Discover new frontiers in Australian-Indonesian culture through improvised music and dance.
Improvisation ensemble and creative platform Sahul Sakti, Indonesian dangdut/funk/gamelan fusion group the Jawa Pitu Band, and Indonesian dance group Sanggar Lestari, join forces in a one-night special to explore new directions and possibilities in Australian-Indonesian music through music and dance. The performance will also show how Indonesian art forms are very much part of global musical and cultural dialogues.
Sahul Sakti is a Melbourne-based improvisation ensemble who draws on the members' post-classical, Brazilian, Asia-Pacific, jazz, and experimental music influences to create a sound that is rooted in friendship, imagination, and a deep exploration of acoustic possibilities. Using its base in pencak silat (an Indo-Malay dance martial arts and cultural form) and in gamelan music, Sahul Sakti will use the fullest extent of its imaginative powers to create improvised music that reflects the melting-pot of cultures and musical genres that is Australia.
Sanggar Lestari is a traditional and modern Indonesian dance group that has been around for almost 30 years. In addition to showcasing traditional Indonesian dance, Sanggar Lestari will join Sahul Sakti to do improvised modern Indonesian dance to highlight the ever-evolving nature of Indonesian dance. It is also a spontaneous dialogue between dancers and musicians - come and find out just what they have to say to one another, and explore the live intersection between movement and music!
To end, the dandut fusion group the Jawa Pitu Band will bring their high-energy performances to get you onto the dance floor. A dynamic 7-piece world music ensemble that seamlessly melds Indonesian dangdut and gamelan traditions with the improvisational spirit of jazz and the infectious rhythms of funk.