Sri Nugroho

Lesung or rice mortar is more than just a pounder for rice. A philosophical value lies within. The pounding of a mortar has been changed according to the times. When the art of rice pounding is well managed, it could serve as an intermediary for brotherhood. Social conflicts can thus be prevented.

On one afternoon at the closing of 2011, it was heavy rain in Kotakan Village, Bakalan District, Sukoharjo, Central Java. Hundreds of people, young and old mingled at the Grand Gazebo of Sekar Jagad Art Studio. A spirit of harmony and brotherhood was felt when children’s laughter broke the silence.

It was a distinct event. They gathered to pray that God Almighty bless the land with fertility so that the daluang trees would flourish. The villagers wanted to restore their damaged wayang beber (wayang performed through paintings on screens). When the trees have grown, they would have good materials to make their new wayang beber.

With the poundings of rice mortars and pestles played by eight elderly women, people are flowing in happily with joyful expression on their face. The sounds of lesung caught the attention of the spectators as the players moved in a rhythmic motion while hitting the pestle to the mortar. The speed was getting faster and merrier, along with smiles from the audience.

The elderly women wore farmer’s costume, wrapped in batik cloth, with no cosmetic as what artists would wear for a sparkling performance on stage. They are peasants themselves indeed. They are local people who still preserve their traditional music. What they performed is called kotekan, a simple music performance in the style of Kotakan people, in Bakalan, Sukoharjo.

This is their manifested awareness to revive the art rooted in the village. It was a step of manifesting their spirit deserving of our appreciation. Their effort was not an easy thing to do. In the jungle of the omnipresent modern entertainment industry, it seems that traditional art has been truly forgotten. While in fact the art creations of the past are witnesses of the journey of an agricultural nation.

Joko Ngadimen, the initiator of the event and head of Sekar Jagad Art Studio as well, reminded that the lesung (mortar) is indeed close to the mind of the agricultural society for the philosophy inside. These days, in Kotakan, they still have lesung ritual for certain ceremonies.

The village celebration itself was more than just a preserving measure for the traditional art. Still, the kotekan has indirectly formed a communal spirit within the people which will diminish social conflicts in the village.

“The most important is that we can build the spirit of Pancasila (the five principles of the state) thus people will better comprehend the noble values of art and culture rooted in this agricultural country,” he said.

Time keeps progressing and it has forced the kotekan to turn its function according to the society’s needs. In the past, farmers use the art to entertain themselves while pounding the rice or it could also function as alarm when there was a natural disaster, and moon or solar eclipses.

The sound of mortar pounding is often used to invite people to come to communal event such as village cleaning or harvest ceremony. As depicted in the Village of Kotakan, the villagers performed a ritual of playing the mortar when they are having a mutual cooperation event of tree planting. (Naning Soemodiharjo)

— Full article is available on Majalah Warisan Indonesia Vol.02 No.17 —

Warisan Indonesia/ Ibnu Setiadi

Bobby McFerrin partners with Dwiki Dharmawan to play local music in Java Jazz held recently early March in Jakarta. The huge event has mesmerized the audience with flavors of rock and pop hence the jazz became more fascinating. Every year the grand celebration of jazz brings a surprise. Last year, Dwiki successfully brought Carlos Santana who had refused previously to come to the country. A year earlier, fragrance of rock and pop sprayed over the event had attracted all ages, from all walks of life. This time, Java Jazz reserved an ample room for local music.

“I felt honored since Bobby McFerrin is a great man,” Dwiki Dharmawan told about his experience to jam with the singer of “Don’t Worry be Happy” on the first evening of 2012 Java Jazz. Dwiki, who has been around the world to collaborate with world jazz musicians, was preparing himself for ten days. The 75 minutes performance also featured the Balinese kecak dance, typical Malay rebab (Arabic string instrument, a spike fiddle), Acehnese saman dance, and Sundanese angklung that put the audience in awe.

No one was disturbed with the formula since it felt sincere. It was flowing and enchanting. Local nuances are still visible, yet they stream smoothly and merge like a dance with jazz beats. Probably because jazz has an open character and it is all about improvisation, everything felt like what they are supposed to feel. Or perhaps the quality of the musicians that has created an exciting blend of flavors.

