My Memorable in Bali, 2018 Pt. 1

Good morning from Thailand. Today I bring a story of culture from Bali, Indonesia, to share with you all. I had visited there around this season back in 2018. So I write it to my remembrance.

When I was in Bali, I had the opportunity to see a folk dance-drama called Calon Arang, which is the most well-known dance drama because it often shows in front of tourists many times. The story of the struggle between the good god (Barong) is seen in the video as shapes like a lion mixed with various animals and the devil called Rang Da. This video recorded a regular version of this dance drama. While the formal one is always performed in the holy temple at the sacred ceremony of the island. The people are holding the dagger enter into the gate of the big temple and will be possessed by the spirit that believing to be Rang Da. They will have to stab the dagger and tickle themselves unconsciously. The storyline of the full version of dance-drama is cut down in this light tourist version that no one would be possessed by the spirit in reality. But somehow, which will be a similar story. The dance drama of Bali uses the gamelan band. As it is the metallic gong ensemble system like Phi Phat in Mainland Southeast Asia. It comprises several gongs, bowls, and some companion percussions but to be knocked in the rhythm that is different scales. The interval scales of the gamelan will repeat each other player hitting the gongs in the cross notes and times that seem to produce echoes. The scale uses the Pelog in musicality. It is only used in Bali and Okinawa islands in Japan. There are some of the traditional music of Ireland appear to use this scale. Today I upload the video of the introduction of the Calon Arang firstly. Next time, I will upload the following parts and talk about the plotline of this performance. So please stay tuned! The first video here is the introduction scene from this dance drama tells a part of the story when monkeys interfering with Barong, and then a soldier will come in later. Barong will remember their help and later help them fight Rang Da at the end of the story. The person who picks up Barong spoke in Balinese when we had to pay the viewing fee to the puppet's mouth. At first, we listened. I didn't know about it, but the people sitting next to me told us. So then, we paid it at the character's meeting later when the performance ended.