Krakatoa

Krakatoa, or Krakatau (Indonesian: Krakatau), is a volcanic island situated in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Indonesian province of Lampung. The name is also used for the surrounding island group comprising the remnants of a much larger island of three volcanic peaks which was obliterated in a cataclysmic 1883 eruption, unleashing huge tsunamis (killing more than 36,000 people) and destroying over two-thirds of the island. The explosion is considered to be the loudest sound ever heard in modern history, with reports of it being heard up to 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from its point of origin. The shock waves from the explosion were recorded on barographs worldwide.

In 1927 a new island, Anak Krakatau, or "Child of Krakatoa", emerged from the caldera formed in 1883 and is the current location of eruptive activity.

Historical significance

The most notable eruptions of Krakatoa culminated in a series of massive explosions over August 26–27, 1883, which were among the most violent volcanic events in recorded history.

Krakatau (band)

Krakatau is a gamelan-influenced jazz band from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The group was formed in 1985 and is unique in that their instruments are all specially tuned to slendro, a pentatonic scale used in Indonesian traditional music. They combine Western and Indonesian instruments, and even integrate rap into their music.

"Despite the distinctive frequency of particular tone [tuning] that could sound peculiar to Western ears, the treasure of rhythmic expression is valuable language to communicate to global audiences. Further more, Krakatau is continuously adapting Western diatonic elements [melodies] into its basic S’lendro tonal system."

They have performed in Indonesia, Japan, China, and Malaysia, and have released eight commercial recordings.

Discography

Sources

External links

Listening