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.
Each CD contains 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 addendums 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.
Discover Indonesia
SFW CD 40484 (2000)
Music of Indonesia Selections from the 20-CD Series. Indonesia is a huge country, spread over hundreds of islands, encompassing peoples of many different languages, religions, and musical cultures. Fifteen tracks from the widely acclaimed 20-CD series Music of Indonesia read more...
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 1: East Java 1--Songs Before Dawn: Gandrung Banyuwangi
SFW CD 40055 (1991)
In the Banyuwangi region, located in the eastern end of Java, a vibrant and earthy musical genre called gandrung is performed. Never before issued on any recordings in the West, this tradition begins sometime around 9 p.m. and ends just before dawn. read more...
"...slow-boil gamelan grooves...ticktocking drum and gong rhythms stretch and recoil..." -- The Village Voice
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 2: Indonesian Popular Music--Kroncong Dangdut and Langgam Jawa
SFW CD 40056 (1991)
Kroncong and dangdut are two quite different Indonesian popular music genres that emerged in the capital city, Jakarta. Both styles of music are now "national" musics, sung read more...
"...Dangdut slides out of the studio dripping lush Casio orchestrations and Islamic swagger..." -- Details
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 3: Music from the Outskirts of Jakarta: Gambang Kromong
SFW CD 40057 (1991)
Gambang Kromong comes from a virtually invisible part of the capital of Indonesia that most people have forgotten. Both performers and audience for this music today live at the edges of Jakarta and in the towns and semi-rural areas beyond. read more...
"Don't miss the modern stuff-- a Dixieland-gamelan head trip you have to hear..." -- The Village Voice
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 4: Music of Nias and North Sumatra: Hoho, Gendang Karo, Gondang Toba
SFW CD 40420 (1992)
The Toba and Karo from North Sumatra developed complex instrumental traditions. The Toba, one of the few societies to use tuned drums to carry a melody, combine them with gongs read more...
"This record is extremely well-documented and the sound quality is quite clear, a fine introduction to this rare music." -- Sing Out!
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 5: Betawi & Sundanese Music of the North Coast of Java
SFW CD 40421 (1994)
A splendid hybrid created by the encounter between the cultures of Batavia and the surrounding Sunda region. These recordings from 1990-1992 include village gamelan music and a Sundanese repertoire played on brass instruments, gongs, and drums. read more...
"Its variety—in sound, feel, and purpose—is astonishing and inspiring." — Rhythm Music.
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 6: Night Music of West Sumatra: Saluang, Rabab Pariaman, Dendang Pauah
SFW CD 40422 (1994)
This highly intimate chamber music is performed with only one or two singers and a single accompanying flute or bowed lute. These 1990-1992 recordings focus on one read more...
"Float along in a sweet and soothingly exotic way." — Yoga Journal
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 7: Music from the Forests of Riau & Mentawai
SFW CD 40423 (1994)
Recorded in 1993 and 1994, this recording focuses on the music of three indigenous forest societies of western Indonesia. It features songs and drumming for shamanic curing rituals and private singing and instrumental music read more...
"Lots of spirit here." — St. Louis Riverfront Times
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 8: Vocal & Instrumental Music from East & Central Flores
SFW CD 40424 (1994)
These 1993 and 1994 recordings present the virtually unknown, rich, and highly diverse singing traditions from the eastern regions of the island of Flores, an island east of Bali. Among the wonderful traditions presented here are polyphonic singing read more...
"Each volume is an education in itself." — Request
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 9: Vocal & Instrumental Music from Central & West Flores
SFW CD 40425 (1994)
These 1993 and 1994 recordings present the virtually unknown choral singing of Ngada and Manggarai of the island of Flores, an island east of Bali. The sounds, performed mainly at funerals and agricultural rituals, range from highly dissonant read more...
