Gamelan Nusa Cordon

All Gamelans have a name. That of the Kotekan Company is Nusa Cordon, named after the place where the Company's headquarters are located, Cordon Island, Nusa Cordon.

Nusa Cordon is a Balinese Gamelan of the Gong Kebyar type in pelog mode.

The Gong Kebyar, invented in 1915, is the combination of 2 major types of metallic Gamelan, since it adds to the gongs of the Gamelan Gong Gedé (for ritual use), the keyboards of the Gamelan Pelégongan (for use in classes) intended for dances and classical theatre.
The term Kebyar evokes both (in Balinese) the blossoming of a flower and the “byyaarrr…“ of an explosion.
It is determined by a dazzling, daring musical style, which takes liberties with classical conventions and which, to this day, sounds “contemporary” to Western ears. The Kebyar genre is characterized by unmeasured preludes and interludes where all the effects are allowed : flights of counterpoint, clusters torn from the keyboards, explosions of unison chords, furious tuttis, dots organ, section solos in response, bouncing notes like circles in water, etc.


The Gamelan NUSA CORDON  was built in the winter of 1999 by the famous Pandé I Made Gabeleran from “Sidha Karya“, in the village of Blahbatuh in Bali. In bronze, mounted on painted and sculpted wooden frames, it arrived in France on April 6, 2000.
Its home port is Cordon Island (Nusa Cordon), in the town of Bregnier Cordon in Ain, from where it radiates throughout France.
This is where the headquarters of Compagnie KOTEKAN is located, the association that manages the activities developed around this Gamelan :
The production of shows from Jean Pierre Goudard's compositions for this Gamelan and artistic action residencies around collective musical practice for the most diverse audiences : schools, conservatories, universities, committees businesses, families…

It includes :

1 Gong Wadon (mother)
1 Gong Lanang (father) and 1 Kempur (or Kempul)
1 Kempli, 1 Kemong and 1 Tawa Tawa
2 Kendang polo shirts and 2 Kendang sangse
1 Ceng Ceng
1 Reong
1 Terompong
1 Ugal
4 Pemade
4 Kantiles
2 Penyacah
2 Calung
2 Jegog
6 pairs of Tepyaks
2 Kulkul (pronounced kulkul). wooden drums from the alarm drums installed at the entrance to the village which, even today, invites the villagers to meetings in Subak (agricultural cooperative) or Banjar (village quarters).