Wayang Tantri

Description:

Western Front presented two performances by shadow puppet master I Wayan Wija. Leading an ensemble of musicians from Bali, Indonesia and Vancouver, Canada, Wija presented Wayang Tantri, his own unique form of wayang kulit created 1980.

Derived from traditional Javanese stories, Wayang Tantri uses animal characters to convey philosophical reflections on everyday life, drawing on animist traditions that predate Hindu cultural influence in Indonesia. Expanding conventional gamelan accompaniment, the work was performed on eight metallophones rather than the usual four. The music is based in the pelog scale rather than the more commonly used slendro scale, giving the performance a unique regional sound.

The musicians were I Wayan Mardika Bhuwana, I Ketut Buda, Gary McFarlane, Chris Miller, Kenneth Newby, Michael O’Neill, I Ketut Partha, Mark Parlett, Sam Salmon, and Michael Stedman.

Presented with support from Vancouver Community Gamelan, Montreal Semar Pegulingan Ensemble, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, and Malaspina University College. 

Audio documentation is available upon request.