Traditional sounds on a jazz stage are not new at all. We have seen how jazz fuses with latin colors. Dewi Allice Lydia Gontha—President Director of PT Java Festival, the organizer—said they already have a format to blend local treasures into their event. The audience of Java Jazz is not just coming from the capital city. They come from other cities including overseas. There are hopes that Java Jazz will not be merely a grand annual event, but a birth for Indonesian jazz revival. The world has long known that the country has great figures of jazz, namely the late Bubby Chen, Mus Mualim, Jack Lesmana, and of course his son, Indra Lesmana.

Eight years ago, Java Jazz was held in Jakarta’s Convention Hall, now it is organized in Jakarta Fair arena. There had been some worries that the move would reduce the number of the audience, but it did not change it at all. The queue at the entrance has been long since the afternoon. While through the late hours, until the last note, the crowds stayed. “The appreciation from the musicians on this event that prioritize quality and solid production is the pride of Indonesians,” said Peter F. Gontha, the Chairman of the Festival, “all the more so, when international musicians, who have become best friends of the festival, have called Java Jazz as a home for jazz.”

The Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu also praised the festival which this year also featured Stevie Wonder and Al Jarreau. Mari said the theme of the festival “Where Jazz Finds a Home” was coming from comments of world musicians who performed in previous events. “It proves that Indonesia, that had never been known as a spot for jazz, has succeeded to create a cozy place for jazz lovers and musicians,” she said. (WI/Putu Wijaya, Viesta Karwila)

Guna Dwi

On January 12, 2012, The Mardijkers Jr., consisting of the youth native of Tugu, North Jakarta, performed in a musical event in the yard of Bentara Budaya Jakarta (BBJ).

That evening, they look delightful and skillful in playing the keroncong musical instruments, though they were still in their teens. They perform songs including “Ibu Pertiwi Menangis”, “Naik Delman”, “Kereta Hitam”, and two Portuguese songs—“Gato de Mato” (the seeing cat) and “Jan Kagalete”—telling stories on Batavia when it was struck with cholera epydemic in 1700s.

“The lyric tells about chaos in Batavia that time,” told Arthur Michiels, one of the musicians of Krontjong Toegoe, who in the evening performance also accompanied The Mardjikers Jr., established in October 5, 2008.

As with Krontjong Toegoe, the group performed oldies songs, one of which entitled “Kampung Serani”, keroncong in a fast tempo typical of Krontjong Toegoe. “The rhythm of Krontjong Toegoe indeed sounds different as in the old times they used to perform as entertainment in parties,” said Agustinus Esti Sugeng Dwiharso, a violinist of Krontjong Toegoe.

There was also another more energetic keroncong rhythm, “Cafrinju” which means music performers and “Tanah Tugu” which is an original creation of the native of Kampung Tugu, tells about Kampung Tugu of today and nostalgia of the past. Other songs are “Oud Batavia”, “Rawa Teratai”, “Keroncong Suci”, “Medley Ambon”, and “Jali-Jali”.

Descendants of Portuguese
Krontjong Toegoe is inseparable from the birth of keroncong in the music treasury of Indonesia. Since the 18 century, this music had evolved among the people of Tugu. They are the people of Jakarta, descendants of the Mardijkers (Portuguese soldiers freed from Dutch imprisonment).

Kampung Tugu is located in the beach of northern Jakarta, east of Tanjung Priok that since 1883 was declared as the port of the city of Jakarta, replacing the Port of Sunda Kelapa or Jayakarta. Tugu used to be a remote area and a marsh land, far from the city of Batavia, but now the condition has changed drastically with the presence of hundreds of containers making the area no longer silent.

