Wayang kulit purwa in solo city

Shadow puppets prototype in solo

Puppet show

Shadow puppets prototype is a traditional art in Java, a picture of humanity, which is made from animal skins (prototype) played by a person who called Mastermind. This puppet show usually requires a screen (color), coupled with gending / gamelan rhythms, tinged dialogue (antawacana), presents the play and pitutur / instructions in the philosophy of human life. Then the audience from behind the scenes to see the shadow of the puppet, so called wayang (shadow).
 

This puppet art was inspired from the story of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, originated in India. But there are also leather puppet prototype with a quotation from the story in Buddhism, as the story relates to the ceremony Ruwatan (sanctification of human beings). Leather puppet prototype usually takes overnight.
Wayang story on the island of Java and Bali has been recognized by UNESCO on November 7, 2003, as the work of an amazing culture in the field of narrative story and legacy are very valuable (Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity).

History of puppetry

 

Puppet prototype has been played a few hundred years ago, which functions as a puppet arise ancestor spirit worship ceremony. So a special ceremony in his memory of the ancestors. At that time puppet forms are very simple but the emphasis is not the form of wayang shadow puppet.
Puppet developments in Java

The times are changing, the development of wayang in Java also undergone many changes, from the shape wayang began to change, for example, the form of puppet eyes like the eyes of the human form. Developments puppets began to change rapidly in the era of the trustees, including Sunan Kalijaga,  Sunan Bonang and others joined the puppet shape change so that it becomes more beautiful shape, even the story began to change little by little.

Emigration from Kartasura Kasunanan palace to the village of Solo (Surakarta) also brought progress in the art of puppetry.
 

Step improvement in the time of Sultan Agung Hanyakrakusuma, age Pajang kingdom, thekingdom of Surakarta, a lot of time perfecting Pakubuwono puppet forms that create shape now as it is today.
Even in this modern day form of wayang already diverse, with a variety of stories created by puppeteer or puppet players.
 

Shape variation of the puppet into a variety including a puppet Marionette Puppet dolls made of wood.
 

Artists from China who were also sometimes staged Solo Chinese puppet show called Wayang Potehi. With stories from China as well as the typical chinese musical accompaniment.
 

Wayang Klitik puppets are kind of a character made of wood, the story is taken from the end of the Majapahit Chronicle (Dhamarwulan story).
 

Used sometimes "Wong Solo" utilizing his free time making puppets out of grass, called Wayang Rumput.
 

Wayang Beber shape is a sheet of fabric painted and typically ranges story about Kediri Palace, Ngurawan, Singasari (Panji story).
 

Puppet prototype is part of some sort that exists, including gedog puppets, puppets middle, revelation puppet, puppet wahono, stunning puppets, Puppet torches, Papak puppets and much more.

The meaning for the Javanese wayang

 

To date, the Java has a variety of traditional art that can touch the hearts of people, including the art of puppetry. Puppet for Java is symbolic of everyday life and the Javanese worldview about life. Besides puppet is also a tool of communication / social relationships Java community.
 

Especially shadow puppet prototype often associated with traditional ceremonies, including marriage procession, congratulations birth of a baby, moving house, circumcision, and usually presented in the stories that make sense of the procession is a celebration, such as the celebration of the marriage usually takes the story "Parto Krama "(marriage Arjuna), a celebration of the birth of showing Abhimanyu birth stories and much more.
 

In essence the art of puppetry contains concepts that can be used as guidelines lives in attitudes and actions in this world. In the puppet as if Java is not just dealing with general theories about human beings, but human behavior is described concretely
 

The concept is structured to be an implicit cultural values ​​and depicted in puppet story line, both in the nature of life, the origin and purpose of life, the human relationship with God, man's relationship with other human beings.

Components in leather puppet prototype

 

In the leather puppet prototype, there are several components to support the incomplete dominant puppet, among others:

• Dalang (who plays shadow puppet)
• Puppet
• Gamelan (set of musical instruments used to accompany shadow puppet performance). Usually there are two grip gamelan, the slendro and slendro.
• Gamelan Gong consists of, Kendang, Xylophone, flute, fiddle, Sharon and many others.
• Niyaga  (people who play gamelan / music). The musicians are usually dressed in traditional Javanese.
• Sinden (the singer who sang the song or the piece-the piece of Java on a leather puppet).
• Fabric (white cloth that is used as a display in a puppet show prototype).
• Light (as light puppet show).

These are some of the components for the creation of leather puppet prototype.

Puppet show

If you are vacationing in Java, Indonesia, take some time to see puppet show prototype, usually played in an art gallery Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI). Ordinary puppet show begins at 8 pm until the wee hours (at 4 am). I am sure you will be blown away, many tourists or students from other countries learn to play the puppet, singing the song to a puppet show and much more from the lessons related to puppet culture in the city of Solo.

Read more ...

