Angklung Bamboo - Sundanese Indonesia

In Indonesia, bamboo is a natural component that can not be separated from everyday life. From birth to death will involve objects that are made ​​from bamboo. Household appliances, furniture and building materials are some of the goods produced from bamboo materials. Even one of the local culinary bamboo shoots prepared from young bamboo shoots.

Bamboo is also a tool and symbol of Indonesia's independence struggle against the invaders, known as the Bamboo Runcing. Now bamboo growing in popularity after being processed by Indonesian artists became some traditional musical instruments, among which are: suling (flute), calung, munsang, clempung, Rengkong, and another one that goes in the world cultural heritage list of UNESCO in 2010 and recognized the angklung.


Angklung is a musical instrument made ​​of bamboo strips. This instrument consists of 2-4 bamboo tubes strung together with rattan rope. Bamboo tube in ukuir detail and cut in such a way by professional craftsmen angklung to produce a specific tone when shaken bamboo frame.
Each angklung produce a different tone or chord so that some players must work together to produce a beautiful melody. This instrument has been known since ancient times in some areas of Indonesia, especially in West Java, Central Java, East Java, and Bali.

The word comes from the Sundanese angklung ie 'angkleung-angkleungan' which means the movement of angklung players, as well as of sound 'klung' produced this bamboo instruments. Angklung is actually a development of musical instruments calung, namely bamboo tube being hit, while the angklung is a bamboo tube is shaken so as to produce only one note for each instrument.
In the tradition of past Sunda, angklung instruments have a function in a religious ritual which is to invite Dewi Sri (Goddess of rice a symbol of prosperity) to come down to earth and giving fertility of rice plants. Until now found in some villages still use angklung Buhun ceremony for traditional activities such as: pesta panen, ngaseuk pare, nginebkeun pare, ngampihkeun pare, seren taun, nadran, helaran, turun bumi, dan sedekah bumi.

Examples of songs in arrangements with bamboo angklung



Although it is generally identical as instruments of cultural Sundanese angklung origins may be more widespread and older. One reference can be found on the bulletin Just issued II/2009 real edition of Culture and Tourism Ministry, said that Dr.Groneman angklung art has become a favorite attraction in the whole archipelago even before the era of Hindu. Meanwhile, according to Kunst Yaap in Music in Java, said that angklung also exists in South Sumatra and Kalimantan, Lampung, East Java and Central Java. In Bali, Angklung also played for several rituals including cremation or cremation ceremony (ngaben). Some even claim Balinese angklung originated from the language support that is 'number' and 'lungs' which means a full tone.

In West Java, angklung has been played since the 7th century. Bedouin people, from the village of Kanekes still play traditional angklung angklung Buhun called in some of their traditional ceremonies. Baduy angklung consists of four rack or parts, namely: king-king, indo, panempas, and gong-gong.

On the border of Cirebon and Indramayu, precisely in the Village Bungko, there is another type of angklung angklung named bungko. Bungko angklung is believed to have been aged 600 years and is still preserved and maintained even though no longer used. Angklung bungko created by Syeh Bentong or Ki Gede Bungko, ie a religious leader who used it as a medium for the spread of Islam.


In 1938, Daeng Soetigna, a teacher from Hollandsch Inlandsche School (HIS) in Brass, West Java angklung succeeded in creating a modern musical instrument tones. At first only the tone angklung pentatonic (mi na ti da la). In 1938 Daeng Soetigna modify a diatonic angklung sound (do re me fa so la ti). Daeng Soetigna successfully modernized the angklung from the tone diatonic pentatonic melodies. This became known as Angklung Angklung Angklung Daeng or Padaeng. Since then angklung becoming known internationally where ever displayed in the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung in 1955. Angklung now appear more often in the form of orchestra and the more nurtured in schools.