Drums beat their way to Islamic fiesta
SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Ancient Javanese rhythms launched the long trip of various 13th-century gamelan instruments to the Islamic festival in Jakarta.
Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad, who also chairs the Istiqlal Festival's organizing committee, was here on Saturday for the official Gamelan Sekaten send-off.
Several hundred kilometers to the east, in East Java, an equally antiquated leather drum left on a similar journey for Jakarta a few hours earlier.
Unlike the noisy gamelan farewell, there was no beating of the Bedug (drum) Ampel in Surabaya as the instrument will only be played on the opening day of the Istiqlal Festival on Sept. 23.
"We remind the public not to make a cult of the procession of the Bedug Ampel and Gamelan Sekaten," Mar'ie said in a speech initiating the procession of Gamelan Sekaten from the Surakarta Palace.
The processions are to commemorate the historic struggle of the first propagators of Islam in Java, known as the Wali Songo, the name for the nine revered Islamic leaders who lived in the 13th century.
The minister's warning was also voiced earlier by the organizers. The reverence commanded is so strong that the Wali Songo, including their graveyards, often become cult objects, which is against the teachings of Islam.
On the eve of the start of the procession, a grand Tabligh (Islamic sermon) was led by noted preacher Zainuddin M.Z. The event also featured a musical performance by the band Kantata Takwa, featuring businessman Setyawan Djodi and poet W.S. Rendra.
The Bedug Ampel is housed at the Sunan Ampel mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Indonesia. The leather drum is commonly used in Indonesia to summons and remind Moslems of prayer time. The Bedug Ampel dates back to the 13th century during the life of Sunan Ampel, one of the nine Wali Songo.
Gamelan Sekaten comes in two sets, one named Kiai Gunturmadu and the other Kiai Guntursari. The instrument has been used for Islamic promulgation since Sunan Kalijaga, another Wali Songo member, ruled the Demak Kingdom in the 13th century.
The Bedug Ampel and the Gamelan Sekaten will be mounted on vehicles that will join a convoy passing through Gresik, Lamongan, Tuban, Rembang, Pati, Kudus, Demak, Semarang, Pekalongan, Tegal, Cirebon, Bandung, and finally Jakarta.
The Gamelan Sekaten will travel to Purwodadi, Blora and then join up with the Bedug Ampel procession in Rembang.
The procession is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Sept. 21, two days before the two-month Second Istiqlal Festival begins.
Coordinator Wiwoho said the procession is not using any Ministry of Finance funding.
"The funding came from contributions from various institutions and individuals," he said.
The festival is being staged by the Istiqlal Foundation, an organization for the development of Islamic teaching and promulgation, which is headed by Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad. The first festival in 1991 was widely considered a success, convincing the organizers to stage it this time for two months instead of just one.(har/imn)