Poetry and Bronze: Instrumental Adaptations of Serat Ramayana by Gamelan Asmaradana
Being one of the largest ancient epics in world literature, the Ramayana has spread to various parts of Southeast Asia, including the island of Java. The Ramayana is narrated in the Javanese tradition of poetry where it is sung and not recited. The performance of Serat Ramayana or ‘The Story of Rama’ will feature gamelan music and tembang to retell the story of The Ramayana.
About the artist
Gamelan Asmaradana (GA) is a Singaporean non-profit arts organisation dedicated to promoting the appreciation of all styles and expressions of gamelan music. Established in 2004, GA was named after a classic Javanese gamelan piece ‘Ladrang Asmaradana’. In 2009, GA launched and recorded an album entitled ‘Asmaradana’, and has been actively performing and collaborating with artists from Indonesia. GA’s most recent production of ‘Cupumanik Astagina – The Sacred Jewel Box’ in July 2018, consisted of a cast of 50 which featured elements of gamelan, western orchestra music, dance, wayang kulit puppetry as well as animation/mapping.
Image credit: Image courtesy of Gamelan Asmaradana