JP/18/KINART

JP/18/KINART
checked --JSR

In memoriam
A versatile, talented and highly popular 'dalang'

V. Sudarna
Contributor/Surakarta

Oct. 7, 2005, marks the 20th anniversary of the death of the
highly regarded Javanese dalang (wayang puppeteer) Ki Nartosabdo.

During his life he was a favorite with wayang-lovers,
including late president Sukarno. The latter even gave him a set
of his formal clothing that was still in perfect condition,
complete with peci (black velvet cap) as a special gift to the
wayang (Javanese leather puppet show) maestro.

Ki Nartosabdo was born on Aug. 25, 1925, in a small village,
Wedi, Klaten, Central Java province. He was buried at Bergota
cemetery, Semarang.

Although he was only an elementary school graduate, Ki Narto
became an expert in Javanese language and literature. He studied
many books on wayang stories, Javanese songs, lessons and
techniques in how to be a good dalang etc., at museums and
libraries in Surakarta.

He wrote innumerable Javanese music compositions and lyrics
for gamelan, which soon made him popular as a modern Javanese
lagu dolanan (popular song) composer. Among his well-known works
are Turi-Turi Putih, Ibu Pertiwi, Swara Suling and Perahu Layar.

In 1969, Ki Narto established a wonderful krawitan (a 15-piece
Javanese orchestra that uses traditional musical instruments,
accompanied by songs using male and female voices) known as
Condong Raos.

The group still exists to this day, meeting at Ki Narto's
house in Semarang.

Hundreds of audio cassettes containing Javanese songs with
krawitan" accompaniment have been produced by the group.
Unfortunately, videotaping was unusual then, so little exists of
Ki Narto in performance by way of recorded moving images.

However, some forty wayang stories recorded on eight, hour-
long cassettes are still available in large towns.

Among these are stories of Narayana's wedding, the birth of
Wisanggeni and Pandawa's descent into gambling,
Gatotkaca's graduation ceremony as a young and handsome king in
Kayangan (heaven), Anoman's rage over Alengka, the death of
Kumbokarno, Sinta's virginity testimony, and so on.

Ki Narto was given the formal title dalang for his onstage
performance at Radio Republic Indonesia Jakarta in 1958. Since
then, his name became much more widely known. Suara Merdeka daily
newspaper in Semarang awarded him the title "Man of the Year" in
1979.

One year beforehand, he was proclaimed the most favorite
dalang and, in 1982, the Department of Education and Culture
awarded him the title Anugerah Seni. According to Suara Merdeka,
his last performance was in front of the Semarang local
government office on Sept. 15, 1985, to welcome the Javanese new
year (1 Syuro).

Ki Nartosabdo also succeeded in organizing a popular group of
Yogyakarta comedians (the Basiyo group) into an association of
Javanese traditional art lovers, where he occasionally joined in
as one of the jokers.

Many of this group's audio recordings are still available for
those who enjoy listening to dagelan (Javanese skits) that last
about an hour.

Before his debut as a famous puppeteer, Ki Narto was a member
of the gamelan orchestra in the well-known wayang orang theater
group, Ngesti Pandawa, in Semarang. This was led by Ki
Sastrosabdo who, besides playing the role of Petruk, always kept
a firm hand on the organizational tiller.

Ki Narto's favorite part in the orchestra was to play drums.
(He could play more than four simultaneously).

In every performance as dalang Ki Narto not only presented his
wayang figures in Surakarta style but also included elements of
other styles that originated from Banyumas, the Mataram kingdom,
Sunda, Surabaya and elsewhere.

These variations were evident in the narrative style, suluk
(recitation of lyrics), antawacana (voices used for the various
puppet characters), the gamelan playing style and so on.

He also succeeded in bridging the gap between the Surakarta
and Mataraman styles.

May this maestro of local art and culture rest in peace.