This book investigates how the urban aristocratic Sundanese of West Java utilize the performance of tembang Sunda to preserve and interpret their ancestral rural heritage. Sean Williams, an ethnomusicologist, draws upon extensive fieldwork and cultural analysis to argue that musical practice serves as a vital conduit for Sundanese cosmology. By examining the interplay between voice, zithers, and bamboo flute, the author provides a framework for understanding how social identity is constructed through traditional performance. The text explores the complex intersections of class, gender, and geography within the context of Indonesian musical traditions.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for its focus on non-gamelan Indonesian musical ensembles. Scholars frequently note the clarity with which the author connects musical performance to broader sociological and cultural themes.