“Anger Deno”-- Pak Munir Location: Ngabean Village, Wonosobo Regency, Central Java Sound: Bundengan (also called kowangan or koangan)
I cannot conceive of anything more delightful than a zither designed to be worn as a rain shelter for duck herders. It is literally the most charming thing I’ve ever heard of. I’m so happy this exists. :’) Thank you Pak Munir! Your voice is so lovely! Definitely check out the article about its origins and revival.
“Bundengan is the only instrument that is part hat, part shelter, and part zither! Farmers in this area of Central Java would herd their ducks while wearing this woven bamboo shelter on their heads to protect from sun and rain, also propping the structure up with a stick to take cover like a small tent. On the inside, they added strings and bamboo tabs which mimic, respectively, the sound of the gongs and drums of the Javanese gamelan. Pak Munir, who plays here, is likely the last real master of this instrument (he's the first to admit he's not much of a singer, but I liked the intimate charm of his voice, just like the duck herders in the old days.) While it's still quite rare, the future of the instrument is looking bright. To learn why and hear more of this very unique Javanese folk music, check out the new Aural Archipelago post here x ”
“[...]When Kunst found (what he called) kowangan in nearby Boyolali, he poetically wrote how the instruments would be “placed in threes or fours in a close circle with the openings turned towards each other, as a small house or shelter." In this formation, "In complete serenity and peace of mind, squatting, dry and cosy, underneath this contraption, and with music and song, they wait until the shower is over.” I love this image, I really do, but that world is gone now. Bundengan is finding its way forward in a new context, with a new generation giving it new meaning. There’s even a hashtag, #bundengan, where bundengan enthusiasts can share their latest discoveries and creations. It may not have the naive charm of duck herds in a field, but its just as real, and just as alive.”