Proud! Traditional Tarawangsa Music from Sunda Tours Europe

DENMARK - The Tarawangsa Pusaka Sunda Lugina Art Group from Rancakalong Village, Sumedang Regency, West Java, successfully brought Tarawangsa art to three international stages in Europe.

The performance of the Pusaka Sunda Lugina group was a full Tarawangsa art show with traditional ritual procedures, marking the first time it was performed abroad.

Kang Pupung Supena and Kang Tahya, as Tarawangsa maestros, expressed their pride in successfully elevating the traditional art of Rancakalong to prestigious stages.

"This is a historic moment for us to bring traditional music to the world stage," said Kang Pupung Supena, Leader of the Tarawangsa Pusaka Lugina Art Group.

They performed at the Roskilde Music Festival 2024 in Denmark. This art group was invited to represent Indonesia and performed on Saturday, July 6, 2024, complete with traditional ritual procedures. The Roskilde Festival is one of the largest festivals in Europe, attracting over 130,000 visitors and featuring major guests such as Foo Fighters, 21 Savage, Skrillex, Doja Cat, Jane’s Addiction, and SZA.

After Roskilde, Sunda Lugina continued their European tour with a performance at the Rudolstadt Festival in Germany on Sunday, July 7, 2024. This event was attended by artists from 30 countries as part of the summer festival series.

Their tour concluded with a performance at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival on Monday, July 8, 2024. The Copenhagen Jazz Festival is one of the largest and most prestigious jazz events in Europe. There, Sunda Lugina collaborated with Danish musicians such as Snöleoparden, Lotte Anker, Kresten Osgood, and Aske Krammer.

The news of the Tarawangsa Sunda Lugina group's departure for the European tour also received positive responses from the people of Sumedang. This coincided with the annual traditional event "Ngalaksa," making the tour of this traditional music group, which carries Tarawangsa art, a source of pride for artists, cultural figures, art enthusiasts, and local officials.

The success of the Tarawangsa group performing on three major stages in Europe is expected to have a positive impact on all artists in Indonesia, especially Tarawangsa artists and the Rancakalong village community in general.

Tarawangsa, A Global Cultural Heritage of Sunda

Tarawangsa is an art form used in traditional ceremonies, religious rituals, and agricultural activities by the people of Rancakalong Village, Sumedang Regency, West Java. Using traditional musical instruments and several supporting instruments, Tarawangsa presents deep and sacred melodies.

The Tarawangsa musical instruments consist of two types, namely Tarawangsa, which is a string instrument with two strings similar to the Rebab, and Jentreng, which is a zither with seven strings.

On this European tour, Sunda Lugina brought Tarawangsa art as a sacred part of Sundanese culture closely related to the agricultural sector. The performances depicted a way of gratitude expressed by playing the Tarawangsa and offering prayers for safety and fertility to the Creator.

In addition to preserving the traditional art of Tarawangsa, Sunda Lugina also carries a mission to encourage the community to continue caring for the customs and culture of Rancakalong in particular, and Sundanese culture in general.[*]