Mekar Bhuana

In 2019, we restored and reconstructed a very unusal Angklung set from Lombok we have called ‘Semara Kirang’ because of its tuning, where it has four sweet tones with the lowest one missing.

Purchased in 2015, our second Selonding set is based in New Zealand and is modelled on the Bugbug formation that has 48 keys. It is smaller than our more complete set in Bali and has a lower and different tuning. It is the only one of this type outside of Indonesia as all active sets overseas are based on the common Tenganan Pegringsingan model.

The Seven-tone Semara Pagulingan set in New Zealand also partly old but has a higher tuning than our one in Bali. The ensemble is both smaller in instrumentation as well as dimensions of the keys, pots and casings.

Our Six-tone Semara Pagulingan is not yet complete, as we still need to fundraise more to make the ornate wooden casings, the design of which we would like to base on the only other Six-tone Semara Pagulingan orchestra in the world.

In mediaeval Bali (circa 1600-1906) Semara Pagulingan (also known as Semar Pegulingan) was an important part of the Balinese courts.

Our five-tone Semara Pagulingan set is our antique Semara Patangian set with a terompong, ponggang-kempyung, kangsi and grantang added, and the gender rambat removed.

Our smallest ensemble with just two musicians, Caruk is one of Bali’s rarest gamelan art-forms and is only found in a handful of villages, including Selat, Karangasem.

We have one Javanese gamelan set at Mekar Bhuana: a very old set that based on its organology, patina and ornamentation dates to the first half of the 19th century (circe 1820).

Purchased in 2012, our first Selonding set is modelled on the Bugbug formation but with additional instruments found in the set from Merajan Selonding in the Besakih Temple complex that dates back to around the 10th century.

Our Old-Fashioned Angklung set is characterised both by its age (estimated to be from the 1800s) as well as its old-fashioned instrumentation (hence the name: kuna = old fashioned).