#3518: The Sounds of Sunda

New Sounds | Jan 27, 2015

Sunda is the western portion of the island of Java, in Indonesia. For this New Sounds, listen to the music from both that region and from western bands like Tribecastan, the Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan of Canada, from Sabah Habas Mustapha, a member of London group 3 Mustaphas 3, and much more. Hear music by Sasha Bogdanowitsch written for the group Pusaka Sunda. The work, “If There Be Rivers, All Will Blossom,” is for Gamelan Degung, the chamber-sized gamelan ensemble which usually features the suling (flute), and is about the importance of keeping faith in life, and maintaining creativity in hardship.

Also, from the Sambasunda Quintet, listen to a work called “Teman Endah” (Beautiful Garden), centered on the kacapi, a traditional boat-shaped zither. Plus, a work by Lou Harrison for Carlos Chavez (the Mexican composer/conductor who premiered the first major orchestral piece entirely imitating the gamelan sounds of Indonesia, Tabuh-Tabuhan by Colin McPhee), which unites the Western violin with the Eastern gamelan. And more.

PROGRAM #3518– (First aired on 10/4/2013)

ARTIST(S)	RECORDING	CUT(S)	SOURCE
E. Koestyara & Group Gapura	Sangkala!	Hayam Sebrang [6:00]	Icon LP #5501 (1984) Long out of print, but download is available from Emusic.com, Amazon.com or iTunes
Pusaka Sunda	Samagaha	Sasha Bogdanowitsch: If There Be Rivers, All Will Blossom [5:36]	Sakti Records 1999 pusakasunda.org Download is also available from Emusic.com, Amazon.com or iTunes
Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan	Sunda Song	Sorban Palid [8:08]	Naxos World #76061 naxos.com
Imas Permas and Asep Kosasih-Nimbus	Tembang Sunda: Sundanese Classical Songs	Bubuka, Rajah Kunasari [5:21]	Nimbus 1053782NIM Nimbus Records’ site: wyastone.co.uk Available at Amazon.com
Tribecastan	New Songs from the Old Country	Kecapi Rain [3:03]	Evergreene Music 008 evergreene.bandcamp.com
Sambasunda Quintet	Java	Teman Endah (Beautiful Garden) [5:36]	TUG1058 worldmusic.net
Sabah Habas Mustapha & the Jugala All Stars	Jalan Kopo	Bandung [5:10]	Omnium Online / Omnium - 2020 Available at iTunes
Tribecastan	Strange Cousins	Sunda Sunday [2:49]	Evergreene Music 002 evergreene.com
Lou Harrison, suling player; Gamelan Sekar Kembar; Susan Bates, violin;	Three Pieces for Gamelan	Harrison: Threnody for Carlos Chavez [7:05]	CRI 613 Reissued on New World Records 80643, as “Lou Harrison: Chamber and Gamelan Works” newworldrecords.org

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