Avatar: The Last Airbender is an American animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series first aired on Nickelodeon in 2005 and ran until 2008.
One intriguing aspect of this series is its ending music, which claimed to have similarities with the rhythm of the famous Indonesian dance, the Kecak Dance. However, the truth behind this similarity is even more fascinating.
Avatar's music composer, Jeremy Zuckerman, directly revealed in an interview that he was inspired by the distinctive clapping sounds in the Kecak Dance music. This serves as an interesting example of how Indonesian culture becomes a source of inspiration for artistic works on the international stage, such as this animated series.
The music in the Kecak Dance itself is an integral part of the performance. It consists of unique vocal intonations, where male dancers sit in a circle and collectively produce rhythmic "cak" sounds. These "cak" sounds are often repeated in specific patterns aimed at creating a strong and profound rhythm.
In addition to vocals, the music of the Kecak Dance can also be accompanied by percussion instruments such as drums, gongs, and gamelan. These musical instruments add dimension and depth to the dance music, creating an increasingly dramatic and intense atmosphere.
