This acclaimed 20-cd series documents the music of the Indonesian archipelago, introducing listeners to dozens of beautiful and varied musical styles from throughout this complex island nation. Guitars and gamelans, flutes and drums, voices and brass bands contribute to this musical treasure trove that the New York Times called "monumental and enjoyable."
Indonesian scholar Philip Yampolsky worked from 1991-1999 with the Indonesian Society for the Performing Arts and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings to produce this remarkable series. Traveling to congested cities and remote rural areas, Yampolsky and his Indonesian colleagues used state-of-the-art digital equipment to create these beautiful recordings that will appeal to expert and novice alike.
Eachcontains more than an hour of music and extensive annotation that places the performances in their regional and national contexts. Individual CDs cover the gamut from popular roots-based urban music to ancient styles that are little known, even within Indonesia. The liner notes have been updated with addenda and lyric transcriptions and are available free for download by following the album links.
Made possible with funding from the Ford Foundation, the series is indispensable to anyone interested in the region.
