New technology keep 'wayang kulit' alive<\/p>\n
Kadek Suartaya, Contributor, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
In ancient Java and Bali, wayang kulit shadow puppet performances
\nheld a highly respected position due to their ability
\nsimultaneously to provide audiences with aesthetic entertainment,
\nmoral guidance and, to some extent, spiritual purification.<\/p>\n
Its two main sources for stories, the Hindu epics Mahabharata
\nand Ramayana, animate wayang kulit through magical adventures,
\nbeautiful romances and pitched battles.<\/p>\n
However, the epics also offered numerous courageous heroes and
\na code of chivalry that was eagerly reproduced by the knights and
\nrulers in Java and Bali, even in modern times.<\/p>\n
The philosophical teachings that are embedded in wayang kulit
\nstories have been used for centuries by mystics on both islands
\nas both a spiritual beacon and a magical tool in molding and
\npurifying their world.<\/p>\n
Wayang kulit is a one-dimensional puppet that is made from cow
\nor sheep skins. A dalang (puppeteer) manipulates the puppets to
\ntell a story.<\/p>\n
Certain forms or stories of wayang kulit, such as wayang
\nSapuhleger and the story of Bimaruci -- a knight's quest for the
\nelixir of eternal life -- were considered sacred and possessed of
\na very powerful energy, capable of healing a person or even
\nsaving a nation.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the decline of rice-growing culture and the
\nconstant flow of a more modern forms of entertainment bullied
\nwayang kulit out of mainstream, popular culture.<\/p>\n
With most of the younger generation falling prey to modern
\nforms of entertainments, wayang kulit became the exclusive
\nproperty of the older generations.<\/p>\n
There was a genuine fear that it would cease to exist the
\nmoment those old folks left this world.<\/p>\n
In Bali, however, the future of wayang kulit was a bit
\nbrighter than in Java.<\/p>\n
There were two main reasons for this phenomenon. First, the
\nintimate relationship wayang kulit enjoyed with the religious
\npractices of the island's Hindus. Second, there was the rise of
\nyoung dalang who infused new, modern elements into the ancient
\nart.<\/p>\n
Balinese Hindu teachings dictated that any important religious
\nfestival should be accompanied by art performances, to entertain
\nboth gods and mortals and to invoke the spirit of beauty.<\/p>\n
Apparently, these teachings originated from the belief that
\nthe Hindu's supreme trinity of Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa created the
\nuniverse, and many times saved it from destruction, by engaging
\nin the powerful and magical cosmic dance.<\/p>\n
Therefore, dances, music and wayang kulit performances -- the
\nsacred and the profane ones -- have always been a prominent
\nfeature of each and every great religious festival on the island.<\/p>\n
Moreover, once every 210 days Hindus observed Tumpek Wayang
\nday, during which offerings were placed on wayang kulit puppets
\nand paraphernalia.<\/p>\n
It was also a day when the sacred wayang Sapuhleger was
\nperformed to cast away bad luck and evil spirits from those
\npeople who happened to be born on Tumpek Wayang day.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, numerous new dalang were experimenting with new
\ncharacters and new technologies to win back the public.<\/p>\n
One of them was the late Ketut Klinik, who in the '80s
\npopularized wayang Babad, which based its story on the Babad,
\nsemi-historic texts on the Balinese royal and noble families,
\ninstead of relying on the Indian epics.<\/p>\n
On the front line of this new wayang kulit was Made Sidia, the
\nson of that legendary dalang Sidja. Sidia, a lecturer at the
\nDenpasar Art Institute, had spent many years developing and
\nrefining his wayang listrik (electrical wayang).<\/p>\n
His latest performance, which featured a story on how to deal
\nwith post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the Bali bombings,
\ninvolved six dalang, prerecorded still and moving images beamed
\nvia a projector onto a large screen, a Korg keyboard and a
\nsynthesizer that enriched the traditional music. The result was a
\ncaptivating, both for the eyes and ears, wayang kulit
\nperformance.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, the efforts of these dalang have
\nsucceeded in sustaining wayang kulit as a living, dynamic art
\nform in modern Bali.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-technology-keep-wayang-kulit-alive-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}