Stock: 
Format: 
Release Date: 25-11-1999
Label: Celestial Harmonies
Catalog Number: 13175-2
Barcode: 13711317527
Musical Style: World
Track Listing:
| Disc 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Manggarai Whip Duel Game Music [06:03] | 14 | Nggong Mesé-Tembong Music [02:09] |
| 2 | Sanda Kandung [04:48] | 15 | Penti Harvest Ritual in Eastern Manggarai-A Mbata Song [03:21] |
| 3 | Central Manggarai Whip Duel Game-Excerpt 1 [01:17] | 16 | Penti Harvest Ritual in Eastern Manggarai-Tana Manggarai (Penti) [05:09] |
| 4 | Central Manggarai Whip Duel Game-Excerpt 2 [00:22] | 17 | Penti Harvest Ritual in Eastern Manggarai-Lilik Kaba (Penti) [04:13] |
| 5 | Central Manggarai Whip Duel Game-Excerpt 3 [03:01] | 18 | Penti Harvest Ritual in Eastern Manggarai-Sanda (Penti) [03:37] |
| 6 | Central Manggarai Whip Duel Game-Excerpt 4 [03:19] | 19 | Misa Agung Natal-Lagu Natal [01:34] |
| 7 | Central Manggarai Whip Duel Game-Excerpt 5 [04:25] | 20 | Misa Agung Natal-Lagu Anak [00:54] |
| 8 | Central Manggarai Whip Duel Game-Excerpt 6 [03:05] | 21 | Misa Agung Natal-Tabe Natal Komunio [01:09] |
| 9 | Central Manggarai Whip Duel Game-Excerpt 7 [05:29] | 22 | Misa Agung Natal-Lagu Mbata [00:34] |
| 10 | West Manggarai Whip Duel Game Music [02:10] | 23 | Misa Inkulturasi Paskah-Kyrie [03:23] |
| 11 | Korong from Western Manggarai [02:45] | 24 | Misa Inkulturasi Paskah-Gloria in Excelsis [04:02] |
| 12 | Liluk Kaba [02:22] | 25 | Misa Inkulturasi Paskah-Bunda Maria Procession: Ave Maria [01:04] |
| 13 | Lagu Hole [01:35] | ||
Description:
The district (kabupaten) of Manggarai is by far the largest of the five districts of the island of Flores, situated in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province. Its capital, Ruteng, is situated in the uplands of Central Manggarai at the head of a network of valleys that constitutes the island's main dry and wet rice–growing area. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, the kingdoms of Goa in South Sulawesi (Celebes) and Bima in Sumbawa Island each tried to control trading activity in and from Manggarai and influenced Manggarai culture. Legend has it that it was the ancestors who invented and still often play the nggong–tembong (drum-gong) ensembles at ritual moments. The solo and choral circle dances (raga, gezang, danding, sanda and ronda), the musical whip duels (main caci), the rain–inducing tetek alu and other magic dances and the nggong–tembong ensemble ritual music are still used as forms of meditation between the ancestors and human beings at agricultural (new year, field preparation, planting and harvesting) ceremonies and life crisis (birth, marriage/bridewealth stages and death) ceremonies. Since the 1930s the Manggarai population has been predominantly Catholic, with Muslims occupying some coastal areas and a small part of central Ruteng. A cathedral, large churches and many shrines to the Virgin and Saints are to be found in Ruteng and dotting the countryside. So–called animist beliefs and rituals based on veneration of ancestral and nature spirits are still strong, often performed in the traditional round thatched houses that still dot villages in and around Ruteng and throughout the countryside, though most homes today are modern dwellings with Christian statues and pictures on the walls. The form of Catholicism practiced in Manggarai has always been highly Marian–oriented. In line with the edicts of inculturation since Vatican II, the Catholic Masses and other services on special church days now feature traditional Manggarai music. Recently the visit of the Bunda Maria statue from Fatima in Portugal travelled around many Manggarai churches, with religious songs sung in street processions and other festive situations. These manifestations of musical and religious syncretism and successful inculturation take place against a backdrop of ancient tradition and modern social change. In this recording, the listener will find selections from two main caci performances in central Manggarai and one from a village in western Manggarai. Differences between the styles in western and central Manggarai are fairly marked. Samples of other traditional ritual music and the various kinds of solo and choral singing, both traditional and for holy days of the church are also included.
Biography:
Under the supervision of the world’s leading expert on the traditional music of Indonesia, Prof. Margaret Kartomi of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia and with the efforts of producer David Parsons from New Zealand, Celestial Harmonies has issued recordings from these provinces so far: The Music of Islam, Vol. 15: Aceh and West Sumatra, The Music of Bali 3 CD Boxed Set, Yogyakarta: Gamelan of The Kraton, Tembang Sunda: Classical Music from West Java, Music of Indonesia: Flores and Music of Timor. The drum is the dominant musical instrument. Ensembles comprising totobuang (bronze gongchimes) and single-headed varieties of tifa or tipa (drums) of many shapes and sizes are found all over Maluku. In Muslim communites, framedrums and/or small two-headed drums (marawas) supplement the tifa, in which case a wooded, short-necked lute (gambus) and/or a vocal part are sometimes added. Indigenous instruments, jew’s harps (berimbak) and bowed and plucked string instruments of European and Middle eastern origin are also widely distributed. Over three centuries of Protestant Dutch rule has resulted in extensive musical changes.
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