Gambang Kromong still casts a spell of beauty
Gambang Kromong still casts a spell of beauty
P.C. Naommy, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Plaza Senayan burst with the voices and cheers of dozens of students, shoppers and visitors when 77-year-old Encim (Mrs.) Masnah, in a bright pink costume, shook her hips and outstretched her arms, dancing and singing to the melodious Gambang Kromong orchestra.
Her voice cracked with age as she sang, yet her spirit spread warmth throughout the audience smitten by the complex musical arrangements of the classical Chinese songs she was singing.
The show was opened by the instrumental piece Phobin Kongjilok and was then followed by classical songs, such as Phoa Silitan, Centeh Manis Berdiri, Keramat Karem and Stambul.
The faces in the audience shone with delight and amazement as though under the spell of beauty cast by the lyrics.
"Phoa Silitan tells the story of a woman named Bu Tjek Hian," Masnah said. Bu Tjek Hian was a Chinese heroine who led a rebellion and became the empress of China from 690 A.D. to 705 A.D., against the backdrop of male-dominated Chinese society.
"My father passed the song on to me when I was still a teenager. Since then, I have dedicated my life to Gambang Kromong," said Masnah, who has performed the genre for more than 50 years. She is the only singer in her group -- and perhaps the only one among all Gambang Kromong groups -- who has a repertoire of all the classical songs.
The songs and the music brought the audience back to about 450 years ago in Batavia, the old name for Jakarta. At that time, Chinese musician Nie Hukong, who was also the chief of the Chinese community, blended Chinese and Sundanese musical instruments into what is now known as Gambang Kromong.
Chinese nuances are strongly evident in the songs and music. Two-stringed Chinese traditional musical instruments, such as teh yan, kong an yan and shu kong, harmoniously mix with Sundanese traditional instruments, such as gambang, similar to a xylophone, kromong, the ten-note gamelan, kendang leather drum, the small kenong gong and ning-nong, high-pitched bronze gamelan, in beautiful compositions.
The genre didn't change much until rural communities began to modernize the music, playing to people's attraction for modern music, such as dangdut, pop and rock.
With their dedication and love of the traditional music, Masnah and her group still hold their own despite the competition. However, they occasionally include an electric organ, bass guitar and lead guitar in their acts in a touch of modernity.
"We have to keep up with the dynamic changes so people will still be attracted to this traditional music," said Ong Gian, 47, who has performed Gambang Kromong since he was 17.
Most members of the group live in Sewan and Kampung Melayu, subdistricts in Tangerang, West Jakarta, where the majority of residents are Indonesians of Chinese descent, whose families have lived there for hundreds of years. But instead of secluding themselves, the community has assimilated into their environment, mingling with others and taking part in promoting local art and cultural heritage, such as Gambang Kromong.
Gambang Kromong is a renowned traditional musical genre in Tangerang, and holds a special place in the hearts of the people there. Gambang Kromong groups usually perform at parties, weddings, Chinese New Year -- known locally as Imlek -- and at the anniversaries of Buddhist temples.
Unfortunately, few young people care to take part in nurturing the tradition or even to see the performances.
"People, especially the youth, are more attracted to dangdut shows, rather than Gambang Kromong," said Masnah sadly.
"That is true," Ong Gian said. "It is so hard these days to find young people who will dedicate their time to learn and keep up this traditional music. Even my own children are not interested in joining in."
Currently, Masnah is grooming the two youngest members of the group, Lia, 34, and Yuli, 25, to master all the classical songs so they won't fade away.
"We are thankful to the committee who has supported this event, because this will help people learn more about Gambang Kromong and other traditional cultural performances," Ong Gian said, referring to the organizing committee of the Celebrating Indonesia cultural performance festival and exhibition, held at Plaza Senayan from Oct. 10 to Oct. 12 and Oct. 10 to Oct. 17, respectively.
"This is a good start," said Ratna Riantiarno, project officer of the Arts Appreciation Program, which also contributed to the Celebrating Indonesia festival. "Hopefully, this event will draw more interest from the public -- especially young people -- to appreciate and love our own cultural heritage more."