Is it curtains for Samarinda's shadow puppets?<\/p>\n
By Sutoro T.<\/p>\n
Wayang Banjar, the traditional shadow puppet art of Samarinda
\nin East Kalimantan, is dying out, unable to compete with more
\nsophisticated folk arts brought in by migrants.<\/p>\n
Younger Banjar natives have not taken up the fight to save
\ntheir homegrown cultural treasure. They are indifferent to the
\ntradition and attracted to the influx of new arts.<\/p>\n
Chief of East Kalimantan's arts development office Hasan Basri
\nacknowledged wayang Banjar was close to disappearing.<\/p>\n
He said the reason was the loss of popularity.<\/p>\n
It has been eclipsed by more sophisticated Javanese folk arts
\nlike the Javanese shadow puppet, ketoprak (theater with a
\nhistorical background) and wayang orang, which are theatrical
\nperformances based on the Mahabarata and Ramayana epics. These
\nJavanese arts enjoy huge popularity, evident from the many people
\nwho turn out for performances.<\/p>\n
Wayang Banjar is in fact only one of East Kalimantan's native
\narts teetering on the brink of extinction due to loss of public
\ninterest. In the past, the arts were performed at various
\ncommunity and family events.<\/p>\n
Wayang Banjar was introduced by artists from Banjarmasin, now
\nthe capital city of South Kalimantan, who migrated to East
\nKalimantan. Once one of the most popular performing arts in the
\narea, today's performances attract only a handful of spectators.<\/p>\n
Before the Javanese migrants' dominated the art scene in
\nSamarinda, wayang Banjar was the main attraction in every family
\nfestivity, like circumcisions, weddings and thanksgiving parties
\nas well as celebrations of national holidays.<\/p>\n
The provincial government claims to have tried everything to
\nsave the wayang but the efforts appear to have been in vain. The
\nyounger people show no interest in the art form.<\/p>\n
Several cultural centers have initiated training programs
\naimed at reintroducing the art to the younger generation. They
\nreported that participants drop out one by one until eventually
\nnone are left.<\/p>\n
It has amazed cultural observers because unlike the Javanese
\nshadow puppet, wayang Banjar uses simpler equipment and musical
\ninstruments.<\/p>\n
There is only one living dalang (puppet master) of the wayang
\nBanjar and he is very old. When he dies, the tradition appears
\nset to die with him.<\/p>\n
-- Antara<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/is-it-curtains-for-samarindas-shadow-puppets-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }