The Sekar Gedhogan Gamelan Orchestra (SGGO), based on the cobblestones in front of Unit 92, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, London NW 10, is collecting monies to aid the remote village of Brangkal that was badly hit by the Yogyakarta Earthquake of 27 May 2006.
You and your friends and family are invited to our weekly, community-spirited Sunday evening Open Jams; these can include song, dance, and movement, and are united by gamelan music performed on traditional and contemporary Indonesian instruments. These sessions will build to a performance at the end of each summer month: an Open Performance of gamelan music on 25 June; a Demonstration of Movements, including dance and silat (Indonesian martial arts), at the end of July; and finally, a rare Wayang Kulit performance in English-using authentic buffalo hide shadow puppets-at the end of August!
Last summer, SGGO maintained regular Sunday evening rehearsals in the Stable Market, open to the public, and put on several wayang kulit shows as well as a silat demonstration. These happenings were presented for free and in doing so, a small community has formed around our gamelan group. This summer, as we were preparing to restart our weekly sessions, an immense earthquake hit the centre of the gamelan world, Yogyakarta, in central Java, Indonesia. With our links to the region, we decided that our performance schedule this summer would involve raising funds for two hamlets with which we have direct contact: Bicak and Ngunut, in the village of Brangkal, in the district of Wedi, in Klaten. The past and future progress of these communities can be monitored at www.kerabat-yogya.blogspot.com.Our first event will be an Open Perfomance with musicians and artists from our community and guests. This will take place on Sunday 25 June 2006, on the cobblestones in front of unit 92, the Stables Market, Camden, London, beginning at 8pm, and continuing until late.
- At the end of July (or maybe early August), the SGGO will demonstrate the amazing universality of gamelan music with a performance accompanying dance, silat, and more.
- At the end of the summer, we plan to offer a very special shadow puppet show, open the general public. Our last puppet show in Camden included music jams and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.At each of these events we will be asking for donations of any size, and ALL monies collected will go directly to the people affected by the earthquake in Bicak and Ngunut. We hope that this strategy of giving directly, over several months, will be most helpful for those affected.
Our weekly Sunday Evening Jams have already started! These are open to all and will build up to our monthly Events. Judging by last summers performances, these Events are not to be missed. Please come-every Sunday evening if you wish-and take part in these unique social happenings; your time and good energy will be well spent.
May the best of Blessings be with you all.
updates:
June 19th 2006
Unit 92, Stables Market, Chalkfarm Road, Camden Town,
London NW1 8AH, Tel. +44 (0) 20 7482.3595 - Open 9 to 6
every Sat. & Sun. and most weekdays