Richmond-based Balinese percussion ensemble Gamelan Raga Kusuma, invites Richmond audiences to two free, public performances in April:
Thursday, April 10, 8 p.m. Balliceaux, 203 N Lombardy St, Richmond, VA 23220. Gamelan Raga Kusuma will perform a full show, with dancers from the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C. No cover charge.
Saturday, April 19, 2014, 3:00 p.m. Gamelan Raga Kusuma will perform at the Earth Day Global Sounds Concert at the University of Richmond. This free, family-friendly concert features Japanese, Indonesian, West African, Indian, and Brazilian music and dance performances by several music ensembles. After the concert, audience members will have an opportunity to see and interact with the instruments, including the gamelan and drums.
Gamelan Raga Kusuma is an open, community-based ensemble affiliated with the University of Richmond, and directed by professor Andrew McGraw. We welcome interested observers at all rehearsals, and invite new members to join us at periodic open rehearsals. No prior musical training is required. Gamelan is radically different from Western music in its structure, technique, and learning methods, so we all learn by observation, repetition, and hands-on practice.
Gamelan Raga Kusuma plays both traditional and contemporary Balinese music. Two of the group’s members have gone on to earn scholarships to study gamelan in Indonesia. Current members span ages, cultures, backgrounds, and interests. We are joined together by a love of music, learning, and intercultural exploration.
For more information: www.ragakusuma.org
Or email amcgraw@richmond.edu
