How to Get to Saung Angklung Udjo
It's my third time I go here. If you're from somewhere else, this place is easy to find and pretty well known. It's in East Bandung, the area called "Padasuka". Just reach Bandung first, then ask people where SAU is. When you're arrived at Padasuka, there's a huge SAU board sign, it means you're near, just take a walk for 5 minutes, and you're there. The address:
Jl. Padasuka No.118, Pasirlayung, Cibeunying Kidul, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40192
Phone: +62 22 727 1714
Saung Angklung Udjo
In Sunda language, saung means hut usually from bamboo, angklung is the music instrument, and Udjo is the founding father of this place. Initially, this place was only soil with huge hut from bamboo. Thanks to the pioneer (Mr. Udjo) and his big family, this place has been developing from year to year. Now, the place is hugely nice, truly a space for learning about Sunda culture, buy souvenirs, and no worries about the parking lot. They have wide one. Tourist buses are there almost everyday. The place is not only hut now, they have added beautiful gardens, some venues for event (wedding, seminars, workshop), and cozy-traditional cafe too. See the parking lot here.
First walked in, you'd be seeing information about the founding father, Mang Udjo Ngalagena (or literally means Uncle Udjo Ngalagena), who introduced angklung internationally, together with his big family and relatives in SAU. Angklung has been used to accompany Sundanese ceremonial, then enlarged in their function as modern traditional music instruments, which means it could be used together with another modern music instruments like acoustic combo or band. The reason angklung used in Sundanese ceremonial was it has different music interval, like most of other world music instrument. We know diatonic major scale, while angklung used Sunda pentatonic scale solely. Even there are various kinds of pentatonic, but musicians found a hard way to merge pentatonic and diatonic.
These various kind of angklung were found in different places of Parahyangan (land of Sundanese or West Java), and still exist, not only the angklung itself, but also the original function is maintained, still.
This "alley of information" about SAU and Mang Udjo is leading us to receptionists and souvenir booth. I thought they would sell stuff from West Java only, but you know what? I feel like I'm in mini-Indonesia souvenir shop. You can find any souvenir from any area in Indonesia. Tifa (Papua & Maluku percussion), shadow puppet (puppet made from buffalo skin) from Java tribe, tees, pangsi (traditional male outfit), iket (male bandana with batik motive), wayang golek (wooden puppet), tribe mask, bamboo flute, clogs, purses, game instruments, all are traditional from Indonesia with tribe motives. I bought bamboo flute first time I visited SAU, and directly put my name on it.
Even I'm purely Indonesian, but cultural things always amazes me. The show starts with wayang golek or wooden puppet, and this red puppet with big eyes and teeth is always exist: Astrajingga or known as Cepot.
After wayang is finished, SAU continues with Helaran and Tari Topeng (mask dance). This is a procession for harvest crop, or also circumcision of little boy as a symbol of gratefulness to God.
SAU really never let me catch my breath. My mind was still soaring high, suddenly some kids gave each one of us an angklung. Me and another traveler from Makassar (she sat on my left), we had angklung with "Papua" word on it, and hand fist pic (not sure yet what the sticker is for). One thing I know is there's a "1" on it, it means I'm holding a "do" note. Meanwhile the Japanese traveler on my right, she had angklung with "Nusa Tenggara" word and U form hand sticker, and a "7" so it means she's holding a "si" or "ti" note. Then Mr. Daeng Udjo and his son started to teach and conduct us play angklung. Only in 10-15 minutes, we already played song from The Beatles - All My Loving and I Have a Dream.
After we had fun by playing angklung (it was so simple, really. You should try it!), it's SMPN 1 Cibanteng (junior high school) time to perform, continued with the real angklung orchestra. Yep, this one is pretty seriously the real one. We usually play one angklung. These guys, they play like 10-20 angklung per person. Repertoire was pretty challenging too: Brahms - Hungarian Dance no. 5 (classical), and soundtrack theme of Mission Impossible.
