Indonesian Music Instrument Gamelan Gains Popularity in Korea
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14 March 2019 10:47 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian traditional music instrument Gamelan has again become the only foreign music studied in Seoul Institute of the Arts (SIA) this year. For the past four years, SIA actively synergized with Indonesian artists and institutions in the student and lecturer exchange program.
As noted in a press release issued by the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Seoul, KBRI in tandem with SIA opened Gamelan class as the 2019 Gamelan World Music Program. The partnership has been running for two years. At least 30 students signed up for the class this year's spring semester, increased from 2018 fall semester's 26 students.
Director of CultureHub Korea and a Professor of Digital Arts at the Seoul Institute of the Arts, Bo Sul Kim, expressed her appreciation to the Indonesian Embassy. “With this partnership, the CultureHub World Music program can be established each semester. The higher number of students joining this program shows their high interest to learn Indonesian culture, especially gamelan music,” Kim said.
Read also: Denpasar Mayor Endorses Gamelan as UNESCO`s Cultural Heritage
The CultureHub is a global art and technology community founded by Seoul Institute of the Arts (SIA) that locates in New York, Los Angeles, Korea, Italy, and Indonesia.
Indonesian Ambassador in Seoul, Umar Hadi, said that he fully supports the program. Umar explained that gamelan represents the nation’s values that emphasize cooperation and harmony.
“The harmony in gamelan is produced by implementing discipline in each instrument play. The same principle is valid in our lives, that we have to continuously move in harmony with others,” said Umar, underlining the importance of cultural exchange in a bid to generate a mutual understanding of both nations.
Among global music instruments, gamelan is chosen in the CultureHub World Music program considering Indonesia as the most active global partner in the sector. The program is aimed at educating global ethnic music culture, preserving tradition, and developing new kind of arts as well.
TEMPO.CO
