The Rindik Gamelan - Edi Budiana

Edi Budiana, a Young Artisan of Traditional Balinese Instruments

Bali is home to a wide range of traditional musical instruments. From gamelan and rindik (traditional Balinese intstrument) to suling (flute) and gerantang (traditional Balinese musician musical instrument made of wood and bamboo). While many of these instruments are rarely played by today’s younger generation, I Gede Edi Budiana one young man from Alasangker Village, Buleleng, is keeping the tradition alive through his handmade rindik — a bamboo-based traditional xylophone.

Image Source: bulelengkab.go.id

His love for traditional music began with a simple joy: listening to the sound of gamelan on the radio. While living in Gianyar, he was surrounded by a supportive artistic environment and Edi started crafting rindik using leftover bamboo from ceremonial penjor. 

In 2016, he sold his first piece for just Rp300,000. After graduating from college, he officially launched his own studio called dE Percussion, focusing on the creation of bamboo-based traditional instruments.

Edi carefully selects his bamboo from highland areas in North Bali and occasionally uses black bamboo sourced from Java. Remarkably, all his tools and techniques remain traditional and fully manual.

Image Source: de_percussion on Instagram
 
What sets Edi apart is not just his craftsmanship, but his ability to blend tradition with technology. Through Instagram and TikTok, he has attracted customers from Australia, Japan, New York, and Singapore. To fine-tune his instruments, he cleverly uses a mobile tuner app to match the precise musical scales.

Edi Budiana represents a new generation of traditional artists — proving that with passion, creativity, and a digital savvy, the soulful sound of rindik can still be heard and appreciated around the world, even in an age dominated by modern music.

Source (in Indonesian): https://bulelengkab.go.id/informasi/detail/berita/89_pemuda-desa-buleleng-bali-bawa-produk-gamelan-rindik-bambu-tembus-pasar-ekspor

Image Source: de_percussion on Instagram