[bali-bali] kuta maestro passes away

Dear all,

Pelegongan and gender wayang maestro, I Wayan Kelo from Br Pande Mas,
Kuta, died on Thursday afternoon at age 70 after suffering a stroke
and battling briefly with leukaemia. Kelo was perhaps the most
renowned teacher from Kuta since gamelan prodigy and composer I Wayan
Lotring, and was one of his direct disciples.

Dedicated to the preservation and exposure of the Kuta style, Kelo had
taught in many parts of Bali: in Lukluk, Pesawangan and at Mekar
Bhuana Conservatory (2002-2003) to name a few. Recipient of the
prestigious Dharma Kusuma award from the government, he was also a
composer of new lelambatan compositions which were frequently
performed by Kuta groups at kebyar competitions. Not only a musician,
he too was an esteemed dancer, frequently asked to teach calonarang
and wayang wong troupes— his daughters have carried on this tradition
and now teach both locally and outside of Kuta.

Losing Kelo means that part of the original Lotring Kuta style is
probably extinct, but further research in the field is needed to
qualify this. Musicians remember him for his virtuosic gender wayang
and superbly dynamic kendang playing (you can hear this dramatic
kendang style, played by Lotring on the 1928 recordings by
Odeon/Beka). A strict guru, Kelo placed utmost emphasis on practice
discipline and playing technique, as well as teaching the original
pelegongan kotekan patterns. He greatly lamented the destruction of
Lotring's pelegongan in the 1970s as well as the continuing
disinterest in the pelegongan style by young Kuta musicians.

Kelo knew both the large repertoire of Lotring's compositions as well
as endangered legong pieces in their entirety. He explained to us many
times that each legong piece could be played on its own as an
instrumental piece, with a different introduction and closing section
(pengecet) from the versions that accompany dance.

Mekar Bhuana had planned to study again with Kelo in preparation for
the Bali Arts Festival this year, as well as start to document the yet
unrecorded Kuta style, and his death was an unexpected tragedy. His
passing is indeed a great loss to both the Kuta people as well as
Bali's artistic community in general.

Expressions of condolence can be sent directly to
info@balimusicanddance.com to be printed, translated and read directly
to Kelo's family. His cremation will be held midday tomorrow (Sunday
March 7th) in Kuta.

Regards from Sanur,

Vaughan Hatch
Co-founder
Mekar Bhuana Conservatory
Sanur, Bali
www.balimusicanddance.com

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