Groundbreaking gamelan innovators SambaSunda have a flair for experimentation both forwards and backwards in tradition. In their latest incarnation, SambaSunda strip down to a quintet, reflecting an enduring tradition of Sundanese music while at the same time creating something fresh, modern and original.
The music is centred on the kacapi, a boat-shaped zither whose mellifluous tones have been heard in Sunda (West Java) for centuries. Its haunting and evocative sound connects to the Sundanese soul and poetry, often singing of displacement, longing and melancholy. Using kacapi, violin, suling (flute) and the unique, tuned kendang drums to accompany truly stunning singer (and dancer!) Rita Tila, SambaSunda use an ancient repertoire to articulate a distinctly urban accent suffused with a contemporary awareness of global sounds.
“An intriguing, charming set from a band who should prove surprisingly accessible to western audiences” – The Guardian. Read the full review here.