Endang Rukandi is an Indonesian musician specializing in West Javanese gamelan and degung.
His musical career began in his village of rice farmers in the mountains of West Java, Indonesia. The son of the local music director, he began leading gamelan performances when he was 7 years old. He went on to study traditional music with full scholarships to the region’s top arts high school, and then to two of Indonesia’s top music universities, located in Bandung, Java, and Denpasar, Bali. While studying music in Bali, he began his career as a music instructor and taught gamelan classes in his university. Endang was a member of Jugala, which focused on Jaipongan, degung, rampak kendang and kacapi tembang. He also helped form the group, SambaSunda, which fused traditional Indonesian music with modern beats and instruments. While in SambaSunda, he toured locations around the world, performing modern Indonesian music with enthusiasm and creativity.
He was in numerous groups in Indonesia and performed in many venues, both contemporary and traditional. These include performing as the drummer in all night wayang-golek (puppet) performances, at traditional events, such as weddings and local ceremonies, and on nationally televised programs featuring comedy and pop stars. He also led workshops locally and internationally.
Endang moved to California in 2014. He started a local Sundanese gamelan ensemble, and also led gamelan workshops at the local community college and the University of Pittsburgh. He taught Sundanese gamelan for the Winter 2023 semester at UC Davis. He is happy to be able to share his expertise and enthusiasm for Indonesian gamelan at UC Santa Cruz.