The haunting sound of the Uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) evokes images of misty mountains and rugged, windswept Atlantic coastlines.

You’re probably less likely to associate it with Jakarta, Indonesia, where Rivelino Ismaya, who is an accountant for our Jakarta office, has made it his unlikely musical instrument of choice.

Rivelino says: “My father introduced me to European folk music and my love of Irish music developed from listening to legendary artists including the Chieftains and Paul Brady.

“I’ve been playing acoustic guitar since I was young, mainly because it was the cheapest instrument I could buy at the time but, in 2012, I started to experiment with the accordion as well.”

In 2015, Rivelino joined a local community in Jakarta called Celtic Room, which is mainly made up of Indonesian musicians with a love of Irish music. But it was when he tried Uilleann pipes belonging to a Malaysian piper he instantly fell in love with the instrument, buying his first set in 2016.

“The Irish people and musicians were incredibly welcoming and I got the chance to experience the culture and share some Indonesian culture as well.”

“They make such a unique, haunting, festive sound and I also like the fact that they are so complex to play,” says Rivelino.

“It’s a real challenge to balance your body and pump air from the bellows to the bag, and then the bag to the chamber and all the pipes, all while playing the right notes and staying in tempo with the other instruments.”

Unlike Scottish bagpipes, the Uilleann pipes are played sitting down, making them ideal for Irish music sessions, where musicians get together to play traditional folk songs using a variety of instruments, from tin whistles to banjos.

As Rivelino’s reputation for playing the pipes grew, he performed at an annual event where he met the Irish Ambassador for Jakarta, who asked him to play as a soloist at the annual Indonesia Orchestra and Ensemble event to showcase the Uilleann pipes to the wider community.

Rivelino says: “I was later invited to play at the ambassador’s house where I casually asked him if there was any chance that the Irish Embassy would consider sending me on a trip to Ireland.

“To my surprise, he arranged a trip and I recently spent two weeks in the country, having an appointment with the Head of the National Gamelan Orchestra and playing in various venues in Dublin and Galway.

“The Irish people and musicians were incredibly welcoming and I got the chance to experience the culture and share some Indonesian culture as well.

“Highlights included visiting a pipe making workshop in North Dublin and the unofficial headquarters of the Uilleann pipes, learning how to make the reeds for the instrument. I also got to spend the day with a living legend, musician Paddy Keenan, which was incredible.

“One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is why I don’t wear a kilt.”

“It was fascinating to play with other musicians and to see how the younger players are taking things forward from the older generation. It really changed my view of Irish music and was an unforgettable experience.”

Rivelino’s interest in the Uilleann pipes has certainly intrigued his Indonesian friends and family, and not just because of the sound.

“One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is why I don’t wear a kilt,” he jokes.