Music of Indonesia, Vol. 7: Music from the Forests of Riau and Me

by INDONESIA 7 / VARIOUS

Overview

More than a decade of research and mobile field recording went into the highly acclaimed twenty-volume Smithsonian Folkways series devoted to the music of Indonesia. Philip Yampolsky, an ethnomusicologist who specializes in the music of the Indonesian archipelago, collaborated with the Indonesian Society for the Performing Arts on this remarkable and wide-ranging series. Volume seven concentrates upon music from the forests of Riau and Mentawai; the ethnic groups heard here are the Petalangan, the Talang Mamak, and the Mentawai of southern Siberut Island. The Mentawai are said to have little or no cultural links with the other two groups, who regard themselves as descendants of the "original Malay". Much of the instrumentation consists of xylophones and drums; there are a small number of male group vocals and on track 12 a woman sings a sad song in duet with a diminutive flute. In an accompanying essay, Bart Barendregt describes paired principles that commingle in this music -- the male element is called Peningka and the female is Penyelalu. While a comprehension of this and other underlying concepts undoubtedly enhances the informed individual's appreciation of the music, most will take the xylophone, the drums, and the singing at face value without needing any kind of ethnographic context to qualify what's going on. ~ arwulf arwulf

Product Details

Release Date:	11/21/1995
Label:	Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
UPC:	0093074042328
Rank:	182859

Tracks

1. Tetigo
2. Atip
3. Samo Kuantan
4. Anak Tonga
5. Ondai Bondai
6. Balai Pusing
7. Excerpt from a Belian Ritual: Lancang Tujuh Setali
8. Menanyo Kejadian Puan
9. Janda Pulang Bepauh
10. Serama Angin/Cincang Pauh Dangkal
11. Mapopoalat
12. Atuakkiwan
13. Urai Panoga Kagerat
14. Urai Pameruk
15. Urai Turuk Titirere
16. Urai Turuk Bilou

Album Credits

Technical Credits

Hanefi   Annotation,Research,Engineer
Ashley Turner   Research,Annotation,Photography,Engineer
Gijs Schneeman   Photography
Frank Gotay   Drawing
Pandia Satya   Engineer,Research
Philip Yampolsky   Editing,Engineer,Research,Annotation
Anthony Seeger   Production Supervisor
Marc Perlman   Engineer
Paul Blakemore   Mastering
Darwin   Engineer
Matt Walters   Production Supervisor