Balinese Folk Songs 1

Today I interviewed my friend Ida Bagus Oka Geni Jaya about Balinese folk songs. According to Oka, these songs are like a short poem, full of philosophy. There are many types of folk songs, for example, songs for children that impart life lessons. Oka says “They want you to be a kid when you are a kid… they want you to have total freedom, so they give you little lessons through songs. They give you space to figure things out for yourself, to find your own truth, to find the mystery behind the song and this life. These are simple songs. I have a friend who loves when I say simple because he says that simplicity is the highest form of sophistication. Many of the songs are very short, maybe just one or two lines.  You don’t need any more than that because the message already makes such an impact. Sometimes the lyrics seemingly don’t make sense, but they have a huge impact on the children and they really learn something."

1. De Ngaden Awak Bisa: Don’t Claim What You Are (Be Humble)

The moral of this song is not to claim who you are or what you can do. You must demonstrate through action who or what you are and let others define you through their words and impressions. 

 

Many more coming! 

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