Indonesian musical instruments go global

Traditional music is diverse and well known throughout the provinces of Indonesia.  Not only enjoying his presence in their community, and people from Indonesia, but also traveling abroad.

 1. Angklung

The traditional musical instrument Angklung comes from West Java.  Angklung is made of bamboo blades in such a way that when it is vibrated or shaken it produces a very melodious and distinctive sound.  Angklung must be played by many people to be able to produce a beautiful tone, because one angklung represents one scale.

Not only Indonesian citizens, Angklung has made many tourists fall in love because of its uniqueness and beautiful voice.  Many of them come to Indonesia and try to learn the traditional angklung instrument.  No wonder UNESCO declared angklung a World Cultural Heritage in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In 2011, the angklung musical instrument again scored achievements in the international arena.  The Guinness Book of World Records has set a world record for the harmony of the angklung musical instrument.  This world achievement involved approximately five thousand participants from various nations in the world who played angklung together in Washington, United States.  They performed the song We Are The World by Michael Jackson.  This success was fronted by an angklung maestro named Daeng Udjo from the Saung Mang Udjo Art Studio in Bandung.

 2. Gamelan

Gamelan is a musical combination consisting of a xylophone, metallophone, drum and gong.  The music rhythm of the gamelan is soft and distinctive.  Just like the angklung musical instrument, gamelan must also be played together in a musical composition.  Togetherness in playing is a reflection of harmony, harmony, and cooperation.

Amazingly, several countries in the world include Indonesian gamelan in their educational curriculum.  The world's top universities make gamelan a compulsory subject for students, including UCLA, the University of Minesota and the University of Michigan in the United States.  Then in England there are Cambridge University and the University of Manchester, and many more.  In Singapore, gamelan is used as a subject in schools at the elementary-junior-high school level.

Due to the fame of gamelan, the government plans to propose gamelan as a world cultural heritage to the United Nations and UNESCO.

3. Sasando

Sasando, a stringed instrument played by plucking, produces a beautiful and romantic musical instrument.  Sasando comes from the island of Rote, East Nusa Tenggara.  Sasando has a unique shape with a shell with bamboo in the middle.  Sasando makes a sound similar to guitar, violin, harp, harp, and other stringed instruments.  Sasando was also proposed to get an award at UNESCO.

The musical instrument Sasando was once performed by Djitron Pah from Indonesia in the 2015 Asia's Got Talent event, until finally the melodious twang of Sasando brought Djitron and his family around the world.  Djitron has explored three continents, slowly introducing Indonesian traditional musical instruments to the world scene.  Djitron has brought its sasando to the United States, Russia, England, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland, Germany, to Taiwan.

 4. Tifa

Tifa comes from Eastern Indonesia, specifically Papua and Maluku.  Tifa is made of wood, in the form of a tube, and is played by hitting it.  A musical instrument that is usually played during traditional ceremonies and musical performances, as well as traditional dances.  Tifa is a type of musical instrument with one voice, so Tifa can be the main voice and rhythm regulator when played with other musical instruments.

Tifa musical instruments in Papua and Maluku have different shapes.  In Papua, the center of the tifa is more curved and has a handle in the middle.  Tifa in Maluku is tubular and does not have a handle.  Tida is divided into several types, including Jekir, Cut, Basic, and Bas.  The division of the types of tifa is distinguished from the color of the sound, so that they are played together, the types of tifa must be adjusted to the color of the sound and their respective functions.

5. Kolintang

Tifa comes from Eastern Indonesia, specifically Papua and Maluku.  Tifa is made of wood, in the form of a tube, and is played by hitting it.  A musical instrument that is usually played during traditional ceremonies and musical performances, as well as traditional dances.  Tifa is a type of musical instrument with one voice, so Tifa can be the main voice and rhythm regulator when played with other musical instruments.

Tifa musical instruments in Papua and Maluku have different shapes.  In Papua, the center of the tifa is more curved and has a handle in the middle.  Tifa in Maluku is tubular and does not have a handle.  Tida is divided into several types, including Jekir, Cut, Basic, and Bas.  The division of the types of tifa is distinguished from the color of the sound, so that they are played together, the types of tifa must be adjusted to the color of the sound and their respective functions.