Puppet master Ki Manteb pauses for thought<\/p>\n
Bambang M, The Jakarta Post\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
He has dedicated his life to the thing he loves most,
\nthe art of the leather puppet show, and in doing so is helping it
\nbecome recognized as a precious cultural legacy.<\/p>\n
Talking with leading puppet master Ki Manteb Soedharsono is like
\nwatching his frenetic performance on stage. Jokes are
\ninterspersed with more serious reflections as he expresses his
\nphilosophical views.<\/p>\n
He gesticulates as he talks, still, seemingly, playing with
\nhis puppets. Confirming his unusual gift of the gab -- he is
\nusually required to perform throughout the night until the crack
\nof dawn -- Ki Manteb does not let up in his verbal discourse.<\/p>\n
And he really gets going when the conversation turns to
\npolitics, taking aim at the childish antics of the country's
\nlegislators.<\/p>\n
\"The new members of the House are unbelievable.. they haven't
\ndone anything yet but they are already embroiled in a squabble...
\nthey should be able to work it out,\" the father of six and
\ngrandfather of 11 said at his spacious house in Doplang village,
\nKaranganyar, some 30 km north of Surakarta, Central Java.<\/p>\n
According to Javanese philosophy, he said that if a person
\nclaims to be the only person fit for a role or task, then it is a
\nform of evil or ruthlessness.<\/p>\n
For Ki Manteb, a leather puppet show is not only a medium of
\nentertainment but also political education and social control.
\nFor this reason, he always keeps himself abreast of the latest
\npolitical developments in the country from the media, and then
\nshares his knowledge with his audience.<\/p>\n
\"I always want to give something to the public,\" said the man,
\nwho considers a puppet master serves a similar role to a dai
\n(Islamic preacher).<\/p>\n
He was born in Palur, Sukoharjo, on Aug. 31, 1948, with a
\ntradition of puppetry in his family; both his father and
\ngrandfather were in the profession.<\/p>\n
When he was young, Manteb and his siblings -- five boys and
\ntwo girls -- were taught to be puppet masters. They are all now
\npuppet masters, but it's only Manteb who has gained fame.<\/p>\n
And just like his father and grandfather, Manteb has also
\ntaught his three sons from his marriage to Sri Suwarni to be
\npuppet masters.<\/p>\n
Manteb's success is attributable to his correct choice of a
\n\"trademark\" for his profession.<\/p>\n
Back in the 1970s, there were two famous puppet masters --
\nAnom Suroto, who was renowned for his beautiful voice, and Narto
\nSabdo with his mastery of Javanese literature and traditional
\nsongs. So when Manteb made his debut, he decided to concentrate
\non visual aspects.<\/p>\n
\"I must create an attractive show,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He demonstrated great skill and excellence, even learning new
\nmovements from Chinese martial arts films -- Bruce Lee and Jacky
\nChan are his favorite stars. After watching the films, he would
\napply some of the \"new\" movements in his own shows.<\/p>\n
He quickly became known among leather puppet lovers for his
\nspectacular and attractive performances. In his hands, a scene
\ndepicting a fight between a giant and a hero becomes enthralling,
\njust like a no-holds-barred confrontation in kung fu movies. To
\nlend a dramatic aspect and attract his audience, he even included
\nmodern music from instruments such as drums, keyboard and a
\nviolin.<\/p>\n
He was dubbed \"the devil puppet master\" due to the lightning
\nswift movements of his hands.<\/p>\n
Orders to perform rushed in, peaking between 1992 and 1995
\nwhere he performed every night for seven months straight. Now, he
\ngets an average of 15 gigs a month, at a reported fee of Rp 40
\nmillion a show.<\/p>\n
He was also the man behind the inclusion of leather puppetry
\nas one of the world's cultural legacies by the UNESCO.<\/p>\n
The inclusion started in 2003, when a UNESCO team was sent
\nhere to observe the country's traditional arts. The team
\nnominated leather puppet as one of the world's cultural legacies.<\/p>\n
But before the puppetry could be recognized, a puppet master
\nhad to perform an important story with a maximum performing time
\nof five minutes. The short time was needed because in the
\ninauguration ceremony, 130 countries would present their cultural
\nitems.<\/p>\n
\"I took the opportunity because no other puppet masters were
\nready for this five minute performance,\" said Manteb.<\/p>\n
For that show, he chose a story titled Rahwana Gugur (Death of
\nRahwana). When it was performed in Wonogiri, Central Java, Ki
\nManteb only needed only three minutes and two seconds, a record
\ntime for a leather puppet show. Aside from the brief show, he
\nalso staged the full version which lasted a whole night.<\/p>\n
Manteb also defended his show before a UNESCO team of
\nexaminers. He explained that despite the title, Rahwana, who
\nabducts Dewi Sinta in the epic story Ramayana, did not die.
\nRahwana symbolizes evil, which cannot be completely eliminated
\nbut will disappear when doomsday comes. The team of examiners
\naccepted his argument.<\/p>\n
A year later, UNESCO, in its Paris headquarters, finally
\nrecognized the leather puppet show as one of the world's cultural
\nlegacies. Again, Manteb had to perform the brief version of
\nRahwana Gugur, demonstrating his superiority while showing a
\nprofound philosophical understanding.<\/p>\n
Still, Manteb was yet satisfied. \"Now that the leather puppets
\nhave gained appreciation, what will happen to the puppet master?\"
\nhe asked.<\/p>\n
Responding to his own question, Manteb performed a Bharatayuda
\nJaya Binangun show -- shortening the normally seven-day
\nperformance into 24 hours and 28 minutes nonstop, without any
\nrest -- at the RRI building in Semarang last year, and he entered
\nthe Indonesian Museum of Records.<\/p>\n
Apart from being a popular puppet master, the man, who stars
\nin a traditional medicine ad on television, is also an Islamic
\npreacher, often invited to lecture on Islamic teachings viewed
\nfrom Javanese cultural perspective.<\/p>\n
Once, after performing a meruwat bumi rite to ward off evil in
\nSolo Baru area, he was approached by several members of a radical
\nIslamic mass organization, accusing him of propagating heresy.
\nManteb responded politely and after a serious discussion, they
\naccepted his argument. \"They even invited me to give a lecture
\nbefore their group,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Despite his popularity, Manteb remains a modest person, just
\nlike in the pictures taken by photographer Chayadi Dewanto, who
\nobserved him for five years and recently displayed the images in
\nYogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The pictures also show the other side of him -- a large
\nmotorbike lover with 14 big motorbikes, 12 of them are now
\nconsidered antiques.<\/p>\n
In his spare time, he maintains his collection of thousands of
\nleather puppets, checking and repairing them, or examining his
\ngamelan orchestra that he uses to accompany his show.<\/p>\n
He vows that he will dedicate all his life to leather puppets,
\nthough it means he has turned down offers to become a House
\nmember or appear in more TV commercials.<\/p>\n
\"(If I do more commercials), I'm afraid I'll be famous as a TV
\ncommercial star than as a puppet master.\"<\/p>\n
Even when he departs this world, he plans to take the love of
\nthis life with him: He has told his heirs to bury him with all
\nhis of his favorite leather puppets.<\/p>",
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