Jegog is a kind of traditional bamboo music or gamelan from Jembrana Region, West Bali. All of us agree that Jembrana is "The Home of Jegog" which was created by Kiyang Geliduh is Sebual village in 1912. The instruments are 90 percents made from bamboo in various measures and scales. The biggest is 300cm length, 18cm diameter, and 2cm thickness. The background story of this Jegog was back to the Dutch Colonial.

When the people collected and selected best bamboo for Jegog music, the Dutch thought they struggled back with those sword-like bamboo (called bambu runcing). The Dutch started to stop them and took the bamboo out from the people. Since then the people stopped playing the Jegog for several years.

With a special attention and care from a local artist named I Ketut Suwentra, under his Suar Agung Foundation, this Jegog music was re-born, and soon it started to become well known not only by local but worldwide. He bring the 'back to nature' mission to the world by conducting his village Jegog group.

Nowadays, in the region, there are about 56 jegog groups live in many villages. Suar Agung is one of jegog group based in the village of Sangkar Agung, 5 kms east of Negara, the capital town. Actually, most of Balinese are farmers in profession and artist in their own leisure time. In fact, the jegog musicians and dancers are farmers too.

Jegog music is usually played by two teams by showing their power and ability in playing the music to each other. This part is called Mebarung. It is sometime creatively added with attractive dances and songs by the team players. The sound is so fantastic, heavy but natural.

The Suar Agung Jegog is very popular in the world, Japan is in particular. This group has been travelling around the country of Sun Rice for more than one decade, more, than 30 times. Japanese tourists are also eager to watch the jegog performed at its own home, the habitat of jegog to admire the originality and local atmosphere.

Jegog Suar Agung