Friday 10 June 2011

The Rise of Karinding

On last Thursday, June 9, I got a job as photographer in a Junior High School Graduation Party, school at which my father teaches. The event was good, there were choirs, drama, and bands. But there was one performance from the graduates that really captivated me. They presented a traditional performance using instrument called Karinding.

Karinding is one of Sundanese music instrument. It is made out of dried Enau or bamboo tree and can produce unique sound. To make it works, you just put it near your mouth, and tap one of its tips with you finger so that its limber part will produce a vibration of sound. The vibration will be held in your mouth cavity which functions as resonator. The way you shape your mouth cavity arranges the vibration into the intended tone. Karinding is usually played along with Celempung and Suling.


Karinding

Celempung


Suling

This traditional instrument from West Java is getting popular but not in a massive way because I have not found it televised yet (I don't know. Have you?). Perhaps, the instrument are known around Bandung and cities nearby. I, myself, have known the instrument since I attended Sarasvati's microgigs several months ago. The gigs featured Karinding Attack, a group which creates music using traditional instrument, mainly karinding.

I'm surely glad that some people are just concerned about our traditional art like Karinding. Not only Karinding Attack, but also some indie bands just begin to include karinding in their music, like Sarasvati in their previous gigs featuring Karinding Attack several times ago, and Katjie & Piering whose music reminds us to Bandung back in '20s (check my review of Katjie & Piering here).

Good news is that we actually have a place where we can learn karinding and other traditional instruments like suling and kecapi. It's in Common Room Bandung. They have a routine agenda including Karinding class with Hendra Attack every Friday at 4 p.m till 7 p.m.

And I just really enjoyed the show of these 15-year-old kids playing karinding, suling and celempung as well as I enjoyed photographing them. As I asked them where they learn it, they said that they learn it by themselves and they're inspired by Karinding Attack.
Here they are some photos I took:

















Oh, and FYI, they also covered "..." (Tiga Titik Hitam) from Burgerkill in the end of the show, but not using karinding, instead, they did full-set (electric guitar, bass, and drum). I like them, but unfortunately, I forgot to ask their names. Haha. My bad.
Well, you do great, kids, just keep going rising our tradition =).

Reference:
http://unordinary-world.blogspot.com/2010/06/karinding-seni-bunyi-penakluk-hati.html

Photo source:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1sQXVeZ2RyHNcWJAD0loQ_SRYmUXPcXB0k8CunrYPB-mP4iI2SgVxO8n4KzT1CyoABAXMMckTLEpO97DECTeZ0YyrjKSlhDl3US9TrsI-nBIVzpYwKdzAyLrZAHRLopHYpG3ZL3PKOWQ/s1600/KARINDING+1.jpg
http://mus431.com/MUS431_Files/instruments/indonesia/suling.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU92m1w0uV9ysTrl6XAeq0rHuQQ2RywZWIiirzv-L7O7f999XHWA25mkLdoAI1yin2GfVJg4sQiXKeGkRQew7f67GzoAK87g5hHVFcyrUrU7UnJ6o9xG6NK0dEWNfDo8mVowEL6O6WLgA/s400/celempung-8.jpg

Further info:
Common Room [http://commonroom.info/]
Karinding Attack [http://www.myspace.com/karindingattack]

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[june eleventh one twenty two in the morning by citra]

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