The Riveting Wayang Kulit Shadow Puppet Shows of Java and Bali
For centuries, the art of Wayang (traditional shadow puppets) has become an
inseparable part of the lives of the people on the islands of Java and Bali and is a
prominent part of Indonesian culture. This long-lived art is among the world's
greatest story-telling tradition.
As the outstanding art of the Javanese in Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java as
well as Bali, wayang kulit is still the most well-known Indonesian wayang
performance. It is made of cow's leather, meticulously chiseled with very fine tools,
supported by carefully shaped buffalo horn handles and control rods. The art of
creating wayang kulit is incredibly detailed. Several artists are usually involved in
the different stages required to make one single puppet.
The stories in wayang kulit are brought by one sole master performer called
dalang, whorelates the story and at the same time do the voice for all characters,
both male and female, the good as well as the bad. Tales in wayang performances
are usually taken from the Ramayana or Mahabharata Hindu epics as well as from
Java's own history and legends, which usually involve moral and ethical dilemmas
faced by the characters, following their journeys through life, love, and war.
Traditionally, wayang kulit performances draw large audiences from all
neighboring villages who sit on both side of the screen: the "shadow side" and the
"dalang" (puppeteer) side. In the past, people typically watched from the shadow
side. Today, performances are set up for the audience to watch from the dalang's
side of the screen. The art of Wayang has been inscribed by UNESCO as a
Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Source:
https://www.indonesia.travel/ph/en/trip-ideas/the-riveting-wayang-kulit-shadowpuppet-shows-of-java-and-bali
Reog Tengger
Reog is a traditional Javanese dance from East Java that involves many
elements including graceful choreography, extraordinary physical strength, as well
as extravagant costumes and decorations.
The main character of Reog is the magical lion-like creature called Singa
Barong. Singa Barong is a huge mask made to resemble a tiger's or leopard's head,
over whose head are fans of long peacock feathers. The Singa Barong mask is
notoriously heavy where the dancer must be capable of carrying the 30 to 40 kg
mask by the strength of his teeth only. For this reason, people believe that the person
able to execute this feat must surely possess supernatural abilities and strength.
Sometimes, the Singa Barongan may also carry a young man or girl on the lion's
head. In addition to the weight of the person sitting on top of the lion's head,
therefore, the Reog dancer must then carry a weight of around 100 kilograms, and
this only by the strength of his teeth.
A Reog performance usually consists of three sets of dances while each dance is
performed by several persons. The first is the opening dance, performed by warok,
male dancers wearing completely black costumes symbolizing rough men wearing
an intimidating mustache and other masculine attributes. The second is the Jaran
Kepang dance performed by Jatil which was originally performed by a gemblak, a
handsome, teenage boy wearing colorful costumes. Last, the third dance is the main
attraction of the show performed together by all Reog dancers. The warok as the star
male performer carries the large and heavy lion mask and dances on center stage
while the others dance around him. To emphasize the barongan dancer's
extraordinary strength, the Jatil then climbs on top, riding the lion mask and is then
thus taken around the arena.
Source:
https://www.indonesia.travel/ph/en/destinations/java/bromo-tengger-semerunational-park/reog-tengger
The Bugis Pinisi Schooner
Pinisi, or the Art of Boatbuilding in South Sulawesi, refers to the rig and sail of
the famed ‘Sulawesi schooner’. The construction and deployment of such vessels
stand in the millennia-long tradition of Austronesian boatbuilding and navigation
that has brought forth a broad variety of sophisticated watercrafts. For both the
Indonesian and the international public, Pinisi has become the epitome of the
Archipelago’s indigenous sailing craft.
The Bugis pinisi of 100 tons to 200 tons today still play a vital role in traditional
transport and inter-island trade. In the 19th century Bugis perahus (boats) were
loaded with European and Chinese manufactured goods from Singapore carrying
these to far away Dobo in the Aru Islands in East Nusatenggara stopping at remote
ports along the route. From the Indonesian islands they gathered birds-of-paradise
feathers, sandalwood, spices, gold and pepper to sell them at significant profit in
Singapore to Chinese and Indian merchants.
