TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Gondrong Gunarto, Striving for a gamelan metamorphosis
Maestro: âI used to watch and listen to people practicing gamelan, dance, poetry singing and puppetry,â Gondrong says
Change Size
M
span class="inline inline-center">Maestro: 'I used to watch and listen to people practicing gamelan, dance, poetry singing and puppetry,' Gondrong says. Ganug Nugroho Ad
Contemporary gamelan musician Gondrong Gunarto has been familiar with traditional wayang shadow puppet plays, Javanese dance and poetry singing since childhood.
His father, Gondo Guna Suroso, was a famous dalang (puppetmaster) in Ngawi, Central Java, who turned his house into a traditional art studio that his mother, Sukini, managed.
'I used to watch and listen to people practicing gamelan, dance, poetry singing and puppetry. My childhood memories have shaped my musical flair,' Gondrong, who is the fourth of six children, said.
The 40-year-old said that as a child he was interested in learning modern western music and in combining western music with traditional gamelan arrangements.
His love of arts took him to the prestigious Indonesian Classical Arts High School (SMKI) in Surakarta (also known as Solo) in 1989. He showed a talent for outsider music that was noticed by his teacher FX Subanto. 'Pak Subanto allowed his students to make experiments. My association with him acquainted me with contemporary music.'
After graduation, Gondrong studied classical arts at the Indonesian Arts Institute in Surakarta. It was there that he was introduced to a broader circle of musical personalities, such as I Wayan Sadra.
At ISI, Gondrong was learning various non-Javanese genres, such as combo music, keroncong (Portuguese-tinged pop music) and cross-cultural music. He describes it as a period of extensive compositional exploration.
Eventually, Gondrong decided to focus on experimental contemporary music.
'My musical creations have never been singular in nature. There are traditional and modern elements. The traditional portion isn't just Javanese, but is also from Bali, Kalimantan, Sumba and other ethnic [groups]. I'm trying to make a gamelan metamorphosis, presenting gamelan in a new form.'
His broad knowledge of music, dance and traditional puppetry led him to compose musical pieces for his fellow students' final projects. 'I used to handle the music of my peers majoring in dance and puppetry. They gave their concepts and I arranged their compositions.'
In adopting gamelan idioms for music, Gondrong learned from the late I Wayan Sadra. He worked on the Balinese musician's Sono Seni ensemble as a musician and composer.
'He [Sadra] was a role model. I have learned not only music from Pak Sadra, but also how to behave as a musician. For me, he's an extraordinary person,' said Gondrong.
Respect and admiration prompted Gondrong to dream of reviving Sadra's bimonthly music forum Bukan Musik Biasa (A special kind of music) in Surakarta, which has not been held since Sadra's death.
'It takes extra energy to carry on the program. There were no sponsors and donors, but Pak Sadra managed to maintain things for years. Hopefully I can have the strength to continue the show.'
Gondrong realizes his eclectic arrangements are not mainstream, calling his work 'extreme music'. But he doesn't ignore the market. 'What I mean by the market is not the community of consumers directly buying my music records, but rather the effect of my music.'
He mentions that some of his works have been sampled for other performances ' and even for mainstream media projects such as commercials and music videos.
'My music should be enjoyed by the market to the greatest possible extent. It's not just for my personal satisfaction,' Gondrong says.
He's performed for one of the nation's most prestigious ethnic dance troupes, the Dedy Lutan Dance Company, several times; and has released five concert albums, including, most recently, Dukkha in 2013.
Dukkha was based on a concert at the Teater Besar of ISI in Surakarta in January 2013. The performance was his final project for a master's degree from ISI. He graduated cum laude.
Gondrong has also performed overseas in Australia, Germany and Spain, among other nations. He performed with musician Rama Suprapto at the Wonderful Indonesia Gala Dinner in Belgrade, Serbia; and enlivened the Indonesian Gamelan Festival at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
'Working with other musicians will further increase our knowledge,' Gondrong says. 'Such collaborations also serve to exchange knowledge and broaden horizons, rather than just performances.'
