The Wantilan stage at the Werddhi Budaya Art Center in Denpasar was electric with anticipation and excitement Thursday afternoon as more than 300 spectators turned out to support two competing troupes of Angklung musicians.

Angklung, a style of gamelan traditionally associated with Balinese xylophone compositions, is employed locally to accompany cremation rituals. Its haunting melodies are believed to be the musical, esthetic medium that escort the souls during their journey to the afterlife.

In Bali, gamelan is serious business. Every banjar (traditional neighborhood association) has its own gamelan troupe and its members take pride in their skills and the quality of their performance.

Not surprisingly then, these events give rise to an almost fanatical spirit of competition normally reserved for a soccer match or election.

Hundreds of people flocked to the Wantilan stage Monday and through thunderous applause transformed the medium-sized amphitheater into a packed house.

"How could an Angklung performance draw so many spectators?" a man said in frustration after he was prevented from entering the complex.

The competing troupes were Eka Satya Dharma Kerti from Karangasem regency and Giri Swaram from Klungkung.

"We arrived here yesterday with two buses full of supporters. We slept here at the Art Center," a member of Giri Swaram, I Nyoman Mertayasa, said.

Despite their cramped "accommodation", the members of Giri Swaram did not lose their fighting spirit.

They were welcomed onto the stage by a powerful roar from their supporters and an equally loud wave of boos from the fans of Eka Satya Dharma Kerti.

Giri Swaram, literally meaning the sound of the mountain, played the contemporary composition Linggar Pelak, a relaxing piece accentuated by the shadowy sounds of bamboo flutes. Unfortunately, the yelling and applause from their overzealous supporters constantly drowned out the troupe's performance.

A similar scenario unfolded when Eka Satya Dharma Kerti graced the stage.

The second stage of the competition involved the troupes performing a musical composition to accompany a dance. Giri Swaram presented the classical, well-known dance of love, the Oleg Tamulilingan. It narrates a romantic encounter between a bee and a flower.

Eka Satya Dharma Kerti drew a rowdier response as it featured the contemporary dance Luh Nguntik (flirtatious girl), performed by six young girls. Their costumes combined elements from Persian belly dancers and Balinese traditional attire.

The dance unified the spectators, mostly men, into a roaring chorus of support. The competition was part of the one month-long 33rd Bali Arts Festival (PKB).

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