Gamelan: Indonesia's Percussion Ensemble

Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Indonesia. Gamelan relies predominantly on percussive instruments like metallophones played with mallets.

The word gamelan comes from the Javanese word gamel. The suffix -an makes it a noun.

Voyager carried Javanese gamelan music into outer space.

In Javanese mythology, Sang Hyang Guru invented the gong in Saka era 167.

The earliest image of a musical ensemble appears on the bas-relief of Borobudur, dating to the 8th century.

On 15 December 2021, UNESCO inscribed gamelan onto its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Prince Rangga Gede had Gamelan Panglipur made between 1625 and 1633 to entertain himself.

Gamelan remains widely respected across Indonesia today, still commonly played in traditional ceremonies.