PACITAN, RAKYAT NEWS – An Austrian composer, Elizabeth Schimana, has collaborated with Yogyakarta-based art curator Ignatia Nilu to create a unique music performance titled “Gema Tabuhan.” This innovative project was staged in the prehistoric Goa Tabuhan cave, located in the Punung District of Pacitan, East Java, on Sunday, December 8, 2024.

The event was a remarkable experiment, blending modern music with the ancient acoustics of the cave, which is renowned for producing sounds resembling traditional gamelan instruments.

The Goa Tabuhan cave, which is millions of years old, features stalactites and stalagmites that resonate and generate distinctive musical tones. This natural acoustic phenomenon has earned the cave the nickname “Goa Tabuhan” or “Drumming Cave,” due to the sounds that echo through its chambers. The cave’s unique qualities make it stand out from other caves, and it is believed to have once served as a prehistoric music studio.

According to Ignatia Nilu, the cave’s acoustic features create an atmosphere that seems to transport visitors back to prehistoric times. “The acoustics of Goa Tabuhan create sounds that feel like a journey back to the stone age,” Nilu explained at a press conference prior to the performance. The performance was an interdisciplinary exploration, incorporating acoustic studies, geological analysis, and the region’s cultural history.

Schimana, known for her cross-cultural artistic endeavors, described the event as a tribute to cultural heritage. She explained that Goa Tabuhan’s natural acoustics may have been used by early human civilizations in rituals, making the cave an important site for both archaeology and music. “Goa Tabuhan is a unique site that may have been a ‘music studio’ in the Stone Age. Through Gema Tabuhan, I want to emphasize the importance of preserving this site so that it is not damaged over time,” she said.

YouTube player