Puppet People Sriwedari in Solo city

Puppet People

Puppet People

 
Puppet People is the art of dance drama that takes the story of Ramayana and Mahabharata as the main story. Puppet People is the embodiment of the dance drama Wayang Purwa (shadowgraph). Puppet people began to emerge in the eighteenth century that has been inspired by the drama that has been developed in Europe, created by KGPAA Mangkunegoro I in Solo.
All dancers Puppet People at that time were male dancers, no female dancers. In various books on culture mentioned puppets, Puppet People was created by Prince Duke Arya Kangjeng Mangkunegara I (1757-1795).
 
The players Puppet People at that time only the palace courtiers, and performed on a limited basis in 1760. However, the new government Puppet People Mangkunegara V show was more popular in the community, although still limited enjoyed by the relatives of the palace and its employees. The Puppet art Correctional almost coincided with the birth of the dance drama Langendriyan.

History Puppet People in Java

In the reign of Mangkunegara VII (1916 -1944) The Puppet art was introduced to the community outside the walls of the palace. Efforts to popularize this art is growing rapidly as Sunan Paku Buwana X (1893-1939) initiated the People Puppet show for the general public in Balekambang, Sri Wedari Park, and Night Market held in the square. The players are no longer just the courtiers, but involves also people outside the palace gifted dancing.
 
Performances Puppet People started commercially in 1922. Initially, with the aim of raising funds for the congress culture. Then in 1932, the first time Puppet People in the radio broadcast, which Solosche Radio Vereeniging, which received great from the community. Puppet People also spread to Yogyakarta. In the reign of Sultan Buwana VII (1877 -1921) Yogyakarta palace twice Puppet People to shew staging spectacle relatives palace. That time was Sri Suwela his title and Pregiwa - Pregiwati. Puppet People in Yogyakarta is called Wayang Wong Mataraman. 

Puppet people start entrenched in Solo

At that time Pakubowono X build Sriwedari Park as an amusement park for the public and its inauguration in 1899, held the puppet show which was then still alive today. Puppet People Sriwedari has made a large contribution in preserving the national culture, the arts puppets, dance, fashion, art, sound, and musical arts.
 
Sriwedari Puppet People is one of the art form of traditional Javanese appointment, played by artists who are very good at playing different characters. Presenting puppet story based on the story of Mahabharata and Ramayana which contain moral messages and embedded in the soul of the local community.

 

Developments in Solo Puppet People

Along with the development of the Puppet People, created new dance movements created by the artists of the dance palace. The new dance moves include gods, slashes, Lumaksono. ngombak banyu, and srisig. As it turns out art Puppet People get a warm welcome from the community,
 
The emergence of various associations Puppet People; initially with amateur status, then be professional. Puppet Society who is quite old and famous, among Puppet People (WO Sriwedari in Surakarta and Ngesti Pandawa in Semarang). Puppet People is a group of commercial culture Sriwedari pioneered the art of Puppet People. The Puppet Society regularly held performances in `Kebon King 'of the amusement park's general Kraton Surakarta.
 
In the reign of Mangkunegoro IV, puppet developments in the palace walk rapidly. One cause of the rapid puppet is owned by the Duchy of economic power Mangkunegaran great. Dikala it Mangkunegoro IV developed commercial ventures such as coffee plantations, sugar industry (PG and PG Colomadu Tasikmadu), pecan tile factory, such as real estate rental house in Prins Hendriklaan (Pindrikan) Semarang.
 
Mangkunegaran economic decline during the reign of Duke Mangkunegoro V which resulted in a decision to grant a license to hold a show Puppet People outside the palace. A Chinese merchant named Gan Kam capitalize on these opportunities, with the Puppet People was performing with Western opera style proscenium stage outside the palace with charging for the audience.
Prior to 1895, the puppet show is not withdrawn for payment, beginning in the commercialization of new puppet show began to grow. Performances Puppet People themselves often held in the building on the merry-go-stanbul Schouwburg.

 

Puppet People Sriwedari Solo

Sriwedari Park in Solo city

 
The spirit of a dynamic urbanism always lead to the direction of modernization in almost all aspects of life. Relics of the past that should remain stable until now, slowly began to lose prestige and attention. Noble cultures should be an ancestral form of reflection on our identity as a civilized nation.
 
In the era of urbanism is, interesting to note a phenomenon of persistence of one form of regional culture, especially Javanese culture (Solo), a performing arts Puppet People who are able to steal attention of the world community, especially those who yearn for the existence of the regional culture.
 
Puppet People is a group of traditional art Sriwedari the only one who is still holding the show almost every day. Amid the ups and downs of the art, puppet Sriwedari existence remains a pride of Solo.

Read more ...

Sekaten celebration in the city of Surakarta / Solo

Sekaten celebration in the city of Surakarta 

Gamelan Sekaten

Celebrations Sekaten in Surakarta is in commemoration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad. Since the previous 7 days in the ring gamelan called Gamelan Sekaten, which consists of 2 parts Kyai Guntur Madu (which is located in the northern wards) and Kyai Guntur Sari (which is located in the south ward) started echoed by gending (Javanese musical composition) Rambu and Rangkur. Historically, gending was created by Wali Sanga in the 15th century to attract people in the spread of Islam. To attract attention, the orchestra made repeated with a larger size so that the sound reverberated harder to reach people further.
 

