Soloevent.id – Do you want to watch Caucasians playing keroncong music? You can come to Bentara Budaya Soedjatmoko Hall on July 19, 2018 because the Keroncong Orchestra (OK) Grass from the United States will play in Keroncong Bale.
The music group consists of Hannah Standiford (vocals, cak), Andy McGraw (selo), Kyle Dosier (cuk), John Priestly (guitar), Paul Willson (violin), and Nat Quick (bass). They are assisted by Danis Sugiyanto (violin).
When performing, OK Rumput will be accompanied by a performance of crankie (a kind of wayang beber) and wayang kulit played by Ed Breitner, Beth Reid, and Greyson Goodenow.
“OK Rumput is the only keroncong music group in America. They explore other traditions such as American folk music, “explained Bentara Budaya Balai Soedjatmoko in a press release.
This group will play several songs. At the beginning, they will bring keroncong songs, such as “Yen ing Tawang” and “Di Sinar Sinar Purnama”. After that, OK Grass will present its main performance entitled “Root: Keroncong Meets America” for 30 minutes.
“‘Root’ tells the American story, ‘Jack & The Beanstalk’ with a mixture of keroncong and American folk music. They will also use crankies and leather puppets. After “Root” will play two more Keroncong songs for closing, “wrote Soedjatmoko Hall.
Through Keroncong Bale, OK Grass wants to appreciate the arts and traditions of Indonesia and America. “Spectators who come will have the opportunity to enjoy new creations and explore different cultures,” added the Soedjatmoko Hall.
Keroncong Bale is not the first stage of OK Grass. They once performed at the Washington DC Embassy, Cornell University, Paris Van Java Mall in Bandung, Wake Forest, Bucknell, University of Richmond, Smithsonian Musuem, and others.
