Saung Angklung Udjo

Each island in Indonesia boasts it's own culture and identity. Sometimes even that identity shifts dramatically from one end of an island to another. That is certainly true of the large island of Java. During our three week orientation and language training, we had the opportunity to explore the Sudanese culture of West Java. The Sudanese people are known, among other things, as being the most beautiful people in Indonesia, having the best food, and for playing the Angklung (see picture -->), an instrument made out of bamboo. Players rattle the bamboo reeds of different lengths to produce a variety of sounds.

Last week, about 30 of us piled into angkots to go hear an Angklung performance. The place we went to, Saung Angklung Udjo, is a cooperative where all of the players - mostly young kids - live, learn, and work together. The goal of the cooperative is to keep the traditional arts of West Java alive. We were entertained beyond our expectations by a variety show of Wayang Golek - a wooden puppet show, beautiful dances, the Angklung, and down right cuteness. I think pictures and video will do better justice at this point:

These young ladies danced a 'Peacock Dance' of West Java

Wayang Golek - The Good Guys

Wayang Golek - You guessed it, the Bad Guys

Here's a glimpse of the Wayang Golek. You can see the head of the evil guys doing a little dance. The players in the background are playing the Gamelan, very traditional instruments from Java.

These little guys can dance - and ham it up for the cameras!

If that doesn't make you smile, you're dead inside.

And for the moment you've all been waiting for....drum rooooooooollllllll....the Angklung. See if you can guess that tune.

And this is just the first month back...