Nowadays also, the Bugis pinisi are refitted to serve as unique traditional liveaboards for divers to pristine locations especially in the eastern Indonesian islands.
These sturdy vessels now come complete with cabins, kitchen and toilet facilities to
accommodate members of diving expeditions to the Komodo park in Flores and the
Raja Ampat national park near Sorong, in West Papua.
The present-day large Bugis pinisi are said to be partly copied from the western
schooner of the mid-nineteenth century. The pinisi is a larger version from the
former Bugis perahus used, known as the perahu patorani and the padewakang.
Source: https://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/destinations/sulawesi/makassar/pinisi-schooner
https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/pinisi-art-of-boatbuilding-in-south-sulawesi-01197
Noken
Noken is a knotted net or woven bag handmade from wood fiber or leaves by
communities in Papua and West Papua Provinces of Indonesia. Noken is considered
as a symbol of Papuan women, fertility, kinship, economy, good life, peace and
identity. As a native Papuan culture, noken has a close relationship with nature.
Noken is made from basic ingredients of bark fibers and natural dyes derived from
plant roots and forest fruits. In 2012, Noken was listed in the UNESCO Intangible
Cultural Heritage Lists as a cultural heritage of Indonesia.
Traditionally, noken is being hanged from the head used to carry various
goods, and also children. Men and women use it for carrying plantation produce,
catch from the sea or lake, firewood, babies or small animals as well as for shopping
and for storing things in the home. Noken may also be worn, often for traditional
festivities, or given as peace offerings.
The very special thing about Noken is, only the natives of Papua that are
allowed to weave one. The philosophical message attached to this craft is also very
substantial, as it represents the good life, peace, fertility, and womanhood. Made
from the bark of a local wild plant called Waru Tree, Noken are strong and beautiful
in its natural form and its natural color.
The method of making Noken varies between communities, but in general,
branches, stems or bark of certain small trees or shrubs are cut, heated over a fire
and soaked in water. The remaining wood fiber is dried then spun to make a strong
thread or string, which is sometimes colored using natural dyes. This string is
knotted by hand to make net bags of various patterns and sizes. The process requires
great manual skill, care and artistic sense, and takes several months to master.
Source: https://duanyam.com/story-of-noken-from-papua/
https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/noken-multifunctional-knotted-or-woven-bag-handcraft-ofthe-people-of-papua-00619
Angklung
Angklung is a traditional musical instrument that comes from the Sundanese
community in West Java, Indonesia and it is made of two to four bamboo tubes
suspended in a bamboo frame, bound with rattan cords. The ancient Sundanese
people used angklung as a musical instrument in ritual and worship activities. The
word Angklung is said to have originated from the Sundanese language
‘Angkleung-angkleungan’ which describes the gestures of angklung players
swinging along with the rhythm being played.
Angklung is a musical instrument made of bamboo pipes, which were cut at
the end of each pipe, like in an organ. Tied together in a frame, and then vibrated to
produce sound. The bamboos then were arranged accordingly so that when shaken
it produces a distinctive and melodious sound. A set of angklung consists of 7
pieces, each representing a scale that is Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, and Si.
Generally, the most common bamboo that was used to make Angklung is black
bamboo several types of bamboo can be used to make angklung, including black
bamboo, rope bamboo, and spotted bamboo. But, according to research and
comparison, black bamboo can produce the best quality angklung sounds. The
bamboos that were used to make angklung must be 4-6 years old and completely
dry.
The Angklung is closely related to traditional customs, arts and cultural
identity in Indonesia, played during ceremonies such as rice planting, harvest and
circumcision. To preserve Indonesian traditional culture and arts, angklung is often
sent by Indonesian embassies to various countries to be performed in various
international events. Since Angklung music is now have developed rapidly, not only
traditional songs that can be performed using angklung, but also various other types
of music, such as rock, jazz, pop, country, and many other types of music.
