Balinese Jegog troupe entertains Japanese audience

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.