With GengGong - Live at Bellingen Global Carnival, Australia, 1st-3rd October 1999

The GengGong.
Back in late '97. I formed this group with one great friend of mine, my mentor in music life philosophy, the Indonesian musician living legend, mas Sawung Jabo.
At that time I was still studying music here in Sydney. But I also already did session gigs around scene. Although mostly with non Indonesian music & bands.
One day, I saw mas Jabo at Victoria Park Broadway waiting for a bus, near the place where I was rehearsing. Which was above the drum shop (another Sydney's legendary drum shop "Drum City"). I ran over to him and we had a little chat to arrange catch up for jamming.
During the jam, we had such a good synergy jamming as a duo too. With him singing and on Guitar, and myself on Kendang (and little bit of singing too), until we decided to keep this duo as a music project embryo. He came up with the name as "Geng & Gong". Which is; Him as "Geng" and me as "Gong".
During that period I always have a vision that someday soon I have to make a serious Indonesian Contemporary music project to share my music culture heritage here in Australia. So I always seeking some potentials to join the force for it. Until one day I found another potential Indonesian musician friend, Reza Achman. At that time he was still only passionate in western Rock drumming. But I pursued him to start to look at Indonesian percussion, starting on this West Sumatran drums called Taganing. Because it's quite close to the conventional drumkit's playing. And seems like he's loving it.
I also always need accompaniment drummer for my Kendang playing too anyway. But who have enough understanding to approach this native rhythm and feel, for any of my future projects.
Then I introduced Reza to mas Jabo to join The Geng & Gong too. Apparently at the same time mas Jabo also wants to introduce his mate, a Balkan bagpipe extraordinaire and Saxophonist, the late Kim Sanders.
During the process as a quartet, I took another Indonesian friend of mine, an Indonesian activist who's also interested in a cultural art, Yogi Dwinanto Sumule, because I also wants to introduce him to mas Sawung Jabo.
I always enjoy being a Catalyst in life btw. Until apparently we discovered Yogi's hidden talent as an art performer too.
Along the process of this group, Yogi and Reza also shown their interested to learn the performing art and Javanese traditional Topeng dance knowledge from mas Jabo. Also they had been privileged to have an intensive course with one of a master of Javanese dance who were visiting Sydney as an artist resident at that time. Until we form the new project from the name as Geng & Gong Duo becoming "GengGong", with the the new formation: Sawung Jabo, Reza Achman, Kim Sanders, Yogi Sumule (Topeng Dance), and myself. We start gigging around to in many various interesting World music events & festivals. Until eventually I also proposed the team to include another Kendang player, Ron Reeves. And then Jabo also includes Monica Wulf as female Topeng Dance.
This legendary band is one of my Magical Musical Journey, and My History.
This Video: Genggong Live at Bellingen Global Carnivale 1st-3rd October 1999. Mc Seth Jordan