Undang Sumarna

About Undang Sumarna

Undang Sumarna was born into a musical family in the city of Bandung, the capital of West Java. As a small boy he learned to play gamelan under the tutelage of his grandfather, the renowned Abah Kayat. He had already mastered the complex art of Sundanese drumming by his early twenties, when he was chosen to teach Sundanese music at the Center for World Music in San Francisco, California. Several years later, he was appointed Lecturer in Music at UC Santa Cruz, where over the past twenty years he has introduced hundreds of UC students to Sundanese music and dance and directed many ambitious music, dance, and theatre productions. Over the years, Undang has expanded his expertise to include Sundanese dance and wayang, degung, angklung, and other musical genres, as well as music and dance from Cirebon. Undang has also taught at KOKAR Bandung, UCLA, and San Jose State University; he performs regularly in the United States with Sundanese ensembles Pusaka Sunda and Sekar Asih.

Fun Facts

• Name: Undang Sumarna
• Instrument(s): Kendang