Two of MIT's world music ensembles, Gamelan Galak Tika and Rambax, will present a World Music Weekend at the Broad Institute on Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and May 6.
Gamelan Galak Tika, MIT's resident Balinese music ensemble of 30 musicians playing a shimmering orchestra of metallophones, gongs and drums, will perform traditional and modern music from Bali on Saturday, May 5, at 8 p.m. General admission is $12; $8 for students, senior citizens and MIT and Harvard community members; and free for MIT and Harvard students and children under the age of 12.
Gamelan Galak Tika will perform the world premiere of "Wariga," the newest composition by Dewa Ketut Alit, one of Bali's most innovative young composers. "Wariga," loosely translated, means "calendrical convergence," and the piece is inspired by the auspicious and inauspicious days found in the cycles of the Balinese calendar. The ensemble, led by MIT Professor Evan Ziporyn, will also perform "Taruna Jaya," or "Dance of the Victorious Youth," an early 20th-century composition, featuring dancer Cynthia Laksawana; "Gringsing"; and "Pelog Slendro," a groundbreaking composition for the group, features two gamelans playing together. For more information, see www.galaktika.org.
Rambax MIT, an ensemble dedicated to learning the art of sabar, a vibrant drum and dance tradition of the Wolof people of Senegal, West Africa, will present a free concert on Sunday, May 6, at 3 p.m. Titled "Cosaan" ("tradition" in the Wolof language), the event combines Senegalese drumming, song and dance, and also features the traditional Senegalese lion dance known as simb. Special guest artists include Senegalese master drummers and dancers Paa Seck, Moha Seck, Talla Ngom, Cheikh Ngom and Demba Sène. Co-directed by artist-in-residence Lamine Touré and Associate Professor Patricia Tang, Rambax MIT consists of MIT students and other members of the MIT community. For more information, visit web.mit.edu/rambax.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 2, 2007 (download PDF).