"The 30 tracks on this CD and the 77-page booklet that accompanies it are as educational as they are enjoyable." --Rhythm Music
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 10: Music of Biak, Irian Jaya: Wor, Church Songs, Yospan
SFW CD 40426 (1996)
This album presents music for celebrations and church services on Biak Island in Irian Jaya. Wor songs, usually sung by choruses in seemingly chaotic, free-for-all style, were once central to traditional Biak society. Two other genres have recently read more...
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 11: Melayu Music of Sumatra and the Riau Islands
SFW CD 40427 (1996)
Melayu (or "Malay") culture has been influential throughout much of Indonesia. This album presents two widespread Melayu entertainment genres plus songs and instrumental music from two forms of Melayu theater. Among the instruments heard are the gambus read more...
"Once again the producers of this series have found small gems from a large and complicated world, and presented them with quality and a ream of good liner notes." — CMJ
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 12: Gongs and Vocal Music from Sumatra
SFW CD 40428 (1996)
Melodic gong ensembles and male singing with percussion are found throughout Sumatra. Two of each are heard here: West Sumatran talempong (in two contrasting forms): kulintang from Lampung, at the southern end of the island; the choral didong songs of the Gayo in Aceh read more...
"Part of a monumental and enjoyable series....Documents gong music that has riffs as concise and propulsive as dance tracks." — New York Times
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 13: Kalimantan Strings
SFW CD 40429 (1997)
An overview of string music from Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo—a region little known for music (especially string music), even within Indonesia. Musicians from five areas play music for parties, weddings, celebrations, and other local secular events. read more...
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 14: Lombok, Kalimantan, Banyumas: Little-known Forms of Gamelan and Wayang
SFW CD 40441 (1997)
Volume 14 in the Smithsonian Folkways Music of Indonesia series focuses on three lesser-known forms of Indonesian gamelan orchestras and wayang shadow puppet theater. read more...
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 15: South Sulawesi Strings
SFW CD 40442 (1997)
Cultures along the Indonesian coast in South Sulawesi have adapted foreign string isntruments to Indonesian musical aesthetics. This event-oriented music (accompanied and instrumental) often accompanies acrobats and clowns performing at family celebrations and ceremonies. read more...
MUSIC OF INDONESIA, VOL. 16: Music from the Southeast: Sumbawa, Sumba, Timor
SFW CD 40443 (1998)
This CD, in conjunction with volumes 8 and 9, offers the first recorded survey of one of the least known and most musically surprising regions of Indonesia, the southeastern islands. Each of the three featured islands presents a unique sound, from voice and violin to funerary gong ensembles read more...
MUSIC OF INDONESIA VOL. 17: Kalimantan: Dayak Ritual and Festival Music
SFW CD 40444 (1998)
Our second album on Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) presents music from seven Dayak groups, three (out of four) provinces, and a variety of genres and ensembles. Many selections are devoted to the gong ensembles of Kalimantan, which are unlike either the large read more...
MUSIC OF INDONESIA VOL. 18: Sulawesi: Festivals, Funerals, and Work
SFW CD 40445 (1999)
The string music highlighted in Volume 15 is only part of the picture in Sulawesi. Here we present a variety of other musical groups, recorded in three of the islands four provinces. The celebrated Makasar genre pakarena features energetic drumming in sharp contrast read more...
MUSIC OF INDONESIA VOL. 19: Music of Maluku: Halmahera, Bura, Kei
SFW CD 40446 (1999)
Musically, the vast province of Maluku ("the Moluccas") is one of the least known regions of Indonesia. Here we present music from three islands: Halmahera in the north, Buru in the center, and Kei Besar in the south. From Halmahera comes togal, entertainment music played read more...
MUSIC OF INDONESIA VOL. 20: Indonesian Guitars
SFW CD 40447 (1999)
Guitars are everywhere in Indonesia. Most Indonesian guitars are the standard acoustic instrument: a waisted flat body,a wooden soundboard, a long fretted neck, and six strings. Urban popular music may also use electric rock guitars and Hawaiian guitars. In some rural areas read more...