Bring Bali-Kiwi Kid Composer and his Selonding Metal Music to NZ

Everyone knows Bali: Indonesia's most vibrant and artistic island with a population similar in size to New Zealand. However, few people know that this tiny island's youngest composer is in fact half Kiwi.

Born to award-winning Balinese dancer, Putu Evie, and Wellington-born ethnomusicologist and Bali resident, Vaughan Hatch, Gede Semara Richard has been playing gamelan music since he was a toddler and composing for an ancient ensemble since he was 6.

Now 8, 'Semara' is supported by his family group of musicians and dancers called Sekaa Selonding Semeton (SSS) that learns and performs his compositions, as well as ancient repertoire using a gamelan orchestra called 'selonding' that features instruments with giant iron keys. The group was formed under Mekar Bhuana Centre, which Vaughan and Evie established out of their home in Denpasar 15 years ago to document and reconstruct rare and lost Balinese music and dance art-forms.

Bali has incredibly rich musical traditions, with more than 40 different types of percussive orchestras. However, only a handful of these art-forms are known outside Bali. A selonding orchestra is a rare, ancient ensemble associated with ritual and spirituality that dates back to the 10th century. The particular type of selonding orchestra at Mekar Bhuana is one of only three privately owned sets in the world and has never before been performed in Australasia.

Be part of presenting Semara and SSS to New Zealand Audiences!

Through performances and their outreach programmes of fun, educational talks and workshops, Mekar Bhuana Centre has succeeded in inspiring youth and families both in Indonesia and overseas. This time, with Semara and his family group, they aim to inspire Kiwi kids and families with the sounds of this ethereal music and the positivity of family music-making.

Semara and SSS will come to New Zealand in March, arriving in Vaughan's home city of Wellington to be warmly welcomed by the Indonesian community (KAMASI) at the Indonesian Embassy.

At the Southeast Asian Night Market on the waterfront, they will represent Indonesia in a parade on the waterfront, perform their selonding music and dance, as well as collaborate with Gareth Farr's Taniwha Jaya gamelan group to present 20th century dances. They will also hold performances at Kelburn Normal School, Seatoun School and a couple of other schools in the Wellington area. They will also present a workshop and performance at Victoria University's New Zealand School of Music. 

Even though they will be representing Indonesia at the Southeast Asian Night Market,  their tour is entirely self-funded. It is their initiative to establish these important connections between New Zealand and Indonesia. It is also  the  first time a Balinese group of this size has ever come to perform in New Zealand and the first time this art-form has been performed in Australasia.

The resonant iron-keyed xylophones they will be bringing will be left and housed in Wellington to instigate a selonding 'culture' in New Zealand. Interestingly, the set will be the only one of its type outside of Bali. Having the set permanently in Wellington will mean that other NZ artists could have the chance to collaborate with these unusual instruments, experimenting with new timbres, tones and acoustic relationships.  

SSS will come with 10 family members to perform their acoustic 'heavy metal' music. They already have four members' New Zealand airfares and accommodation covered by family in Wellington; however the remaining six New Zealand airfares and visas are the biggest part of the rest of their touring costs. Be part of their family-focussed tour of New Zealand!