Barong Song, Festival Mata Air, 2009

This has to be one of the most enjoyable moments of my life - jamming with Exi and Bessie Pop in the chillout tent at Festival Mata Air near Salatiga, Indonesia. Bessie, a wild creatif who wears many hats and I were improvising while Exi an also wild artiste extraordinare, disappeared into the Barong costume. A fabulous sound artist was playing his laptop and the Barong, Bessie and I had an extraordinary sung/wailed/intoned dialogue that went on for ages causing many around to stop what  they doing elsewhere and investigate this strangely erotic primordial mating song. In the bottom pic the barong getting ready to swallow Bessie (the cowering, quivering black shape) whole.