I saw a link shared by one of my Indonesian friend that I met in Turin. It was a nice chat between us after I post a comment there. It has been almost 2 years,
The link that she shared: http://www.ramaya.na/
Me: [I like the Gamelan background music, in Indonesian, you call the story Ramayana too? Doesn't it has another name?]
Ayu: [Yes, it's also called Ramayana in Indonesia, Bong Sovannrath. Actually the gamelan music they used is a little bit different in certain point than the original one (I think they mixed up with others), but you're sharp enough to remember it as gamelan. Did you ever watch the live performance in Borobudur/Prambanan temple, maybe, when you visited Indonesia? Than you must love the sinden sings together with the gamelan music. That's awesome.]
Me: [For us we called the story Reamker, more or less the content of the story are the same, it becomes the comic performance than religion in Cambodia. When I was in Indonesia, I saw a dancing with Gamelan music, but it was in Bali, it is Balinese Dance; I though that the dance is much different from the Javanese dance in central Java; I used to see a Javanese dance in Indonesia Embassy in Cambodia; and also I have seen the Indonesia Ramayana Performance, Wayang Kulit? it is a shadow play, it is really interesting. You know that, some music instruments in Gamelan, influenced to mainland Southeast Asia, also Cambodia, an instrument like xylophone are credited to be original from Indonesia. One of the amazing thing that I remember about Gamelan, was about to see the music instruments in Kraton in Yogyakarta, there are around 50 music instruments in the front of the palace; it looks so great; and if all the instruments are played, perhaps the citizen in Yogyakarta itself, could not sleep at all; because of the loud of the sound, hah hah :) ]
Ayu: [Story is the same because it's actually from Hindu, isn't it, Bong Sovannrath? But it becomes folklore because of different music, costume, interpretation, etc, due to its assimilation with local culture. I saw different type of Ramayana in India when I had a visit there. Unfortunately, I never saw the Cambodian one, but I know some SEA countries share a lot of similar things.
You saw the gamelan set in Keraton Jogja? Nice. They actually play the Gamelan set for big celebration, and people in Jogja love it rather than get annoyed LOL. The xylophone comes one set together with kulintang (called gambang) for gamelan. Yes, the main point of Javanese dance (Central & East Java) is graciousness of wrists, fingers & waist, while for Balinese dance is cleverness of upper limb & eyes. The music is far different. And yeah... that's called wayang kulit, like the puppet you can find in Cinematography Museum in Torino, did you see it? Exactly left after the entrance :D
When I was child & lived in Java, I found everything was interesting except wayang, because they used to play it every weekend & problem with the language, so it seems boring, especially because they used very polite & high form of Javanese, but because I like the music & the way the sinden sings along with the music, so I kept following & the story remained in my head. LOL. Like Mahabrata, Dewi Sri, Bagong-Petruk-Semar story, etc. Hahaha, you're familiar with it, right? Hey, Petruk is your name!
Hahahaha, nice to talk with you, Bong. You sure educated yourself a lot about culture & history. My respect to you.]
Me: [Who touch you to call me Bong? I think it is Naihouy, it sounds good, I really like it; I am the youngest in the family, so since I was small, no one in my family call me Bong, my family call me little child; and so in my neighbors, even they are old or younger than me, they call me little child too. You can also call Bong Petruk if you prefer, it is the name given by my Indonesian musician teacher.
Come back to talk about the Ramayana, the story arrived in Cambodia since around 1 AD to 300 AD, it has been there for more than 17 centuries, so you are right that it become folklore; one thing to mention that even we have the Ramayana for more than 17 centuries, we don't have a complete version of the story written in Poem; there are a few people could remember almost the whole story, but they just could tell oraly not the poem. About the Mahabrata, was another wellknown story influenced by Hinhu, but it lost it populous from the Cambodian society long long time ago, until now no one remember the story; but in Indonesia, the story is still come together with Ramayana, I am really appreciate that. About the wayang Kulit inside Mole, I also saw it, but I don't know the one that they put in the museum is of what actor; we have 2 different kind of Shadow show, one the size of it is smaller than the Wayang Kulit that I have seen, and another one is bigger than Wayang Kulit; and normally they perform it in the field not indoor; cause they have to make fire; but now they use electric light, so they can show it indoor.
For me the gamelan music instruments in Keraton on Yogyakarta, is still really amazing for me, as the biggest music instruments group in Cambodia use at most 16 different music instruments. We have in brief two different main group of music group, one is string instrument group (traditional one), and another one is just similar to Gamelan in Indonesia that mostly influenced from India. I have a video about a dance with the music that use the instrument similar to the Gamelan that I like a lot, so let share it with you to have a look and listen to it, how different and similar to that of Javanese or Indonesia.
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Classical performance in Cambodia,
Performance with Gamelan music in Kraton, Yogyakarta
Keraton, Yogyakarta
Gamelan,
Gamelan