Bali Arts Festival polishes its image
By I Wayan Juniartha
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): The final week of the 23rd Bali Arts Festival is likely to be more lively.
After the release of an album featuring Balinese pop songs earlier this week, there are two more interesting events, a dance-drama and literary award presentation for two prominent Balinese writers will be held on Thursday and Friday respectively.
The Ngastitiang Bali (Praying for Bali) album was released on Monday night at the Wantilan stage of the Werdhi Budaya Art Center. The album featured Balinese pop songs by four young talented singers -- Putu Tara, Asti, Erna and Erika.
Produced and distributed by a new record company Graha Nadha, the album, the third released by the company, aims to promote and conserve the elegance of the Balinese language.
The leading song Ngastitiang Bali is composed by one of Bali's foremost composer Kadek Suardana. The song calls on the Balinese people to preserve their tradition of harmony, openness and unity. The company was set up and funded by Bali's biggest and oldest daily newspaper, the Bali Post.
Previously, Graha Nadha had successfully released Gending Rare 1 Majangeran and Gending Rare 2 Bianglala featuring old traditional songs for children.
"Every album we released must be able to both entertain and educate our people," the album's producer Mas Ruscitadewi said.
A huge dance-drama production, organized by the Bali branch of the Chinese-Indonesian Social Organization (PSMTI), will be held on Thursday, July 12, at Ardha Chandra open stage.
It has taken three months of rehearsal, some Rp 65 million and about 200 dancers to prepare for this show.
Dancers for the show come from three troupes: Ubud-based Cudamani, Surabaya-based Angga Lee Dance Company and Denpasar- based Mutiara Naga Barong-say lion dance troupe.
The dances are choreographed by two artists, Liangga Sindhu Bastian of Angga Lee Dance Company and Nyoman Cerita of Cudamani.
"The three troupes have been rehearsing separately for the last three months. The Angga Lee's dancers practiced in Surabaya and the Balinese dancers in Ubud. Now, with just two days left before the show, they are trying hard to integrate the dances, musical compositions and story plots here in Bali," said Budi Argawa, the organization's chairman.
The dance-drama titled Legenda Balingkang (The Legend of Balingkang ) is based on the well-known legend of an ancient Balinese King, Sri Jaya Pangus of Balingkang, who fell in love and married Kang Ci Wie, the daughter of a Chinese merchant, whose ship had sunk earlier in the waters off Bali. This mixed marriage was believed to be the beginning of a close relationship between Balinese and Chinese that still exist today.
"We are trying to be as faithful as possible to the actual story, so you will see a lot of dancers donned in Chinese costumes and speaking the Chinese dialect of the merchant who came from the Hokkian province," the show's producer Wirya Subrata said.
Another highlight of the arts festival is the Cakepan 2001 Literary Award presentation for two prominent Balinese writers -- the eccentric I Gusti Putu Bawa Samar Gantang and the down-to- earth I Gusti Gede Djelantik Santha.
The event, the first of its kind, which will be held on Friday, July 13, at the Wantilan, was initiated and sponsored by Sarad, a magazine that addresses Balinese religious, social and cultural issues.
"It our way of showing our deep respect for these literary masters who have beautifully used the Balinese language to express their understanding of Balinese issues," said Sarad's editor-in-chief Ketut Sumarta.
Bawa Samar Gantang has published at least 15 anthologies, including his first Balinese poem Aab Jagat. His obsession with the Balinese secret teachings and Leak (black magic) are shown in many of his works.
Prolific writer Djelantik Santha is well-known for his romantic short stories and novels, including his masterpiece novel Tresnane Lebur Ajur Satonden Kembang about a tragic love story. So far, he has published more than 50 short stories and novels.