KLG presents 'Lima Gunung Award' to elderly sinden

The Lima Gunung Community (KLG) in Magelang, Central Java, has presented its annual Lima Gunung Award to 81-year-old traditional Javanese singer Sukitri, affectionately known as Mbah Kitri, as part of the 25th Festival Lima Gunung. The award was given in recognition of her lifelong dedication as a sinden, dancer, and gamelan player from Pakis District, and for her family’s enduring legacy in the art of puppetry. As Mbah Kitri was unable to attend the festival due to her advanced age, the award was accepted on her behalf by her son, dalang Triyono, and presented by KLG founder Sutanto Mendut. The award ceremony took place at the peak of the independently organised festival, held by farmer-artists from the Merapi, Merbabu, Andong, Sumbing, and Menoreh mountain communities. The certificate was signed by key KLG figures including Sutanto Mendut, Sitras Anjilin, Sujono, Supadi Haryanto, M Hari Atmoko, Sih Agung Prasetyo, and Endah Pertiwi. Since 2023, the Lima Gunung Award has honoured individuals dedicated to tradition, culture, science, the environment, peace, spirituality, and public virtue. During the event, a young sinden from Ketep and a grandson of Mbah Kitri performed Javanese songs. Dalang Triyono expressed gratitude for the award, noting that Mbah Kitri’s descendants continue to practise traditional arts, particularly puppetry and karawitan. The festival, themed ‘Makin Goblok Bareng’ as a call for humility in facing life’s challenges, featured 85 art groups with 1,274 performers from within the community, neighbouring villages, and other Indonesian cities. Activities included traditional, modern, and contemporary art performances, exhibitions, poetry readings, discussions, and a cultural procession. The peak event featured a procession led by community elders carrying a mountain of vegetables, accompanied by truntung music and Javanese songs, culminating in the beating of a bedug drum and various stage performances.