NGGAONG audio

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One defining characteristic of calung music from the Banyumas region of Central Java is its animated interwoven motifs sounded on a pair of bamboo xylophones.

 

This song ‘Nggaong’ starts with musicians Apoel and Subagyo playing motifs called mbalung and mbuntuti. They quickly change into the interlocking pattern imbal, with one player striking syncopated off-beats. As the music slows, Subagyo uses the mlebu metu motif. This describes the action of his left and right hands moving in towards each other and then outwards again.

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A nggaong is a type of beetle that lives in rice fields.

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Banyumas motifs for ‘Gending Nggaong’, Slendro Manyura

Instrumentation: calung 1 and 2 – bamboo xylophones; blown bamboo gong, slendro 

Musicians: Pularso Dorojati (Apoel), Subagyo and Novan Yogi Hernando