Music in Bali : Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture

Music in Bali is a volume in the Global Music Series, edited by Bonnie Wade and Patricia Shehan Campbell.

This volume, appropriate for use in undergraduate, introductory courses on world music or ethnomusicology, introduces the musical traditions of Bali.

The text discusses the ensemble tradition of Balinese music, underscoring the communal nature of the social organization of Bali.

By describing various performances - from a temple ceremony, to a shadow puppet performance, to a masked dance drama - Gold surveys the range of performance contexts from the highly sacred to the secular.

Stressing the vitality and centrality of music in Bali, the text describes the interconnectedness of the layers of the Balinese musical tradition, illustrating the integration of music, dance, theater and ritual in Balinese society.

Drawing on over 25 years of study of Balinese music and shadow-puppetry, author Lisa Gold presents contemporary Balinese performance within its cultural and historical context, linking Bali's rich past to its present role in a modern, globilized society.

Through a careful examination of musical traditions and guided listening, Gold illustrates how new compositions borrow or reuse material from earlier traditions while also allowing for individual expression and innovation in a vibrant contemporary culture.