Kecak, known to western world as “Monkey Dance” is one of the most exotic art forms of Bali. Although its roots can be traced to the spiritual realm of Balinese culture. Kecak is a secular art form which embodies the spiritual and aesthetic elements of ancient and modern Balinese cultural tradition. Kecak integrates vocal music, dance and drama, but the ultimate artistic beauty of Kecak lies in its intricate vocal chanting. The complex and multi-layered sound of “cak cak cak” chanted by the chorus in various rhythmic patterns is at once the essence and soul of Kecak Kecak has had the musical accompaniment of the sacred Sanghyang dance for hundreds of years. Only in the early 1930s Kecak was taken from its sacred realm and developed into the Kecak Ramayana. It is strongly believed the first creation of the Kecak Ramayana took place in Bedulu village through the joint creative efforts of I Wayan Limbak and the people of Bedulu with the German born artist, Walter Spies. However, the current Kecak Ramayana originates from in the village of Bona (Gianyar).
