'Gatholocho', folk art with moral lessons
Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
During Soeharto's regime, Serat Gatholocho, a Javanese chronicle, was banned because it was deemed offensive to a particular religion. Now, five years after the regime fell, it remains unclear whether the ban has been lifted.
The ban also knocked down a local folk art by the same name although the connection between the book and the art is debatable.
Notwithstanding the ban, in a small village on the slopes of Menoreh mountain range in Magelang, Central Java, a folk dance called Gatholocho is still alive and kicking.
"I don't think the Gatholocho art is in any way related to the book. To the best of my knowledge, this art form has been passed on for at least three generations," an elder, Jaelani, 78, told The Jakarta Post.
In the village of Pringapus, Magelang, Gatholocho made a comeback in 2001 after decades of absence.
"Some senior citizens here still have a good memory of the art so they could help considerably when I asked them to revive this folk art. Largely because of the written record of the art that my late grandfather had made, we had no difficulty in reviving this folk art," said Agus Purwantoro, the head of the Gatholocho troupe, Sungguh Gatholocho Madyo Pitutur.
Like some other folk dances in the region, Gatholocho relies on the accompaniment of rebana (tambourine), and drums that come in three sizes.
The movements are a combination of classical Javanese dance, martial art and modern fitness exercises. The costumes of the all-male dancers show a blend of the western fashion and the traditional Javanese style, a combination reminiscent of the uniform that the Dutch colonial soldiers usually donned.
Lyrics are sung to accompany a Gatholoco performance. Each of them has its own mission and the themes vary, ranging from traditional customs and mores, the changing of seasons, agriculture, health and beliefs on how to get along with people.
Purwanto, a graduate of Indonesian Institute of Arts in Yogyakarta and now residing at Pringapus village, said this art, which specifically belongs to the Pringapus villagers, was created some time in 1942 by a man named Mbah Suryan.
Strangely, as a ban was slapped on Serat Gatholocho, the Gatholocho performance also sank into oblivion.
A Gatholocho performance usually lasts the whole night and involves 20 dancers and 10 music players. Each song has its own particular meaning and also entails a different dance movement. Interestingly, after one song is sung, one of the dancers will go into a trance, a reason why there is a mystical element in this dance.
The dancer will ask that the most favorite song be sung. Usually this is a campur sari, a type of modern Javanese song now gaining great popularity. When this song has been sung, the dancer will regain his consciousness after throwing his body at one of the drums.
The part of the performance in which a dancer goes into a trance is usually the most exciting part for the audience because the dancer will usually make funny movements or say humorous words. It is this comical element of the performance that may be the reason why the performance is called Gatholocho, a word coined from the Javanese words of grathul-grathul ning lucu (broken but funny speeches)," said Mbah Jaelani, who was an active Gatholocho performer in the 1960s.
In short, Gatholocho is a traditional folk art containing a deep philosophical substance, a form of entertainment that combines the elements of humor and mysticism and is easy to digest.
Gatholocho to be performed on Oct. 18, 2003 between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta.