I’ve been so fortunate to play Javanese gamelan around the world — from performing in shadow puppet shows in Java with master puppeteers and musicians (while on a Fulbright in Indonesia) to performing in concert at Lincoln Center and jamming in the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut and even the Sultanate of Oman.
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the Aga Khan Music Awards and my gamelan friend Peni, an incredibly talented Indonesian vocalist, composer, and educator who I have performed with in concert, with an unusual question — did I still have my gamelan instruments in Oman (they had seen my blog posts about playing gamelan in Oman and needed them for a special event with Peni). Well, the gamelan in Oman did not belong to me but to my British friends — so I put them in touch and after many emails, mission accomplished!
Watch these gamelan instruments in Oman accompany my pal, Peni Candra Rini, laureate of the 2022 Aga Khan Music Awards — so splendid!
