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Siapa Warogus?

Warogus was formed in 1993 to explore the possibilities of kendang Sunda, the drum of the West Javanese gamelan orchestra. Wahyu Roche, Agus Super and Ron Reeves all play kendang, but all three are also very versatile musicians, between them playing a wide range of wind, string, and percussion instruments, as well as singing. This versatility, together with a high level of musicianship, and a sense of humour which pervades their music, ensures WAROGUS success wherever they perform.

Since 1993 Warogus has appeared almost every year at the Jakarta International Percussion Festival (formerly the Jakarta International Drum Festival), as well as playing in the annual Yogyakarta Gamelan Festival, Indonesia's premier gathering for traditional music.

Their first trip outside Indonesia was to Germany in1997, where they played in the Grenzuberschreitungen (Border Crossing) Festival in Bayreauth, performing both in their own right as well as collaborating with other such festival artists as Rudiger Opperman and Markus Stockhausen. This festival was followed up with a short tour of former East Germany.

In 1999 Warogus toured New Zealand where they took part in both the Beat International Gamelan Festival and the Asia 2000 Festival, and performed for the Music Department at the University of Auckland. They also toured to Australia, performing and giving workshops in three states. In Perth they began a collaborative process with the Nova Ensemble as part of the long term Gilgamesh Project, a mulit-arts Australia/Indonesian/Indian collaboration which will be performed during the Perth Festival in February 2002.

Warogus Australian Tour 2002 Warogus are presently launching their current Australian tour which will commence with performances and workshops at Woodford Folk Festival between Christmas and New Year 2001. After Woodford, Warogus will be performing in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and then heading for Byron Bay for a show at Bangalow Catholic Church on January 10.

After that the band will head to Sydney for further gigs there, then on to WA for the Perth Festival in February. Warogus will play their last performance with the Drummers of Gilgamesh in Perth on 16 February. Agus Super will be returning to Bandung, and Wahyu Roche will travel back to Byron Bay to commence a three month residency with the Australia Indonesia Arts Alliance NSW North Coast Branch and Gamelan Ulang Lagi, teaching traditional gamelan and contemporary fusion as well as kendang, suling and singing.

The Warogus Musician-in-Residence Project and the Warogus Tour have been financially supported by the Australia Indonesia Institute, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

To contact Warogus:
Email Ron Reeves: ronrif@hotmail.com