artists

Sawung Jabo  GUITAR, VOCALS, BONANG & OTHER GONGS, MASKED DANCE

...leads GengGong. He is a singer/composer/instrumentalist with a strong background in theatre having trained in Rendra's Bengkel Teater as a performer, director and choreographer. In Indonesia he is popular and highly respected for the energy, beauty and passion of his words and music, and strong commitment to social justice. His band, Swami/Kantata, regularly attracts audiences of 200, 000 upwards. Jabo's music embraces traditional Indonesian rhythms and contemporary rock. He has released twelve top-selling albums in Indonesia, and performed throughout the country since the mid '80's and in Japan, Korea and the USA. His Indonesian based-band, Sirkus Barock toured Australia in '95 and '96. In 1998 his innovative Australian-Indonesian cross-cultural project, Bayang-bayang, toured Indonesia. In 1999 he formed GengGong, which toured Indonesia in 2000.

Kim Sanders  TENOR SAX, AARDVARK, DERVISH FLUTE, BULGARIAN BAGPIPE, MIDDLE-EASTERN REEDS, SUMATRAN SALUANG, PERCUSSION

...is a veteran of the world music scene. He has played and studied in Turkey, the Balkans and West Africa. He performed with the Libidorr Jazz Band in Gambia in 1985, and with Zimbabwe mbira player, Stella Chiweshe, in Istanbul in 1994. In the same year he also played in Bulgaria's first world music concert  and  recorded albums in Turkey with Oguz Yilmaz and Phanari tis Anatolis. He toured Indonesia with Sawung Jabo's Bayang-Bayang in 1996. In Australia he has performed with musicians from every continent except Antarctica. In the late 90's he lead the legendary World/Gypsy band Brassov, and currently  performs with  Kim Sanders & Friends, Aboriginal/Torres Straight Islander group Descendance and  Bulgarian singer Silvia Entcheva.

Ron Reeves  SUNDANESE KENDANG, SUMATRAN SARUNAI, DIDJERIDU, GENGGONG, BUZZ FLUTE, VOCALS

...is a multi-instrumentalist (specialising in percussion) and composer. Ron has played with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Iva Davies, Colin Offord, AC/PVC, the Supremes, Java Jazz, Toni Childs, Nigeria's Lebe Olarinjo masqueraders, Synergy, the Karnataka College of Percussion, Jugala Group, Trilok Gurtu, Bill Cobham, Hossam Ramzy, Leonard Eto and many others. His German-based trio, Okuta Percussion, was awarded best new World Music release in Germany for its debut CD. He currently plays mostly traditional instruments from West Java and South India. Ron leads two bands based in Indonesia - Warogus and Earth Music - and in Sydney performs with  the Urban Gypsies and Anything But Roy.

Reza Achman  DRUMCUSSION, MASKED & RAP DANCE, VOCALS

...has studied music and arts at the Indra Lesmana Music School (drums), Australian Institute of Music (drums), and Southern Cross University (visual arts). Reza began his musical career performing with respected jazz musicians in Jakarta before moving to Australia where he produced contemporary Indonesian works with Lismore based musician Yos Suprapto. He has since played with The Dream Catcher, TJ Eckleberg, Anything But Roy and Garis and in the innovative cross cultural theatre project Hip Hop Horse.

Monica Wulff  MASKED DANCE

...is a free-lance dancer and performer who has intensively studied Cirebon-style mask dance and performed in Indonesia and Australia. She graduated from University of Sydney with a B.A. Honours in Indonesian performance traditions. Her more recent performances include: Troppo Obscura (very strange indeed!) at Sydney's Performance Space, Mapping, directed by Rolando Ramos at the Australian Museum; Oedipus and Plane Truth, Sidetrack Theatre; Landing in collaboration with Ta Duy Binh, Eliane Morel and Sawung Jabo, The Edge Theatre and  Badai Pasir, performed at a beach in  South Java.