03/08/2026
Music is woven into the fabric of Balinese life, and this past weekend, on August 1st, we celebrated music on Tumpek Krulut. 🎶
Tumpek Krulut is celebrated every 210 days, according to the Balinese calendar, and is a day dedicated to love, compassion, and the arts, particularly music. It is a time to give thanks and bless the instruments that bring communities together in celebration, prayer, and storytelling.
And at the heart of the Balinese musical tradition is the gamelan.
The beautifully layered melodies of the gamelan seem to mirror the spirit of the island of Bali with their vibrant complexity and deep spirituality that manages to soothe the soul without needing a single word. Each performance reflects centuries of tradition passed lovingly from one generation to the next.
If you have a chance to hear some gamelan on your travels through Bali, take a moment to pause and really listen. You may discover that some of the island's most beautiful stories are told not through words, but through music. 🎵