It was in this area that the Portuguese descendants played harmonious musical instruments to kill time such as harmonica prounga (cak), macina (cuk), jitera (a small sized guiter), and viola. Flute and tambourine were also incorporated. Prounga and macina produced the “crongcrong” sound, which people easily relate to and called “keroncong”. (WI/ Bambang Triyono)

— Full article is available on Majalah Warisan Indonesia Vol.02 No.15 —

Yanuar Dwi Sarjono

Stalactites and stalagmites can emit beautiful sounds. Is this hard to imagine? We have to visit the Tabuhan cave to prove it indeed.

In a dark space, seven people—four men and three women—took their positions between the stalactites and stalagmites (cave stones that that extends from above and from below). Only in seconds, melodies of gending, Javanese traditional music, were streaming, played by the cave music players.

The Javanese song “Nyidam Sari” started a string of melodious voice from three female sinden, or singers. Some senggakan were occasionally heard from the waranggana or the gamelan players. They played five songs in no more than 20 minutes. It was indeed brief, but the audience and the music connoisseurs would surely feel the wonder of traditional music.

True, for these melodies of Javanese songs were, uncharacteristically, not enriched by a full gamelan orchestra, such as saron, kenong, kempul, xylophone, fiddle, and gongs. Nevertheless, only with kendang, or drums as the original instrument of gamelan, combined with knocks and beats of the stalactites and stalagmites, a beautiful string of Javanese gamelan music was then produced.

We can only listen to this traditional music wonder live in Goa Tabuhan or Tabuhan Cave, located in the Village of Wareng, Punung District, Pacitan Regency, East Java. It is about 25 kilometers west of Pacitan downtown, and about 100 kilometers from Solo. Coming from the direction of Solo, we can take the route of Solo-Wonogiri-Baturetno-Giriwoyo- Donorojo-Tabuhan Cave. (Iyan Dwi S)

— Full article is available on Majalah Warisan Indonesia Vol.01 No.09 —

Warisan Indonesia/Bhrahu Pradipto

Javanese songs performed in contemporary ways would reserve a special spot in the hearts of the youth.

Traditional Javanese songs and rap, apparently they get along. Still considered controversial, it was performed in front of tens of thousands audience who followed the plenary session of the Regional People’s Representative Council of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta), when the people showed their support for the establishment of Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and Paku Alam as the Governor and Deputy Governor of DIY. As though “a national anthem”, the audience was singing together.

Jogja Jogja stays exceptional
Special country special people
Jogja jogja stays exceptional
Exceptional Jogja privileged to Indonesia

The tune Ki Jarto sung gained momentum when the political issue of Yogyakarta as special region was on the rise. Today, although the controversy has worn off, people still play the rap-genre song frequently.

Kill the DJ
Ki Jarot is not a person’s name. It is an amalgam of three names: Mohammad Marzuki, Jahanam, and Rotra. These musicians are part of Jogja Hip Hop Foundation, a forum for Hip Hop communities in Yogyakarta who sing traditional Javanese tunes in rap.

The Javanese Hip Hop popularity received a direct influence from the efforts of Mohammad Marzuki—warmly known as Kill the DJ. Born in Prambanan, February 21, 1975, the man was the pioneer of Javanese Hip Hop. His maneuvers began in 2003 when he formed the community of Jogja Hip Hop Foundation.

Javanese Hip Hop community in Yogyakarta has been growing since the 1990’s. One of its prominent figures was the G-Tribe with their hits “Jelangkung” and “Menek Jambe”. Then Jahanam, another group, was born in 2003 and they received the spotlight with their song “Tumini”.

The Javanese Hip Hop then returned to life on the stage of Poetry Battle in 2006 and in 2009. It was a competition to sing Indonesian poetry in rap. It had prompted the youth to explore old poems that people had barely noticed. (Singgir Kartana & Sandipras)

— Full article is available on Majalah Warisan Indonesia Vol.01 No.08 —

Warisan Indonesia/Bhrahu Pradipto

Tanjidor. The almost extinct Batavian musical tradition is surviving while at the same time it has to compete with the popular dangdut music.

Drums, gongs, tambourines, and bass are scattered on the floor of a 2 by 2 meter-warehouse in a house owned by Sait—one of the leaders of the Kelompok Kesenian Tiga Saudara (Three Brothers Art Group—located on the Kecapi V Alley, no. 27, Jagakarsa subdistrict, South Jakarta.

