I Made Sujata
\nContributor
\nTihingan, Bali<\/p>\n
For centuries, the people of Tihingan, Klungkung regency, managed
\nto sustain the ancestral legacy of gong-making at their small
\nvillage, some 40 kilometers northeast of Denpasar. Unfortunately,
\nthe combined threat of decreasing demand and lack of skilled
\nworkers has placed the future of its gong industry in grave
\ndanger.<\/p>\n
The gong, the generic term for traditional Balinese musical
\ninstruments, was a permanent feature in Balinese cultural life.
\nSince ancient times, it evolved into various forms and served
\nnumerous functions -- from the simple and sacred Selonding of
\nprimitive Bali to the intricate and profane Gong Kebyar of
\ncontemporary times.<\/p>\n
It was the primary musical element at Balinese Hindu rituals,
\nsocial events and traditional entertainments.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, only a few gong-making villages survive in Bali, and
\nTihingan is the most famous. During its productive years, when
\nthe majority of its 238 households were involved in the industry,
\nTihingan not only marketed its gongs in Bali but also shipped
\nthem to Japan, Germany and the United States, where numerous
\nsekeha gamelan (gong ensembles) were established by arts students
\nand Balinese communities.<\/p>\n
"Unfortunately, local market demand has decreased by 20
\npercent, while the demand from the foreign market plunged by 60
\npercent," gong-maker I Wayan Widnya said.<\/p>\n
Widnya blamed various crises that have befallen the island in
\nthe last five years as the primary culprit behind shrinking
\ndemand. However, another factor--- the durability of the gong --
\nalso contributed significantly. If properly maintained, a set of
\ngongs can last for decades, or longer.<\/p>\n
The decrease in demand was further aggravated by the dwindling
\nproductivity of the industry. A large number of Tihingan youths
\nwere lured away by more "prestigious and modern" jobs in the
\ncities, thus robbing the industry of the skilled workers it
\ndesperately needed.<\/p>\n
The fact that being a gong-maker was a lowly paid job -- a
\nworker received around Rp 150,000 to Rp 300,000 (US$ 18.8 to
\n37.50) per month -- certainly did not increase the job's stature
\nin their eyes.<\/p>\n
"In the old days, I could deliver four gong sets to my
\ncustomers in Gianyar. Nowadays, I simply don't have enough
\nworkers to do that," Widnya said.<\/p>\n
Currently, it took Widya two to three months to finish one
\ngong set. A complete set, comprising around 40 instruments,
\ncarries a price tag of up to Rp 70 million, while a 20-piece gong
\nis sold for about Rp 15 million.<\/p>\n
It was no wonder then that several gong-makers compensated for
\nthe diminishing productivity by buying gongs from Surakarta,
\nCentral Java, and reselling them in Tihingan.<\/p>\n
The disenchantment of youths with gong-making might also have
\nbeen caused by the difficult nature of the work itself. Gong-
\nmaking required a combination of intensive manual labor and
\nsensitive aural abilities.<\/p>\n
Widnya motioned toward his spacious workshop, where around 15
\nheavily-perspiring workers were toiling at various stages of
\ngong-making. Before the burning perapen (hearth), two workers
\nwere manipulating and forging the kerawang (a mixture of copper
\nand lead) liquid into the various gong instrument shapes. Next to
\nthem, several workers were carefully fine tuning the gongs to
\ntheir designated tones, while the rest of the workers were
\ncarving intricate designs on wooden gong holders.<\/p>\n
Extreme heat, a lot of sweat and a dirty working environment
\nhave surely scared away many youths, who dream of working in a
\nsharp suit in a cool office.<\/p>\n
The origins of the gong industry in Tihingan can be traced
\nback to the 19th century, when the King of Klungkung,
\nanticipating a war against the neighboring kingdom of Gianyar,
\nordered several dozen of his best men to build and man a
\nfortification at the kingdom's western border.<\/p>\n
The area was thickly colonized by bamboo groves, known in
\nBalinese language as tihing; hence the origin of its current
\nname, Tihingan.<\/p>\n
"Those men were of the Pande clan in Pangi village. No sharp
\nweapons could penetrate their bodies; that's the reason why the
\nking chose them to guard the area that bordered Gianyar," village
\nelder Ida Bagus Ngurah Parwata said.<\/p>\n
Under the ancient Balinese method of task distribution, the
\nPande clan's main responsibility was supplying and maintaining
\nweapons to the royal armory. It also served as the public's sole
\nsource of iron tools and instruments. Since they were working
\nunder the divine guidance and blessing of Brahma, the lord of
\ncreation and fire, these ironsmiths were eventually bestowed a
\nsupernatural power of invincibility against any man-made metal
\nweapon.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the Pande of Pangi did not have to prove their
\ninvincibility against Gianyar troop weaponry. Both kingdoms
\nbacked off from the imminent, violent showdown.<\/p>\n
"However, the Pandes, probably out of their love for the
\nscenic beauty of the area, chose to stay in Tihingan, instead of
\nreturning to Pangi," Parwata said.<\/p>\n
In the ensuing peaceful era, these ironsmiths turned their
\nattention to the abundance of bamboo plants in their new village.<\/p>\n
"The King asked them to make one set of traditional bamboo
\nmusical instruments, known as rindik. Gradually, they became more
\nimmersed in the art of producing musical instruments than in
\nproducing weapons," he said.<\/p>",
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