Album : GengGong Not Just Music
Tahun : 2000
Produksi : Musica Studio
GengGong Blending Javanese, Sumatran, Bulgarian & Turkish musics with explosive percussion and masked dance
“These artists are among the best in their fields in Australia, and indeed the world”
(Llew Kiek, world music producer)
GengGong uses traditional musics from many cultures (Javanese, Madurese, Bulgarian, Turkish, Arabic, Sumatran) in contemporary arrangements and original compositions. Indonesian drums, gongs and reeds are combined with guitar, Balkan and Middle-Eastern bagpipes, didjeridu, saxophone and wooden flutes to produce a unique and totally compelling performance. Masked dancers add to the excitement. This is a programme of many moods and nuances. GengGong’s CD “Not Just Music” was recorded and released in Indonesia in late 2000 and is now available in Australia. It was named in Seth Jordan’s Best Australian Releases of the Year (Rhythms Magazine, Jan 2002)
“An exhilarating…album by an Indonesian-Australian group, immediately appealing in the freshness of its sounds and cumulative power of its grooves, but at the same time rich enough in detail to withstand close listenings” (John Napier, Diaspora)
GengGong’s fifteen concert tour of Indonesia in 2000 (including two performances on national television) opened the eyes of Indonesian audiences to the seemingly limitless creative scope of Indonesian cross-cultural music. In Australia, the band has captivated audiences at Bellingen Global Carnival, Northern Rivers Performing Arts Festival, Carnivale, Cabramatta Lunar New Year Celebrations, Sydney Festival Fringe and the Globe to Globe Festival in Melbourne.
“GengGong rock hard”
(Revolver, 17 May 1999)
“The best Indonesian contemporary music I have had the pleasure of listening to. …GengGong is an absolute triumph!” (Inspirasi magazine)
“Wow, GengGong really went off!!”
(Seth Jordan, artistic director, Bellingen Global Carnival, 1 – 3 October 1999) .
“The whole blend of traditional music they performed skilfully on their instruments created a rhythm of harmonic and peaceful sounds, as if we were being drawn into a spiritual experience together with them. … At every performance they were extremely communicative and invited the audience to become part of their music … whether through clapping along, singing or dancing”
(NewsMusik, 25 September – 16 October 2000)
“A powerful performing unit”
(Richard Jasiutowitz, Diaspora magazine)
“Their commitment to excellence in performance, professional deportment and creative synthesis of traditional and modern elements … [makes] this band …the fore-runner of exciting new developments to come in the fusion of east and west in Australia.”
Dr David Goldsworthy, Music Dept. Senior Lecturer in ethnomusicology, University of New England, Armidale)
“(GengGong) have already made a significant contribution to contemporary Australian cross-cultural music, especially by promoting a sense of cultural exchange and understanding between Australia and Asia.”
(Lex Marinos, former Head of Carnivale)
Artist
Sawung Jabo, GUITAR, VOCALS, BONANG & OTHER GONGS, MASKED DANCE
leads GengGong. He is a singer/composer/instrumentalist with a strong background in theatre having trained in Rendra’s Bengkel Teater as a performer, director and choreographer. In Indonesia he is popular and highly respected for the energy, beauty and passion of his words and music, and strong commitment to social justice. His band, Swami/Kantata, regularly attracts audiences of 200, 000 upwards. Jabo’s music embraces traditional Indonesian rhythms and contemporary rock. He has released twelve top-selling albums in Indonesia, and performed throughout the country since the mid ’80’s and in Japan, Korea and the USA. His Indonesian based-band, Sirkus Barock toured Australia in ’95 and ’96. In 1998 his innovative Australian-Indonesian cross-cultural project, Bayang-bayang, toured Indonesia. In 1999 he formed GengGong, which toured Indonesia in 2000.
Kim Sanders, TENOR SAX, AARDVARK, DERVISH FLUTE, BULGARIAN BAGPIPE, MIDDLE-EASTERN REEDS, SUMATRAN SALUANG, PERCUSSIONKim
is a veteran of the world music scene. He has played and studied in Turkey, the Balkans and West Africa. He performed with the Libidorr Jazz Band in Gambia in 1985, and with Zimbabwe mbira player, Stella Chiweshe, in Istanbul in 1994. In the same year he also played in Bulgaria’s first world music concert and recorded albums in Turkey with Oguz Yilmaz and Phanari tis Anatolis. He toured Indonesia with Sawung Jabo’s Bayang-Bayang in 1996. In Australia he has performed with musicians from every continent except Antarctica. In the late 90’s he lead the legendary World/Gypsy band Brassov, and currently performs with Kim Sanders & Friends, Aboriginal/Torres Straight Islander group Descendance and Bulgarian singer Silvia Entcheva.
Ron Reeves SUNDANESE KENDANG, SUMATRAN SARUNAI, DIDJERIDU, GENGGONG, BUZZ FLUTE, VOCALS
is a multi-instrumentalist (specialising in percussion) and composer. Ron has played with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Iva Davies, Colin Offord, AC/PVC, the Supremes, Java Jazz, Toni Childs, Nigeria’s Lebe Olarinjo masqueraders, Synergy, the Karnataka College of Percussion, Jugala Group, Trilok Gurtu, Bill Cobham, Hossam Ramzy, Leonard Eto and many others. His German-based trio, Okuta Percussion, was awarded best new World Music release in Germany for its debut CD. He currently plays mostly traditional instruments from West Java and South India. Ron leads two bands based in Indonesia – Warogus and Earth Music – and in Sydney performs with the Urban Gypsies and Anything But Roy.
Reza Achman DRUMCUSSION, MASKED & RAP DANCE, VOCALS
has studied music and arts at the Indra Lesmana Music School (drums), Australian Institute of Music (drums), and Southern Cross University (visual arts). Reza began his musical career performing with respected jazz musicians in Jakarta before moving to Australia where he produced contemporary Indonesian works with Lismore based musician Yos Suprapto. He has since played with The Dream Catcher, TJ Eckleberg, Anything But Roy and Garis and in the innovative cross cultural theatre project Hip Hop Horse.
Monica Wulff MASKED DANCE
is a free-lance dancer and performer who has intensively studied Cirebon-style mask dance and performed in Indonesia and Australia. She graduated from University of Sydney with a B.A. Honours in Indonesian performance traditions. Her more recent performances include: Troppo Obscura (very strange indeed!) at Sydney’s Performance Space, Mapping, directed by Rolando Ramos at the Australian Museum; Oedipus and Plane Truth, Sidetrack Theatre; Landing in collaboration with Ta Duy Binh, Eliane Morel and Sawung Jabo, The Edge Theatre and Badai Pasir, performed at a beach in South Java
Tracks
| 1 | Ning Nong Setan | 6:37 | |
| 2 | Hip Hop Melayu | 7:22 | |
| 3 | Ole Olang | 8:42 | |
| 4 | Tut Tat Tit Tut | 7:03 | |
| 5 | Sweet Kambing Guling | 6:52 | |
| 6 | Kontal Kantil Kentul | 8:33 | |
| 7 | Orak Arik (Scrambeled Eggs) | 7:39 | |
| 8 | Garuk Sampai Ngantuk | 5:15 | |
| 9 | Derezava Redezava | 2:59 | |
| 10 | Do’a | 5:44 |
Sawung Jabo 