Bali: The Music Man

In 1929, the life of a young American composer was changed forever after listening to a rare gramophone recording of some Balinese Gamelan music. From that moment, he lived for the day when he could set foot on the fabled island from where this unique music originated. Two years later, Colin McPhee realised his dream; he moved to Bali, built a house and proceeded to make an intense study of the complex metallic music that had captivated his heart.

Scouring the Island's palaces, temples and remote villages, he developed an intimate knowledge of all the musical genres of Bali, documenting them on paper in Western notation. Tape recorders had not yet been invented. It was an experience that would prove to be magically rewarding; later engagingly described in his book, 'A House in Bali'. Back in New York, it took McPhee twenty-five years of labour to produce a book from his fieldwork, a musicological masterpiece called 'Music of Bali'. Long out of print, it still remains the leading reference on Balinese music.

Today, much of the lesser-known Balinese gamelan groups, instruments and sounds are in danger of disappearing forever. Australian musicologist, Richard Kaal, is a modern-day Colin McPhee, who has made it his mission to preserve and keep alive the island's ancient traditional music.

A professional musician, singer and songwriter for over thirty-five years, Richard Kaal has a background in classical music. During his travels, he stopped off in Bali – his first visit was as a surfer in 1970 – instantly falling in love with the people, the culture and the music. "In Bali you are naturally accepted and respected as a musician; quite the opposite from the West. Here it is part of the culture, which is how it should be." In 2005, he finally moved to the island with his wife, Rebecca, and their two daughters, and built a house in a breathtaking setting, fifteen kilometres up the slopes of Mt Batukaru near the village of Sarinbuana, in the Tabanan regency.

Richard's passion for recording music drew his attention to the fact that there are over one thousand different genres of musical ensembles in Bali that most people never get to hear. Looking around, he observed "a lot of old people were playing music but not many young people were learning". An experienced recordist with his own recording studio, Richard decided to capture some of the vanishing Gamelan sounds from villages, and start a library of Balinese music. In the course of his research, he purchased a lot of CDs of traditional music, and realised that the quality of the recordings was "pretty average". So, after helping set up a foundation – Yayasan 'Bali Kharisma' – with Nyoman Sumartana, a friend from the neighbouring village of Megati, he started work on his project. "It's not an easy task to get a Balinese group into a studio, so I made a mobile facility and went out to the villages". Richard has surprised everyone with some quite incredible recordings, producing thirty-five CDs of music in less than two years. "I want to continue recording because I'm aware that I've only just scratched the surface. The plan is to make the library available through the Internet to universities around the world. The CDs will be accompanied by a book, presenting some of the stories behind the music and the villagers who play it. These old-time fables are a truly fascinating part of the culture, but are also in great danger of getting lost and forgotten".

One group that Richard has recorded is a 'Gambang' group from Dlod Pangkung in Sukawati, "they are all old men in their seventies and eighties, and they play from memory from way back; there is nobody in the village learning the Gambang, so within twenty years this group could be gone". The problem is that the younger members of the village, attracted by a modern lifestyle, are no longer interested in carrying on the tradition. Richard is passionate about raising the status of the Balinese musician so that the kids will want to get back into it, and the Yayasan is therefore in need of support, assistance and funding. He considers it, "vital, on a global scale, for Balinese music to continue. Music sends a vibration around the planet; it is universal and an essential part of every culture".

Another project supported by the Yayasan is the translation and documentation of the traditional village singing; styles known as 'Pupuh', 'Kakawin', 'Kidung', 'Geguritan', sung at ceremonies in old dialects and translated simultaneously into modern Balinese or Indonesian. The songs tell stories from the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabaharata; tales of intrigue and conflict among kings, demons, gods and sages. Pak Nyoman Ardhana Riasa from Bajera in Tabanan is translating a lot of these stories into books, which will be complemented by Richard's recordings in the form of lesson-time cassettes or CDs for easy learning. The books and recordings will be available for the Balinese to purchase at affordable prices through the Yayasan.

Richard is aware that it's hard for Westerners to actually listen to traditional Balinese music. He laughs, "It has been described as a truck full of chimes running into an alleyway full of garbage bins", and explains "in an Angklung or a Gamelan there is more than one melody going on. It depends on where you are standing as to which one you hear; in fact, you can walk around the orchestra and hear different music. His latest love is fusion music, an initiative that has been made possible by fellow-musician, Ketut Suardana, a successful silversmith from Celuk, whose love of Balinese music has led him to form Yayasan 'Suara Dana'. He has also bought the instruments for two complete 'Salonding' ensembles, a 'Gambang' ensemble, a 'Gender Wayang' and a rare 'Saron Luang' ensemble.

In collaboration with Suardana and Made Subandi, who Richard describes as a "musical genius", together with a group of local villagers and family members, Richard has been writing Western songs, and fusing the melodies with Balinese music. "Subandi and I are a good team because I bring the Western influence into the music while he maintains the traditional sounds". The salonding ensemble includes a huge metallaphone or 'jegog', which is like a bass. Then there is the tiny little 'njong-njong', producing high tingly notes, while the bigger njong-njong plays the elaboration – the amazing traditional sound of Bali's music. The Music Man uses the jegog to create bass lines that could almost be Western, adding guitar, saxophone, tabla (Indian drums) and the Balinese drums known as 'kendang'. At every rehearsal they seem to pop out another song! Richard believes, "it will be a good way to introduce Westerners to certain types of Balinese music, and will hopefully give us a chance to tour these groups overseas at some stage". The Yayasan is taking a small 'Gender' group from Celuk, to Queensland Australia, to promote Bali at this year's Wintermoon Festival.
In their effort to share and promote the performing arts of Bali, Richard and his wife Rebecca, together with accomplished musician, Jay Bishoff, are currently developing 'Music Lovers Retreats', inviting others to experience firsthand the spirit of Balinese music through performances, workshops, jam sessions, compositions with local musicians and combined performances. Recording facilities will be available and guests will be accommodated at the couple's mountain retreat on the slopes of Mt Batukaru.
www.musikaal.com