'Gatholocho', folk art with moral lessons

'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.