Source:
https://primaryenglish.co.id/unique-facts-of-angklung-traditional-musicalinstrument/ https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/indonesian-angklung-00393
The Ancient Secrets of Indonesia’s Gamelan Music
Gamelan originally refers to a set of musical instruments rather than a genre.
Many members of a gamelan family are percussive – different kinds of
metallophones, drums, chimes, xylophones, and melodic instruments like flutes,
strings, and sometimes even a singer. Just like many other cultural elements in
Indonesia, there are different versions and takes on this traditional art throughout
the diverse culture of the archipelago, but perhaps the Javanese and Balinese
gamelan are the best preserved and most popular.
The composition of gamelan music pays attention to the combination of tempo
and density called rhyme. There are also different tunings for in different gamelan
sets. Tuning is a very complex process and consideration when putting together a set
of gamelan. There are at least four different scales used in different gamelan,
including the diatonic scale.
Nowadays, the attracting sounds of gamelan can be found in many settings
from ceremonies and traditional dance or theater performances to the background
music during spa treatments. But originally, Balinese gamelan was developed as
solemn religious purposes, like fighting off evil spirits or preparing worshippers to
enter a state of trance. Javanese gamelan does have its religious purposes as well, as
an accompaniment during religious ceremonies. It has also been used as a form of
entertainment performed for the amusement of the royal family, as well as
accompanying the wayang puppet shows.
Nowadays gamelan is often loosely used as a means to induce an atmosphere
of calm and peacefulness. The very old musical principles and customs are still used
to compose and improvise new pieces that continue the magical and spiritual
traditions. The huge gong is still used to mark the officiating of formal events, such
as an opening of a festival, inauguration of establishments, or similar.
Source:
https://www.indonesia.travel/ph/en/destinations/java/bromo-tengger-semerunational-park/reog-tengger
The Ondel-Ondel Tradition of Indonesia
Originating in Indonesian Betawi culture, ondel-ondel puppet is a traditional
Betawi icon which has become an icon of the city of Jakarta. This giant doll is
increasingly known to the wider community when the late Betawi culturalist and
artist Benjamin Sueb composed a song called Ondel-ondel.
Ondel-ondel existed since 1602, it is made from woven bamboo with around
2,5 meters high and the width of about 80 centimetres. Woven bamboo is used to
build the ondel-ondel‘s hollow shell, the faces are lovingly carved from wood, the
hair is gently prepared from dried palm tree leaves, and the bamboo structure that
makes up their bulk is carefully clothed in bright garments, often those specific to
the Betawi tradition.
Ondel-ondel has almost the same shape, although pattern and colors can be
diverse so it looks more attractive and fun with a friendly face expression. Male
ondel-ondel has red face as a symbol of evil forces, whereas female version has white
color face as a symbol of good strength and to balance the bad spirits. Usually,
ondel-ondel represents a man and his wife.
According to the old Betawi people’s belief, ondel-ondel functioned as an
exorcist and a repellent to spirits disturbance. In the past, ondel-ondel was made for
the ceremony of rejecting reinforcements. The ceremony of rejecting reinforcements
is held to ward off disease outbreaks that attack villages or disturbances of spirits
that wander.
But over time, the function of ondel-ondel was changed by Ali Sadikin, the first
Governor of Jakarta. At first, ondel-ondel was designated as a typical Betawi doll,
but since then there has been no more traditions or ritual of parading around the
village, ondel-ondel is more often performed in special celebrations, such as
welcoming guests of honor, a procession of circumcision and weddings.
Source: https://nowjakarta.co.id/city-guide/explore-jakarta/did-you-know-the-story-behindjakarta-s-ondel-ondel
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/indonesia/articles/the-ondel-ondel-tradition-of-indonesia/