Reclaiming the Legacy of Merdana, a Kebyar Master

Abstract:One of the most important but lesser-known figures of twentieth-century kebyar was North Balinese composer Ketut Merdana. Owing to the remote location of Kedis Kaja and the political situation in mid-twentieth-century Indonesia, his importance in developing kebyar has been largely ignored. This paper aims to affirm his position as an outstanding composer and to restore to the Balinese a vital part of their twentieth-century musical culture. The first section of this paper provides background information that is critical to understanding the musical culture of his time. The second section helps to explain how the well-known South Balinese musician Wayan Gandera was able to claim Merdana’s music as his own, “confessing” that the music was not his only near the end of his life. The last section deals with Merdana’s belated public recognition and introduces some of his compositions.