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| garden |
First walked in, you'd be seeing information about the founding father, Mang Udjo Ngalagena (or literally means Uncle Udjo Ngalagena), who introduced angklung internationally, together with his big family and relatives in SAU. Angklung has been used to accompany Sundanese ceremonial, then enlarged in their function as modern traditional music instruments, which means it could be used together with another modern music instruments like acoustic combo or band. The reason angklung used in Sundanese ceremonial was it has different music interval, like most of other world music instrument. We know diatonic major scale, while angklung used Sunda pentatonic scale solely. Even there are various kinds of pentatonic, but musicians found a hard way to merge pentatonic and diatonic.These various kind of angklung were found in different places of Parahyangan (land of Sundanese or West Java), and still exist, not only the angklung itself, but also the original function is maintained, still.
This "alley of information" about SAU and Mang Udjo is leading us to receptionists and souvenir booth. I thought they would sell stuff from West Java only, but you know what? I feel like I'm in mini-Indonesia souvenir shop. You can find any souvenir from any area in Indonesia. Tifa (Papua & Maluku percussion), shadow puppet (puppet made from buffalo skin) from Java tribe, tees, pangsi (traditional male outfit), iket (male bandana with batik motive), wayang golek (wooden puppet), tribe mask, bamboo flute, clogs, purses, game instruments, all are traditional from Indonesia with tribe motives. I bought bamboo flute first time I visited SAU, and directly put my name on it.  |
| Iket |
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| Wayang golek |
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| Bamboo Flute |
Angklung Petang
This is a very highly recommend colossal performance which is worth to wait, and a must seen one! And surprisingly, today, Wednesday November 16th, 2016, is a very special day for SAU. Six years ago, UNESCO declared angklung as World Intangible Heritage from Indonesia. So today angklung petang also celebrate this occasion. They have special performance, and always colossal. This 2 hours performance ticket price is IDR 100,000 in weekdays, and IDR 110,000 in weekends.
They'll give you necklace with angklung pendant, and synopsis of the show. Don't worry for having trouble understanding the show. The host is able to speak in I don't know how many languages. She speaks in English now and Germany in the next minute, continued with Japan and Dutch. Sometimes Korea if she knows there's Koreans also watching the show.
Even I'm purely Indonesian, but cultural things always amazes me. The show starts with wayang golek or wooden puppet, and this red puppet with big eyes and teeth is always exist: Astrajingga or known as Cepot.  |
| "Gunungan" is raised up to begin the wayang show |
In 1938, the Father of Angklung: Mr. Daeng Soetigna, adopted diatonic major scale and applied it to angklung. Not only adapted it, he also developed the form into xylophone-like (arumba). The purpose is simple: so angklung can be played internationally, and able to mix with other modern music instrument.
Since the angklung ability has grown, and so does the performance. In this Angklung Petang, we can listen to a band with arumba and cajon, and sing together, a very well known song which had been adapted into many languages in all countries. The host started it with Sunda language, then continued with bahasa Indonesia, then she invited tourist from Germany, Dutch, and Japan.
The show was still going on, continued with few minutes of traditional dances from several ethnics in Indonesia, performed by children, the band-angklung fusion continue play according to the dances and tribes.
SAU really never let me catch my breath. My mind was still soaring high, suddenly some kids gave each one of us an angklung. Me and another traveler from Makassar (she sat on my left), we had angklung with "Papua" word on it, and hand fist pic (not sure yet what the sticker is for). One thing I know is there's a "1" on it, it means I'm holding a "do" note. Meanwhile the Japanese traveler on my right, she had angklung with "Nusa Tenggara" word and U form hand sticker, and a "7" so it means she's holding a "si" or "ti" note. Then Mr. Daeng Udjo and his son started to teach and conduct us play angklung. Only in 10-15 minutes, we already played song from The Beatles - All My Loving and I Have a Dream. |
| Mr. Daeng Udjo and his son conducting us |
And finally they closed the show in festive way. All children invite us (literally one by one) to go down and dance together. Not that kinda club dance, hahah... The traditional dance which natives use to do, and it's pretty simple. All songs are from Indonesia tribes, along with traditional games. I was carried away and forgot to take this moment in pictures. SAU succesfully made a beautiful memory in everyone's heart.
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| Pano pic of SAU |
Food, snacks, and meals are definitely available there, in many ranges and places. In booths, stalls, across the street, or you just want to chillin in cafe. If you have more time, try to have day stroll on SAU alleys. You could see some people are making angklung, tune them in, most of them are working for SAU. It's what they do everyday.
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