i’ve been going straitside

Enjoy an evening rojak/rujak of Nusantaran (Malay Archipelago) music! Ethnomusicology enthusiast Charlene Cloud Tan, while here in Meanjin/Brisbane, has been looking to home – going straitside, as in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore – to learn and grow as a composer. This concert is their final hurrah as an undergraduate composer; a way to share what they have learned about the strains of the Straits with everyone. For one night only, from 7-8.30 pm, i’ve been going straitside will feature pieces and ensembles reflecting explorations of Nusantaran musical practices. Works such as Indonesian-Australian composer Christian Panjaitan’s Ujancerah (2025) and Rujak (2026) will be performed; paired with traditionals such as the Brunei Malay song Adai Adai, and gamelan classics such as Javanese Prince Mangkunegara IV’s Puspawårnå, included on the Voyager Golden Record. This concert will include a small rentak (rhythm) ensemble emulating traditional instruments such as the plucked string instrument gambus seludang and the hand drums kompang and marwas, Meanjin/Brisbane’s angklung ensemble IndoAngklung Brisbane, and the QCGU Gamelan Ensemble. This concert is free and for all ages to attend. Please contact [email protected] for all queries about this concert.