Nine players of a tanjidor group arrived one by one and immediately took the instruments appropriate to their expertise. According to Sait, a tanjidor musician—especially the older ones—can play more than one instrument in average. Sait had encouraged everyone to master more than one musical instrument. It is only natural since a tanjidor group often lacks musicians. However, each person has his own special mastery. For example, Jujung Niih (64), who plays bedug or drums so well. Saman (69) prefers to play bass, while Salim (64) is more familiar with the tambourine, and Sait (60) himself, who can play every tanjidor instrument, holds the piston (trumpet) or clarinet. Then next to the younger musicians, Minan (30) blows the trombone, Mul (24) blows the tenor, while Ilham (13) plays the kecrek.

That afternoon they practiced at Sait’s house. They actually do not need any training schedule since they are already in tune with each other ever since the older ones formed the tanjidor group, in 1973. They make an exception whenever they are going to have a performance. Such as this one, when they need to prepare for a staging at the Festival Palang Pintu (the Gate Festival) in Kemang Raya, South Jakarta, early June 2011.

The Tiga Saudara Group is one of the remaining tanjidor groups in Jakarta. In fact, they are the only group left in South Jakarta. (WI/Bambang Triyono)

— Full article is available on Majalah Warisan Indonesia Vol.01 No.08 —

WARISAN INDONESIA / Bhrahu Pradipto

Well before the bustling news about the plan to remove Pancasila and Civics Education (PKN) class from schools had arise, ballad singer Franky Sahilatua—before he passed away on 20 April 2011—had hinted a message within one of his last song, “Return to Pancasila”.

Apart from the song “Return to Pancasila”, there is another song Franky wrote that is quite controversial called “Pancasila Our Home”. Through the song he wanted to show how important it is to comprehend the meaning of Pancasila in Indonesia’s life as a nation and as a state. He was reminding Indonesians to take shelter under the Pancasila.

We can find both songs in the album Pancasila Our Home containing his last 12 songs. Franky gave the album CD to me when I visited him in his house in Pelangi complex, Bintaro, Tangerang. He was already ill at the time, before he went to Singapore to get treatments for his spinal cancer. The packaging of the album is simple, but when we see the cover surely we would be curious. It pictures five eggs laid on straw (susuh in Javanese).

“You have to listen to this song,” he said quietly. “Also listen to the song ‘I am Papua’,” he added still in a low tone. “I asked in the song, Papua is rich, yet in reality why do the people live in poverty.”

Anxiety appeared in his face when he handed me the album. He was anxious when he saw what happened with Indonesian people today. “True, it is not easy to be Indonesians. Just as it is not easy to be the leader of this country,” Franky said as he lied still on his bed. (WI/Endi Aras)

— Full article is available on Majalah Warisan Indonesia Vol.01 No.07 —

WARISAN INDONESIA / Hardy Mendröfa

The pioneer of recording industry in the country that keeps hundreds of records of Bung Karno’s speeches and the national anthem Indonesia Raya in the three stanzas version is now in a wobbly condition.

THOUSANDS of records lined up in a room. They appear dingy with covers that have worn off. With twice the size of today’s compact discs (CD), the records were cramped in a narrow space of 4 x 4 meters.

As a matter a fact, the records store precious history of the country. How could they not? The collection includes several phonograph records of Bung Karno’s speech, the first president of Indonesia, and 833 pieces of LPs containing the much-fussed-about national anthem “Indonesia Raya” of the three stanzas version.

About 10 meters from the records room, another room displays a collection of old audio devices. From microphones, a tape cutting machine, turntables, a cassette copier, a master recorder, and recording equipment.

Yet, the fate of these 1950s to 1980s-made devices is almost similar with the records. They are merely set up in a rudimentary way with a little note, the name of the instrument and the year of manufacture. While it does look clean, the audio equipment used to record the history of the nation is not displayed in a special showcase.

