Many artists and labels have contributed to Indonesia’s vibrant and longstanding recording cultures. In each subsequent issue of Insitu Recordings Magazine we will celebrate one outstanding recording from this collection. Today we pay tribute to Cili Mekar, an album exhibiting extraordinary virtuosity and depth of expression recorded and released by Bali Record in 1990. The cassette includes twelve tracks of minimal yet rich performances juxtaposed with kidung poetry, including the title track Pupuh Keduung, a new work composed by I Wayan Sinti. Working in a number of configurations, I Wayan Sinti, Ni Wayan Rumiasih and Ida Bagus Prasi give masterful performances on rebab, suling, kendang, and voice, creating a truly embodied music that defies classification.

The twelve compositions can be split into two groups, one half featuring poetry and the other solo or duo instrumentals. On the former, the suling and rebab elaborate the melody, broken only by Prasi’s explosive kotekan-like elaborations. Rumiasih and Sinti’s vocals are laid boldly on top of this instrumental support. The latter feature virtuosic explorations of solo and duo presentations of rebab and/or suling. Within this uncommon arrangement, Prasi and Sinti deftly ornament melodies, creating an expressive summary of gamelan. It is difficult to overstate the level of technical excellence and musicality in these performances, which lack nothing for their minimal materials.