Is it curtains for Samarinda's shadow puppets?
Is it curtains for Samarinda's shadow puppets?
By Sutoro T.
Wayang Banjar, the traditional shadow puppet art of Samarinda
in East Kalimantan, is dying out, unable to compete with more
sophisticated folk arts brought in by migrants.
Younger Banjar natives have not taken up the fight to save
their homegrown cultural treasure. They are indifferent to the
tradition and attracted to the influx of new arts.
Chief of East Kalimantan's arts development office Hasan Basri
acknowledged wayang Banjar was close to disappearing.
He said the reason was the loss of popularity.
It has been eclipsed by more sophisticated Javanese folk arts
like the Javanese shadow puppet, ketoprak (theater with a
historical background) and wayang orang, which are theatrical
performances based on the Mahabarata and Ramayana epics. These
Javanese arts enjoy huge popularity, evident from the many people
who turn out for performances.
Wayang Banjar is in fact only one of East Kalimantan's native
arts teetering on the brink of extinction due to loss of public
interest. In the past, the arts were performed at various
community and family events.
Wayang Banjar was introduced by artists from Banjarmasin, now
the capital city of South Kalimantan, who migrated to East
Kalimantan. Once one of the most popular performing arts in the
area, today's performances attract only a handful of spectators.
Before the Javanese migrants' dominated the art scene in
Samarinda, wayang Banjar was the main attraction in every family
festivity, like circumcisions, weddings and thanksgiving parties
as well as celebrations of national holidays.
The provincial government claims to have tried everything to
save the wayang but the efforts appear to have been in vain. The
younger people show no interest in the art form.
Several cultural centers have initiated training programs
aimed at reintroducing the art to the younger generation. They
reported that participants drop out one by one until eventually
none are left.
It has amazed cultural observers because unlike the Javanese
shadow puppet, wayang Banjar uses simpler equipment and musical
instruments.
There is only one living dalang (puppet master) of the wayang
Banjar and he is very old. When he dies, the tradition appears
set to die with him.
-- Antara