That was at-a-glance view of the present Lokananta, a pitiful condition of the pioneer of Indonesia’s recording industry. The historical audio library located at Jalan A. Yani no. 379, Solo, Central Java, has been trying hard to breathe. (Iyan DS)

— Full article is available on Majalah Warisan Indonesia Vol.01 No.07 —

WARISAN INDONESIA / Bhrahu Pradipto

Something unusual happens at the ricefields at Wonosobo countryside, Central Java. While ducks are quacking around boisterously, a melody of gamelan is streaming from a bamboo dome, mingling with the breeze and trickles of water.

It looks like a giant dust pan, about a meter high. It is made of plaited bamboo bound with rubber from used tyres. Palm fibers are added to the roof with tied ends to form a warped horn.

Local residents call this dome a kowangan. Initially it served as a shelter for shepherds during a hot day or rain. To kill time, people played with the shelter and it turned out that the dome produced wonderful sounds.

Inside the dome, six ropes made of palm fibers are stretched horizontally. Three blades of bamboo are inserted below hence these materials create sounds. The kowangan then switch functions as a musical instrument. And it is called bundengan music.

No notes left on when it was found and who the founder is. Most probably it has been around since the early years of 20th century. A man named Barnawi is known once as the conservationist of bundengan. The musical instrument has faced several facelifts through his hands. Palm fibers as strings were replaced with racket strings to obtain high-pitched sounds. His skillful craft in creating tones has brought the bundengan to accompany Lengger dance performances in a number of events.

Unfortunately, Barnawi passed away last year, on September 30. Only two heirs were entrusted to proceed as bundengan successors. They are his daughter who is still in junior high school and Hengki Krisnawan (41). It is possible that Hengki is the only person at the moment who has the knack to introduce bundengan to a wider audience. He encouraged the youth in his village, Sruni, Jaruksari, Wonosobo, to form a lenggeran group. As an officer of the Cultural and Tourism Agency of Banjarnegara Regency administration, this enthusiast of cruise motorcycles often invites foreign tourists to watch the lengger dance with bundengan background. (WI/Sandipras)

— Full article is available on Majalah Warisan Indonesia Vol.01 No.06 —

WARISAN INDONESIA / Bhrahu Pradipto

The Gambang Kromong (xylophone) has long been regarded as authentic Betawi (Batavian) music. However, it is actually a powerful blend with the Chinese music introduced by the China Benteng community who still reside until today next to the Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Cengkareng, Banten Province, close to Jakarta.

China Benteng (Benteng is Fortress) is a popular term for the Peranakan Chinese (kiaw seng) ethnicity, descendants of Chinese men (sin kheh) and the women (nyai / lady of the house) of Teluk Naga, Tangerang, Banten. The mixture had created the skin tone of China Benteng people different from other Chinese in general. Their eyes are slanted, but the tone of their skin is dark brown.

In addition, unlike several other Chinese societies who are fluent in Hokkien, the China Benteng community mostly can only speak Malay. Perhaps the ladies of the house (the Nyai) preferred to teach their children to local language rather than conforming to the the husband’s background.
Their culture which was born from an acculturation process a cultural blend of Chinese traditions with the local culture—had made the China Benteng society exceptional. Such as what appeared in the kromong xylophone music that is highly popular in this area.
Gambang Kromong
If popular music tries to build pop culture that is the preference of the society, the gambang kromong music reveals instead the journey of a local culture with all the distinctions within. The kromong xylophone, that is identical to the China Benteng community, is a blending result of authentic Betawi (Batavian) music and Chinese musical instruments, even sometimes with European musical instruments.

Currently, the gambang kromong belongs to two communities, namely the Peranakan Chinese society (the result of mixed marriages among the Chinese and the natives) and the Betawi society. The Peranakan Chinese or the Betawi people generally reside in the same area and both use Malay with Betawi dialect.

In the meantime, the term gambang kromong was drawn from two Indonesian musical instruments, a xylophone (gambang) with 18 bars which were tuned in pentatonic tones along three and a half octaves and ten small gongkettle (kromong) which were tuned in pentatonic over two octaves.

— Full article is available on Majalah Warisan Indonesia Vol.01 No.05 —