Putu Septa is a highly accomplished Balinese gamelan composer, musician, and dedicated teacher, based in Ubud, Bali. Hailing from a long family lineage of Balinese gamelan musicians, he began his musical journey at a young age. An exceptional talent, Septa started teaching gamelan to communities in Balinese villages at the age of 12.

Putu Septa is a highly accomplished Balinese gamelan composer, musician, and dedicated teacher, residing in the vibrant community of Padangtegal, Ubud, Bali. His journey in music began in his early years, and he belongs to a lineage of Balinese gamelan artists and performers, with profound intergenerational wisdom that has been handed down through the ages.

Remarkably, Septa's passion for gamelan led him to start teaching the art form to communities across numerous Balinese villages when he was just 12 years old. His dedication and expertise in gamelan earned him international recognition. In 2009 and 2010, he embarked on a notable tour with Dewa Alit’s Salukat Ensemble, captivating audiences in Berkeley, CA, the Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston, and the prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.

Septa's creative spirit has blossomed through the composition of numerous works with his own ensemble, Nata Swara. His commitment extends to collaborating with artists, both locally and internationally, resulting in an array of diverse musical compositions.

Beyond his roles as a musician and gamelan instructor, Septa is an active participant in various artistic communities. His portfolio of work is strikingly diverse, encompassing instrumental music, dance compositions, film scores, and a wide spectrum of artistic expressions.

Putu Septa is a highly accomplished Balinese gamelan composer, musician, and dedicated teacher, residing in the vibrant community of Padangtegal, Ubud, Bali. His journey in music began in his early years, and he belongs to a lineage of Balinese gamelan artists and performers, with profound intergenerational wisdom that has been handed down through the ages.

Bli Putu Septa

Rama Parwata is a Naarm/Melbourne-based musician, composer, and curator who has a distinguished reputation for his audacious and technical aural explorations in sound, texture and rhythm on the drum-kit, drawing influence from Jazz, Extreme Metal, and Gamelan music from his Balinese and Indonesian heritage.

In 2021, Rama released his debut album, Tekanan, on Cassauna / Important Records to critical acclaim. He currently plays drums in local metal ensembles including the Doom Metal band Whitehorse, exploratory Black Metal band Kilat, and the experimental gamelan/metal trio Rinuwat. Since 2019, Rama has been a co-curator and committee member of the Make It Up Club.

Rama Parwata

Jasmin Wing-Yin Leung studied Electroacoustics at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar, and Composition at Akademija za glasbo Univerze v Ljubljani and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music Griffith University. Since 2014 she has regularly visited Hong Kong to study the Erhu. In 2017, she was a resident at the Ostrava Institute for New Music in Czechia. In 2019, as a recipient of an Asialink Arts Creative Exchange she was resident at the Organhaus Gallery in Chongqing, China. In 2021/2022 she was made Associate Artist of the Australian Art Orchestra through their ‘Pathfinder’ Music Leadership program.

Jasmin Wing-Yin Leung studied Electroacoustics at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar, and Composition at Akademija za glasbo Univerze v Ljubljani and the Queensland Conservatorium of Music Griffith University. Since 2014 she has regularly visited Hong Kong to study the Erhu. 

Jasmin Wing-Yin Leung

Tito Ambyo is an award-winning writer, journalist, and journalism lecturer with the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University. He is also a co-host of the Talking Indonesia podcast and vice-president of the Melbourne Press Club.

Tito Ambyo is a writer, journalist, and journalism lecturer with the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University. He uses anthropological and journalistic approaches to research and storytelling, including in his PhD thesis that looks at the ways Indonesian horror vloggers share ghost stories online to explore spectral history and violence. Before starting his research and teaching career, he was a journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a filmmaker, a poet and a playwright. He has won a few teaching and journalism awards and grants, most recently a grant from the City of Moreland, Teaching Award for Innovation in Online Teaching and Best Innovation in Journalism award. He is also a co-host of the Talking Indonesia podcast and vice-president of the Melbourne Press Club.

Tito Ambyo

Next conversation in the Poly-rhythmic talk series will examine traditional music practices for contemporary presentation and the possible tensions with experimentation. This topic brings up important questions about how it affects cultural identity and heritage, how communities react, and the role of technology in this process. We will explore these ideas from the perspective of the artists who are making this work.

The panel will consist of Bli Putu Septa a Balinese gamelan musician and composer who comes from a long lineage of gamelan musicians from Ubud in Bali, Rama Parwata a Melbourne based musician, composer, and sound artist who draws influence from Jazz, Extreme Metal, and Gamelan music from his Balinese heritage and Jasmin Wing-Yin Leung a musician who plays the Erhu, developing an extended practice for this instrument both as an improviser and through expanded installation works.

The discussion will be moderated by award-winning writer, journalist, and journalism lecturer Tito Ambyo.After the discussion please join us for food and a special performance by Bli Putu Septa.

* Eats by Pondok Rempah
* Music by Jahan Xanlu (Salaam Radio)

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Poly-Rhythmic #3 Music//Talks//Eats

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Poly-Rhythmic #3 Music//Talks//Eats

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