Friends of the Gamelan

Performed by Chicago Friends of Gamelan (chicagogamelan.org) at DePaul University School of Music on February 16, 2019. *Retna Kusuma* is performed as a refined dance at the Mankunegaran Palace in Solo, Central Java. It is considered to be a *gambyong* dance, or a dance that showcase an adolescent girl blossoming into womanhood. There are many gambyong dances in the Central Javanese repertoire, with dance movements that reference daily activities including washing clothes and applying makeup. The dancer's movements are closely tied to the rhythms played on the *kendhang ciblon* hand drum.

Hyde Park Union Church, Chicago Illinois Saturday June 7, 2014 Recorded on iPhone 5 Shure MV88 iOS Stereo Microphone

at Hyde Park Union Church, Chicago IL. June 7, 2014.

Inilah salah satu kelompok gamelan Jawa yang telah lama berkiprah di AS. ‘Friends of the Gamelan’ berdiri sejak tahun 1980 dengan semua anggotanya adalah warga AS di Chicago. Gamelan komunitas ‘Friends of the Gamelan’ ini mampu bertahan karena didukung dedikasi dan kecintaan total para anggotanya. Versi awal dipublikasikan pada - http://www.voaindonesia.com/a/friends-of-the-gamelan-kelompok-gamelan-jawa-di-chicago/3843516.html