Balinese Jegog troupe entertains Japanese audience
I Kadek Suartaya, Contributor, Tokyo
The International Sumida Triphony Concert Hall hosted a rare performance when Saur Agung, a Balinese gamelan troupe from Jembrana regency, West Bali, entertained the Japanese audience with its unique and distinguished music and dance early this month.
The 2,000-seat concert hall was full on that summer night and the dynamic sound of gamelan music echoed from the stage.
This was the first Indonesian traditional music troupe to perform in such a prestigious, world-class concert building, which is located in downtown Tokyo.
Presenting a gamelan Jegog ensemble, which was made of lines of bamboo, and danced under the theme Sabda Jagad Sakti (the Voice of the Universe), the 22 members of the troupe started the show with a dance titled Satya Jagaditha.
The dance tells a tale of a strong and faithful leader who stands up for his people and creates peace in the universe. The dance is inspired by an ancient Balinese history that relates to the Hindu Galungan Holiday. It portrays good against evil and describes how good deeds will triumph in the end.
The troupe comprises professional artists, many of whom are also farmers in their village of Sangkar Agung, Jembrana, around 100 kilometers west of Denpasar.
The performance at the International Sumidha Triphony was part of the troupe's Japanese tour which comprised shows in four big cities including Takayama, Kumagayashi, Yamaguchi and Tokyo.
Led by music composer and choreographer Dr. I Ketut Suwentra, the troupe presented excellent performances. The troupe has visited Japan 15 times. Its current tour was its 16th.
The artists' frequent shows in Japan have successfully drawn faithful fans. Mori and his wife were in Bali a few years ago and have retained their sweet memories of the island. Around two hours from their house, the couple took the train to watch their favorite Balinese gamelan music show.
Thanks to Suwentra, Japanese audiences have become familiar with Jegog gamelan and other Balinese traditional performing arts since the l970s.
The artists' enchanting presentation aroused their memories of the tropical island. Beautiful dancers Ida Ayu Made Setiawati, Komang Puspa Dewi, Gede Oka Artha Negara, I Made Putu Astawa and Kadek Wiwik Hartawan were the stars of the night.
They presented a series of dances such as the jolly janger dance and other compositions.
The show reached its climax with Mabarung, where two groups of gamelan players performed the music alternatively in the dynamic concert.
The show reflected the artists' high level of skill and mastery in playing the gamelan tunes in a fast tempo.
After the show, Suwentra and his member troupe presented a short workshop on the gamelan instrument and its history. "They (the audience) were very enthusiastic about learning how to play the gamelan and other forms of Balinese traditional musical instruments and dances," he said.
Suwentra said that despite the rapid growth of industrialization and modernization, Japanese people are known to strongly uphold their traditions and are also keen about learning other countries' traditions," he said.
The Tokyo performance was a success story drawing more than 1,000 people who had to pay between 5,000 to 6,000 yen per ticket. The Japanese media also gave positive coverage.
More importantly, the show also created strong links between the Balinese artists and their Japanese viewers. I Ketut Sudamber, a farmer and a talented gamelan player, was so surprised to receive a lot of gifts from his Japanese fans, he felt like a star musician," he exclaimed. Bouquets of flowers went to the beautiful dancers.
"The show not only created a good image of Bali in particular and Indonesia in general, but also a bridge to unite the people of the two countries," Suwentra said.