Indonesian people should be grateful to the Netherlands.
Thanks to cultural diplomacy conducted in the colonial period hundreds year ago when thye bring Gamelan to Europe. Not many people know that
during the inauguration of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, on March 31,
1889, Sari Oneng, Sundanese gamelan was
exhibited at the French for the first time.
Gamelan is a set of traditional musical ensemble from
Indonesia, especially Java and Bali Island. It consist of
variety instruments such as
metallophones, xylophones, kendang (drums) and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and
plucked strings. The word Gamelan derived from javaness word “gamel” that means
hit to produce sound.
Starting from a tea plantation administrator Parakan Salak
Sukabumi, Adriaan Walrafen Holle a citizen of Netherland . He was fell in love and crazy about
the Sundanese art and culture. He was
the one who ordered gamelan from Sumedang.
And then Gustaf Mundt, the nest administrators who replaced Holle.
Bring a collection of gamelan to several
countries to enliven the exhibition of tea, coffee, and cocoa. These products are the main commodity, which give so many contribution to State. Two sets of
gamelan brought into the exhibition in the Netherlands in 1883. Since then, one
of them was never returned to Sukabumi. It was kept in the museum of Leiden,
The Netherlands.
In 1889 two sets of Gamelan Sari Oneng with dozens of
players or "nayaga" and the dancers transported ship to Paris,
France. Trade, arts and culture mission of the Dutch East Indies enliven the
inauguration of the Eiffel Tower. The museum is owned gamelan music in France.
One set of gamelan returned back to Sukabumi and it is now stored in the Museum
Prabu Geusan Ulun, Sumedang. During Gamelan performances in Paris, it has affected several songs of well-known French composers, namely Claude de
Bussy. Wow, it will be better, if he combine these two different type of music.
Actually not only France, and Netherland that has a collection of old gamelan. In 1983,
a set of gamelan has also appeared in
Chicago USA, in the same event, Dutch
tea exhibition. And the gamelan has not been returned to Indoneisa again. It become an antique collection of the museum in
Chicago.
Gamelan has been
hundreds years in Paris and Chichago, of course, many Americans and the
French are now good in playing gamelan music. Is it right?!
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