06/08/2026
We were honored last week to add an Indonesian instrument, the Sundanese Kendang, to our collection. This generous donation was presented to us by PAS Indonesia Chapter President, Djati (Bowie) Wibowo, alongside Madame Consul General Trisari Diah Paramita, and members of her staff, from Indonesian Consulate of Chicago. We were thankful to have such a wonderful cultural exchange, attended by friends of Indonesia and percussionists from Indiana and members of the Indonesian diaspora. Our event was hosted by the Indianapolis Arts Council, which is led by President and CEO Judith Thomas. Indy Arts Council’s Vice President Kavita Mahoney and Director of Marketing Melissa Rowe had us to their downtown office and Gallery 924 for the ceremony.
From PAS-IC: Kendang is a traditional Sundanese percussion instrument from West Java, Indonesia. It is a double-headed drum played with hands and serves as the rhythmic leader in various musical ensembles. A complete set of Kendang consists of three drums: one Kendang Indung (the mother drum) and two Kendang Anak (the smaller drums).
After watching a video presentation from PAS Indonesia Chapter about the Sundanese Kendang instrument family, we listened to a few words noting the significance of cultural exchange from PAS Executive Director Joshua Simonds, the Madame Consul General, and Bowie himself.
Next, everyone present was able to play these beautiful drums themselves – which is one of the major intentions of the gift. These drums will be accessible in the future through the PAS Collections and used at future PAS events.
We thank PAS Indonesia Chapter, Djati (Bowie) Wibowo, and Madame Consul General Trisari Diah Paramita for this gift, and are so grateful to the Indy Arts Council for hosting. Our gratefulness extends to everyone who helped this project along the way, and we look forward to hearing this beautiful instrument for years to come.