Bamboo is an important natural resource for Indonesians, not only for its natural richness, but also for cultural reasons.

Indonesians have long made music using instruments made from bamboo. This culturally rich art form is part of the national identity and has been internationally recognized.

There are various kinds of bamboo music instruments in Indonesia, including the saluang (bamboo flute) from West Sumatra, the kulintang (a type of xylophone) from North Sulawesi, the angklung (percussion instrument made from bamboo pipes of differing lengths and pitches) and the calung (bamboo tube xylophone) from West Java.

The government gives special attention to bamboo music because it is unique and easy to learn, especially the angklung, which is currently being promoted by the government overseas for the next five years.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is organizing an international bamboo music festival called Bambu Nusantara 2 World Music Festival, which will take place in Sasana Budaya Ganesha, at the Bandung Institute of Technology, on Oct. 11-12.

About 30 musical groups from all over the country and several others from overseas will give traditional, contemporary and innovative bamboo music performances.

Director-general of marketing at the ministry, Sapta Nirwanda, said recently that bamboo music had great prospects as musicians could play it together with modern musical instruments.

The indigenous bamboo music that will be brought to the stage during the festival will also include an angklung parade. Contemporary bamboo performances will be given by, among others, Balawan and Batuan Ethnic, Discus, Idea Bamboo Percussion, Ozhenk Bamboo Percussion, Sasando and Samba Sunda.

Innovative bamboo music includes the gambus, classic arumba, punk klung, DJ house music, and the Lentera bamboo orchestra and ensemble.

The festival will be the second of its kind to be held in the country. The first took place last year in Jakarta.

Head of the festival organizing committee, Wawan Juanda, said that Indonesian people have used bamboo music for a long time, as they have lived for centuries in huma (homes made of bamboo).

In their leisure time, he said, people created simple bamboo musical instruments that could produce beautiful sounds.

Sundanese people traditionally play bamboo music to send their children to sleep, to have fun and to express their gratitude after a good harvest.

"The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has planned many programs to introduce bamboo music to the international stage," Wawan said.

He added the government was determined to support bamboo music so more people from other parts of the world knew about it.

"Step by step we will introduce bamboo music from our country to the whole world. Today, angklung music is the only bamboo instrument that has been developed abroad, even though we know there are many other kinds of (bamboo) instruments," he said.

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