My world travels have truly been ones of discovery. I was in a taxi in rural Bali when the driver put in a cassette of really crazy music. “What is that!” I asked, “It’s Genjek music”. I’d never heard such exotic vocal music. With lots of time I was able to locate a wonderful Genjek group.
I traveled to the tiny jungle village of Sadimara. Genjek music accompanies many rituals and ceremonies. The musicians drink “tuak” (sweet palm wine) to get into the proper mood. The lead singers start out with a slow melody (accompanied by bamboo xylophone, drums and percussion). The music explodes into a wild cacophony of musical counterpoint as the background singers chant interlocking drum parts with their voices. Here are a couple of audio examples of genjek: Bukit Boni Bukit Boni 2
Here’s a link to the full Cd available on SonicSarariMusic.com: Sadimara Genjek Cd