The gamelan is historical; it fits with the traditions of ethnic music, and is a tie to the archetypes of the past based on the way the instruments communicate. The singer Anggun incorporates traditional gamelan tunes and even singing techniques into her works (Brown)
In reference to playing the gamelan instruments, Indonesians use the term karawitan -- the words rawit (intricate or finely works) and pangrawit, a person with the sense of elegance and ideal musical quality. In addition, The Indonesian language has a number of contextually appropriate words that describe the proportion and use of metals in the instruments; all a part of the manner in which the gamelan is viewed in society (Gold)
Vocals are more important, but there is much room within the structure for improvisation and melodic interpretations. Sudanese Gamelan -- Emphasis on rhythm as opposed to melody; used more gong tones with percussion variations (Kirman)
History- The gamelan is an ancient part of Indonesia, even before the Hindu or Buddhist culture; but more from the Ancient Sanskrit Empire that dominated the Indian subcontinent and beyond. This is especially apparent with the vocal style of the gamelan, which is very much like Indian singing (Lentz)
1960s pop music often included gamelan techniques, and a number of contemporary artists incorporate gamelan into their performances (Xiu, The Raincoats, Mouse on Mars, etc.) (Martin) Influences on Contemporary Music- In Indonesia, the gamelan remains an important part of their cultural heritage
.Today gamelan exists both as instrumental music, which incorporates elements of poetry, dance, and wayang, and as an integral part of those art forms themselves" (Peterman)
In the concept of Indonesian culture, a gamelan is a district set of instruments meant to be built, tuned and played together. Unlike Western musicians, the gamelan stays together as a unit and the players are replaced, instead of the instruments travelling with players (Prikosusilo)
The drum layer -- more of a rhythmic pattern that interlocks with the melody or passages (melodic variations called kotekan). Miscellaneous percussion -- cymbals, more rhythmic emphasis Fixed melody layer -- what Western music might call the ostinoto, or basic underlying musical structure Elaborating layer -- the various, interlocking melodies and scales Vocal tone layer -- paraphrasing (the variations of the theme -- variations on the fixed layer) (Spiller)
There, the Balinese, in particular, adopted it to their own personality and style, making it very distinctive. Even during Dutch colonialism, the gamelan became one of the ways Indonesians were able to retain their unique cultural identity -- with Javanese gamelan more restrained, and Balinese more active and vibrant (Tenzer)