Cenk Blonk – Balinese Shadow Puppet Road Show.
By Maria Bakkalapulo – story first published in Songlines in 2007. Tonight, tucked deep in the heartland is a performance by one of Bali’s most popular…
Iwan Fals: The Voice of Social Justice in Indonesia
Words by Maria Bakkalapulo (Twitter @mbakkalapulo) *Original story broadcast on The World (PRI/BBC). The late 1990s was a time of upheaval in Indonesia. The government of President…
Flying High in Bali
Words by Maria Bakkalapulo (Twitter @mbakkalapulo) Original broadcast on NPR’s Only A Game. In the Balinese summertime, when the easterly winds are blowing in from the…
Sacred Bali: Music and Spirituality
Words by Maria Bakkalapulo (Twitter @mbakkalapulo) The gamelan traditions of the court and temples of Bali are well known throughout the world. But these have always…
Tumpek Wayang, A Special Blessing Ceremony in Bali
Renowned for its elaborate puppets and complex musical styles, the ancient form of story telling called wayang kulit originated on the Indonesian island of Java. For…
Subak, the Traditional Balinese Irrigation System in Jeopardy
Words by Maria Bakkalapulo (Twitter @mbakkalapulo) Original story on KQED, San Francisco. Subak, the traditional Balinese irrigation system built over 500 years ago, is critical to…
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