Sekaten including gamelan Gamelan old ancestral

Lots of interesting things from Sekaten Gamelan, Gamelan including Surakarta heritage history, according to writings in Pakem Sastramiruda Kusumadilaga written by Prince (1850) that created the first gamelan sekaten (Kyai Sekati) in 1555 AD, the time of the Islamic kingdom of Demak, at the instigation of Mayor Sanga (people who spread Islam in Java) as well as the media to teach Islam.
 

Sekaten first started since the first Islamic kingdom in Java, which is the kingdom of Demak and hereditary monarchy until the era of Surakarta and Yogyakarta now. Origin before the beginning of the establishment of the Islamic kingdom of Demak Bintoro, the first King of Demak Raden Patah meeting with Wali songo consisting of Sunan Ampel, Gresik Sunan, Sunan Giri, Sunan Bonang, Sunan Kudus, Sunan Muria, Kalijaga Sunan, Sunan Drajat, and Sunan Gunung Jati to discuss how to broadcast Islam in Java.

At that Sunan Kalijaga proposed a way of broadcasting the Islamic religion by allowing the execution of customary or community ordinances that time Hindus but destination entered and changed in accordance with the teachings of Islam. For example, the event Semedi replaced with prayer event, the event is replaced by event offering tithes, and the show was replaced with the crowd and to the Islamic festivals events.
 

At that time Javanese gamelan like, then the Islamic feast day to commemorate the birth of Prophet Muhammad about the mosque proposed to be tolled gamelan for people interested in coming. Later, when the people had come and gathered, then given a lesson about Islam

 

History Sekaten

Sekaten derived from syahadatain or creed. Syahadatain are two sentences spoken by a person when going to embrace Islam. The first sentence is the acknowledgment of God symbolized by the Gamelan Kyai Guntur Madu, while the second sentence is the recognition of Muhammad as God's messenger is represented by Gamelan Kyai Guntur Sari . At the time, Wali Sanga preach Islam for seven consecutive days (Night Sekaten) with background gending gamelan.
 

Today, in addition to retaining the Javanese culture, Sekaten also aims to meet the tourism sector in the Solo. Some rituals or commonly known as Grebeg Mauludan still preserved as a tradition and appeal to tourists.

 

The series of ritual celebrations Sekaten in Surakarta

 

 Wasps heritage Gamelan Kyai Guntur Madu and Kyai Guntur Sari.

The event was held on 5 Mulud starting with a pair of gamelan moving from palace to ward Solo Grand Mosque, then beaten in turn. The event is at the same time as the show opener Grebeg Maulud marker. A pair continues gamelan sounded alternately until late implementation Grebeg Sekaten Mountains about seven days later.

 

Cannon Treasure jamasan Kyai Setomi.

Cleaning the cannon heritage palace located in Ward Witono, Sitihinggil Keraton Surakarta north. The event was carried out two days before Grebeg Gunungan Sekaten.

 

 Returns to the Palace Gamelan heirloom.

Morning on the day before the summit sekaten almsgiving king, the palace courtiers to the palace gamelan return back. Gamelan Kyai Guntur Madu directly entered into the inheritance, while Kyai Guntur Sari brought forward Sasana Sewaka and beaten back to accompany Hajad Dalem Sekaten Mountains to the Grand Mosque.

 

Giving alms in the form of the King of mountains (full cone Rice and other crops) in the Great Mosque.

The highlight of Grebeg Maulud is right on the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad that date on the calendar java Mulud 12 or 12 Rabi early Islamic calendar. On that day King gave alms to the people in the form of traditional foods and crops were arranged in the form of a pair of mountains, the gunungan jaler (male) and gunungan estri (female). This mound paraded toward the Grand Mosque around the cemetery, courtiers, soldiers, and then read the prayer in the Mosque of Sultan scholars Solo. Then the mountains will be distributed to all citizens, directly, people usually scramble taking an assortment these crops.

Gunungan

 

Cultural understanding Sekaten

The ceremony is a tradition Sekaten local cultural assets that are still celebrated by most people Surakarta. Folklore contained in ceremony in Surakarta Tradition Sekaten formed from elements containing intrinsic cultural values ​​constructed by supporting community context. The folklore of the need for dissemination and documentation so that the purity of the original story is not extinct.
The study of folk tales from different regions had been frequently done, but every community has its own variety of folk tales that are different from other public folklore. Ceremony Traditions Study Sekaten in 

Surakarta Palace was undertaken to explore and document the diversity of folklore in the communities of Indonesia in general and local folklore to enrich the national culture, ever study of the folklore of various regions in the country and Indonesia will continue to be done. Cultural preservation effort is expected to lead to a sense of national pride and culture. So the inheritance of the noble values ​​that exist in the story could be a character value as a filter foreign culture that does not comply with the spirit and personality of the Indonesian nation.
 

Dissemination folklore tradition Sekaten ceremony is very important to keep the non-existant, and teach the younger generation the right way. In order to know that the Surakarta area has a rich cultural tradition can be explored as Sekaten ceremony at Keraton Surakarta with folklore background ceremony.

Read more ...