arts and culture: the history of a musical instrument Angklung

Angklung is a musical instrument multitonal (dual pitched), which is traditionally grown in the Sundanese-speaking community in the western part of Java Island. This musical instrument made ​​of bamboo, sounded shaken by (the sound caused by the clash of bodies bamboo pipes) so as to produce sound that vibrates in the arrangement of tones 2, 3, and 4 tones in every size, both large and small. Angklung is listed as Masterpieces of Oral Heritage and Human Nonbendawi of UNESCO since November 2010.

No clue since when angklung used, but supposedly primitive forms have been used in Neolithic culture that developed in the archipelago until the beginning of the modern calendar, so angklung is part of the relics of the pre-culture of Hinduism in the archipelago.


Notes on new emerging angklung refers in the Kingdom of Sunda (the 12th century until the 16th century). The origin of the creation of bamboo music, such as angklung based view of Sundanese people who live agrarian livelihoods of rice (pare) as a staple food. This gave rise to the myth of confidence Nyai Sri Pohaci as a symbol of life-giving Goddess of Rice (breathe-Hurip). Bedouin society, regarded as the remnants of native Sundanese people, applying angklung as part of the ritual began planting rice. Games angklung gubrag in Jasinga, Bogor, is one that is still alive since more than 400 years ago. Appearance originated from rice rites. Angklung created and played to lure Dewi Sri down to earth people that rice plants flourish.
Types of bamboo which is used as a musical instrument is a black bamboo (awi wulung) and white bamboo (awi friend). Each tone (barrel) resulting from the sound tube-shaped bamboo slats (wilahan) each segment of bamboo from small to large.
Known by the Sundanese since the Sunda kingdom, among the penggugah spirit in battle. Angklung function as pumping continues to feel the spirit of the people is still up in the colonial period, that is why the Dutch government had banned the use angklung, the ban could make angklung popularity declined and only played by children at that time. [Citation needed]
Furthermore, the songs offerings to Dewi Sri is accompanied by the sound of percussion accompaniment made from bamboo poles that simple packed structures which then was born the bamboo musical instrument we know today named angklung. Similarly, when the harvest festival and dedicated game angklung seren epidemic. Especially in the presentation ceremony Angklung related to rice, it becomes a performance art that are helaran procession or, even in some places into the convoy and Dongdang Rengkong and jampana (stretcher food) and so on.
In its development, angklung evolved and spread across Java and Borneo and Sumatra. In 1908 recorded a cultural mission from Indonesia to Thailand, among others, marked the delivery of angklung and bamboo music game also had spread there.
In fact, since 1966, Udjo Ngalagena angklung figures who developed the technique based on barrel-barrel game pelog, salendro, and madenda-started teaching how to play angklung to many people from different communities.