Gong Kebyar

Perhaps the best known type of Gamelan is the Gong Kebyar, the modern style which swept the island in the twentieth century. Kebyar means "like the flaring of a match" or "the bursting open of a flower" and is fast and dynamic, full of dramatic contrasts. It is a music of extreme virtuosity and complexity, involving up to thirty players.

The group takes its name, Lila Cita (meaning 'amusement of the heart', or 'happiness') from its Gong Kebyar set, made in 1998 by I Made Gabeleran of Blahbatuh, Bali. Each instrument is elaborately carved with floral patterns, guardian demons and scenes from the Ramayana epic. The set, the only gong kebyar in London, belongs to one of the group members, Dr Xerxes Mazda, and is housed at City University.


Photo&video courtesy of Danny Staples


Semar Pagulingan | Semara Dana | Angklung

Gender Wayang | Salunding | Baleganjur