Drums beat their way to Islamic fiesta

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)