Traditional music marks annual thanksgiving festival<\/p>\n
Text and photos by Mulkan Salmona<\/p>\n
SUKABUMI, West Java (JP): Something interesting happened two
\nweeks ago in Cipta Rasa hamlet in the village of Sirna Rasa,
\nCisolok subdistrict, in the regency of Sukabumi.<\/p>\n
Cipta Rasa field, which is usually quiet, on that very Sunday,
\nturned into a scene of festivity. In the middle of the square,
\nabout 100 bundles of paddy were tied to a bamboo pole, ready to
\nbe pounded or stored. Several farmers, dressed in black,
\napproached the pole and picked up some bundles of paddy and tied
\nthem to a bamboo carrying pole called reunggong. There were holes
\nin the bamboo poles, so that when they were moved to the left and
\nto the right, a rhythmic sound was heard, like the thunderous
\nsound of the wind.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in another corner was a dog-dog lojor group of
\nartists ready with their bamboo musical instruments, drums and a
\ntrumpet. Suddenly, one of them shouted loudly as a sign to start
\nthe show. They played their instruments together, swaying their
\nhips as they strode. The rhythm of the drum was like the repeated
\nsound of gunfire, the soft sound of angklung (a musical
\ninstrument consisting of suspended bamboo tubes which sound when
\nshaken) and the shrieking sound of trumpet, all this made the
\natmosphere increasingly lively and very interesting, even without
\nthe sound of the reunggong. It was extremely astonishing and was
\nlike a presentation of contemporary music.<\/p>\n
But this was not a music concert. It was the seren taun, an
\nannual thanksgiving festival, held by the villagers to express
\ntheir gratitude after harvest time.<\/p>\n
The ceremony continued with the appearance of a group of
\nyoung, long-haired women wearing batik. Accompanied by an older
\nwoman, they walked slowly, carrying baskets of paddy. Then they
\nsat with an old man who was putting those bundles of paddy in
\norder on the grass. When the young women surrounded him and put
\ndown their baskets, the old man began to burn incense for the
\nceremony, and read out magic formulas while swaying the already
\nsmoking incense, asking almighty God's blessing so that
\neverything would run well and smoothly.<\/p>\n
The old man then stood up and signaled to a bare-chested man
\nwith a machete at his waist. The latter suddenly drew the machete
\nand slashed his arm with the it. He also sliced areas of his neck
\nand tongue. But not a single drop of blood, however, appeared.
\nThen some people in his group copied what he did.<\/p>\n
Then the old man then asked them to line up, and was followed
\nby other groups.<\/p>\n
A group of men with divine power then moved slowly in front
\nwhile demonstrating their supernatural powers. Behind them were
\nthe long-haired young women, followed by the group carrying paddy
\nin bundles, the group of dog-dog lojor artists, another group of
\npaddy carriers and finally farmers and their wives.<\/p>\n
This procession moved toward the square and the residence of
\ntheir leader, Abah Anom, about one-kilometer away. Along the
\nroad, there were crowds of locals and visitors waiting, as well
\nas hawkers. As the road rose steadily upward, they had to walk
\nslowly in order not to slip and fall. After crossing rice fields
\nand houses, they arrived at the town square and were welcome by
\nmarried women who were pounding the paddy in a long mortar called
\nlesung.<\/p>\n
The procession stopped for a while to watch the women before
\nthey went to the Leuwih Jimat rice barn.<\/p>\n
Abah Anom and his family, invited guests such as officials of
\nthe regional government and relevant institutions were waiting in
\nfront of the rice barn. There was also a group playing kecapi
\n(plucked stringed instruments) and suling (flutes), and singing
\nSundanese songs. The songs said we should live peacefully and
\namiably, not reciprocally taking that which is not ours and to be
\nwiser in upholding harmony.<\/p>\n
What started out as a loud affair turned into a serene one,
\nespecially when the paddy was put in the rice barn. Abah Anom and
\nhis family later entered the barn and when they emerged several
\nminutes later, they were welcomed by music from the dog-dog lojor
\ngroup.<\/p>\n
The ceremony then continued in the nearby village meeting
\nhall, where elderly figures of the South Banten community had
\ngathered.<\/p>\n
The main event was a speech from Abah Anom on sustainable
\nrural development and aid to the neighboring villages' citizens
\nwho were suffering from difficulties.<\/p>\n
\"The community must care for the environment; don't till the
\nland at will as there is a kind of land that can be tilled for
\nplant growing, but there is also another kind of land that can't
\nbe cultivated,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When the speech was over, he invited the audience to observe
\nhis people's products in the form of vegetables and small
\nhandicrafts, and asked them to enjoy the refreshments.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/traditional-music-marks-annual-thanksgiving-festival-1447893297",
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