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Simple, friendly and not talk too much are the first impression
of Mr. I Nyoman Rembang. He is the traditional musician's maestro
in Bali and is the maestro of Balinese gamelan (Bali's traditional
musicals) and the master of Javanese traditional musical instruments.
In his retirement at his home in Banjar Tengah, Sesetan Village,
southern part of Denpasar, he enjoys his life happily with his family.
"People never used to think in terms of age," he always
says to the young generations. Playing traditional Balinese instruments
and often blowing his suling (bamboo flute), are the ways he loves
to spend his time, beside receiving guests (his term to people who
visit him to learn or discuss about Balinese arts). Sometimes, he
writes books about traditional music, too.
Always supporting younger generations to learn and develop Balinese
Instruments, he is busy giving advice or teaching Balinese traditional
musical groups, not only in his Banjar but also around Denpasar
and Bandung. It is this determination that keeps him busy. "Getting
old is one thing, but doing nothing is another thing entirely".
Rembang was quoted by Bali Echo as saying. "I do not just play
wherever I'm asked to. As an artist, we refuse to be considered
cheap or easy. It's part of our responsibility to educate people
to have respect for artists everywhere, and to pay the accordingly."
I Nyoman Rembang, The Maestro, never had a formal education, simply
five years in primary school. But since his earliest memory he had
a desire to learn to play the gamelan. For his first lesson, he
joined the local Gambuh group in his village. At seven he was already
playing gender (melancholy music to follow leather puppet show and
tooth filing ceremony). At eight he began to learn to play the gamelan
legong from many teachers around Badung.
In his teenage, Rembang was the most accomplished musician in Bali.
It made the Bali Government offer him a job to teach the Balinese
Gamelan at the Surakarta Conservatorium in Central Java. His talent
and hearts desire made it easy to also master the Javanese gamelan
under RM Yudoprawiro, a nobleman from Surakarta Palace.
In 1960, with the former Bali's second governor, Ida Bagus Mantra,
he pioneered the establishment of the Balinese Conservatorium. Because
of his lack of formal education, he refused the position of Head
Lecturer at the Conservatorium, and Mantra took the place for a
year. In 1963, Rembang resigned from the Surakarta Conservatorium
and concentrated in Bali.
After finishing as a teacher at Denpasar's School of Arts, he created
The Bungbang gamelan, a traditional instrument made from lengths
of bamboo which can produce a certain tone based on it length. To
play this gamelan at least 32 musicians are required and harmonises
with suling (bambo's flutes).
As Nyoman Rembang explains, "Bungbang can be interpreted as
bungbung nembang (singing bungbung), but some friends interpret
it as bungbungnya Rembang (Rembang's bungbung)." Rembang explains
the meaning of his creation.
"Nowdays, Bungbang is not only played locally, but some countries
have already imported it. Recently, I sent one over to the States."
Rembang said proudly.
And with this instrument, Rembang has received national awards.
Earlier this year he was awarded by UNESCO for his invention of
the Bungbang, a kind of bamboo xylophone. And the Bungbang itself,
has been played with other percussion instruments from around the
world to commemorate the last New Year's Eve in Samuan Tiga, Ubud.
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