakeside Pavilion

Previous Performances

 The Sublime and the Beautiful: Great Music Traditions of Indonesia

Here's a clip from that concert:

Sumunar Indonesian Music and Dance: The Many Faces of Tradition

Friday April 26, 8pm
Sundin Music Hall
Hamlin University
1531 Hewitt Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55104
Tickets: General admission $12, Students $8, Hamline faculty, staff, and students $5
for more information: Sundin Music Hall Box Office, 651-523-2459

7:15 pm Pre-concert talk "How to Listen to Gamelan Music"

This program will feature performances by dynamic guest dancer, Baghawan Ciptoning

 Sumunar, joined by guest violinist, Stephanie Arado, performed music by Lou Harrison at a concert on February 24, 2013 at the MacPhail Center for Music. Harrison, who was a student of Arnold Schoenberg and a friend and collaborator with John Cage, Charles Ives, Alan Hovhaness, and Virgil Thomson, was at the forefront of experimental music in America in the 1930s and 40s. He built and maintained several sets of gamelan instruments for the colleges at which he taught during a long career, and he incorporated gamelan instruments, rhythm, and tuning in many of his compositions. He's considered by some to be the father of gamelan music in America. Here's a lovely piece by Harrison based on Ovid's tale "Philemon and Baukis" from our concert.

 On February 3, 2013, Sumunar together with Miriam Gerberg and her Ensemble Mezze presented an evening of music combining traditions from Turkey, Egypt, Greece, the Sephardic Jews, and Spain. Although the tunings and musicall scales of these varied cultures differ widely, the improvisational spirit is similar, and the two groups created a wonderful fusion and a fascinating sound. This event was organized by Miriam Gerberg, a Sumunar member and leader of Ensemble Mezze, who is an ethnomusicologist, composer, and founder of The Minnesota Global Arts Institute. Miriam teaches at Hamline University and has had her original music performed in many countries.

Here's a sample from the concert: Al Burtuqal is a fusion work collaboratively developed by Sumunar and Ensemble Mezze based on a popular composition by Egyptian composer, Mohammed Abdul Wahab. 

On November 16, 2012, Sumunar presented a concert titled: 

Indonesia & India

Blending Music: Connecting Cultures

Sundin Music Hall
Hamline University
1536 Hewitt Ave
St. Paul, 55104

This was a unique collaboration with Pooja Goswami Pavan, Ph.D. a distinguished Hindustani (North Indian) classical musician. Dr. Pooja Goswami Pavan is a Minneapolis, MN based performer, composer, teacher and scholar. She was born in a musical family and received her early training in Hindustani classical vocal music from her father Sri. Surendra Goswami. Pooja has received prestigious National Scholarships in Hindustani classical music awarded by the Ministry of Human Resources and the Sahitya Kala Parishad in India. The prominent venues she has performed at include the India Habitat Center (New Delhi), the Vietnam International Tourism Festival (Hanoi), the Guthrie Theater (Minneapolis), the Ordway Center for Performing Arts (St. Paul) and the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium (St. Paul). She has performed widely and lectured at several premier academic institutions within the USA

Here's  Kabir Bhajan in Raga Bhupal Todi from that concert. This is a Nirguni Bhajan (a devotional piece that extols a formless or abstract entity). The lyrics, by the great
poet saint Kabir, are very simple but deeply philosophical, contemplating on
the many mysteries of life and expounding life's profound truths. The 8-beat
rhythm cycle, is commonly found in folk music across India. The emotional
appeal of Raga Bhupal Todi is one of mysticism, contemplation and devotion.
The musical composition is by Dr. Pooja Pavan and her father, Pandit
Surendra Goswami. The tonal structure corresponds to Indonesian Pelog Pathet
Barang. The gamelan patterns here relate to Indonesian dhangdut style.

 Traditional methods of rice farming in Bali are highly sustainable and manage water resources and pest control using social organization and highly sophisticated agroecology, If Steve Lansing's estimates are correct, farmers in these Subaks, even though they use far less chemical fertilizers and pesticides, get as high rice yields per hectare as farmers anywhere in the world.

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

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.

Numbers:

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.

Forms of address

Father: Bapak (or  Pak),    Mother: Ibu (or Bu),  Brother: Mas,    Sister: Kakak

Time

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: