DENPASAR (indo.com): Bali's Jegog Suar Agung Group, a traditional Balinese Jegog Orchestra, will give a series of performances on a three-week tour in Japan in August 2002 following its successful performance in the latest Bali Arts Festival. Their appearance in the Festival attracted many foreign visitors, particularly Japanese.

The Group from Jembrana Regency is made up of 28 members. I Ketut Suwentra, the leader of the group, said that the artists are going to perform traditional and modern Balinese dances in five cities in Japan. "As many as 18 Japanese female musicians who visit Bali two or three times per year will also perform the traditional bamboo music," he said.

He added that the Japanese people are really interested in the performance of Jegog because most of the instruments are made of bamboo poles, with teak or sandal wood as the drum. In addition, the instruments are played in specific sequences and produce beautiful sounds as other Balinese Gamelans do. The instruments and performances are also visually artistic and impressive.

Jegog is a kind of traditional bamboo music or gamelan from Jembrana Region, West of Bali. The instruments are 90 percent made from bamboo in various measures and scales. The biggest is 300cm length, 18cm diameter, and 2cm thick. Jegog dates back to the Dutch Colonial era.

Jegog music is usually played by two teams who show their power and ability in playing the music to each other. This part is called Mebarung. Dances and songs also sometimes accompany the performance.