Segara Madu

Gendér wayang is a mesmerising style of Balinese music performed on bronze metallophones.

Played in groups of up to four, the music accompanies wayang kulit, a sacred drama – based on ancient Indian epics – that is performed using shadow puppets.

Gendér wayang is also performed as part of Balinese Hindu rituals including life-cycle ceremonies, temple festivals, purification rituals and cremations.

The playing technique in this miniature gamelan ensemble is very demanding, as players must damp ringing notes with their wrists while playing intricate, interlocking melodies. Bamboo tubes beneath the keys give the sound a unique resonance.

Segara Madu is a gendér wayang group based at SOAS, directed and taught by Nick Gray. For this performance he is joined by Paula Friar and Rachel Hewitt. The group mostly plays pieces from the village of Sukawati, as taught by the late I Wayan Loceng.