Puppet master Ki Manteb pauses for thought

Puppet master Ki Manteb pauses for thought

Bambang M, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta

He has dedicated his life to the thing he loves most,
the art of the leather puppet show, and in doing so is helping it
become recognized as a precious cultural legacy.

Talking with leading puppet master Ki Manteb Soedharsono is like
watching his frenetic performance on stage. Jokes are
interspersed with more serious reflections as he expresses his
philosophical views.

He gesticulates as he talks, still, seemingly, playing with
his puppets. Confirming his unusual gift of the gab -- he is
usually required to perform throughout the night until the crack
of dawn -- Ki Manteb does not let up in his verbal discourse.

And he really gets going when the conversation turns to
politics, taking aim at the childish antics of the country's
legislators.

"The new members of the House are unbelievable.. they haven't
done anything yet but they are already embroiled in a squabble...
they should be able to work it out," the father of six and
grandfather of 11 said at his spacious house in Doplang village,
Karanganyar, some 30 km north of Surakarta, Central Java.

According to Javanese philosophy, he said that if a person
claims to be the only person fit for a role or task, then it is a
form of evil or ruthlessness.

For Ki Manteb, a leather puppet show is not only a medium of
entertainment but also political education and social control.
For this reason, he always keeps himself abreast of the latest
political developments in the country from the media, and then
shares his knowledge with his audience.

"I always want to give something to the public," said the man,
who considers a puppet master serves a similar role to a dai
(Islamic preacher).

He was born in Palur, Sukoharjo, on Aug. 31, 1948, with a
tradition of puppetry in his family; both his father and
grandfather were in the profession.

When he was young, Manteb and his siblings -- five boys and
two girls -- were taught to be puppet masters. They are all now
puppet masters, but it's only Manteb who has gained fame.

And just like his father and grandfather, Manteb has also
taught his three sons from his marriage to Sri Suwarni to be
puppet masters.

Manteb's success is attributable to his correct choice of a
"trademark" for his profession.

Back in the 1970s, there were two famous puppet masters --
Anom Suroto, who was renowned for his beautiful voice, and Narto
Sabdo with his mastery of Javanese literature and traditional
songs. So when Manteb made his debut, he decided to concentrate
on visual aspects.

"I must create an attractive show," he said.

He demonstrated great skill and excellence, even learning new
movements from Chinese martial arts films -- Bruce Lee and Jacky
Chan are his favorite stars. After watching the films, he would
apply some of the "new" movements in his own shows.

He quickly became known among leather puppet lovers for his
spectacular and attractive performances. In his hands, a scene
depicting a fight between a giant and a hero becomes enthralling,
just like a no-holds-barred confrontation in kung fu movies. To
lend a dramatic aspect and attract his audience, he even included
modern music from instruments such as drums, keyboard and a
violin.

He was dubbed "the devil puppet master" due to the lightning
swift movements of his hands.

Orders to perform rushed in, peaking between 1992 and 1995
where he performed every night for seven months straight. Now, he
gets an average of 15 gigs a month, at a reported fee of Rp 40
million a show.

He was also the man behind the inclusion of leather puppetry
as one of the world's cultural legacies by the UNESCO.

The inclusion started in 2003, when a UNESCO team was sent
here to observe the country's traditional arts. The team
nominated leather puppet as one of the world's cultural legacies.

But before the puppetry could be recognized, a puppet master
had to perform an important story with a maximum performing time
of five minutes. The short time was needed because in the
inauguration ceremony, 130 countries would present their cultural
items.

"I took the opportunity because no other puppet masters were
ready for this five minute performance," said Manteb.

For that show, he chose a story titled Rahwana Gugur (Death of
Rahwana). When it was performed in Wonogiri, Central Java, Ki
Manteb only needed only three minutes and two seconds, a record
time for a leather puppet show. Aside from the brief show, he
also staged the full version which lasted a whole night.

Manteb also defended his show before a UNESCO team of
examiners. He explained that despite the title, Rahwana, who
abducts Dewi Sinta in the epic story Ramayana, did not die.
Rahwana symbolizes evil, which cannot be completely eliminated
but will disappear when doomsday comes. The team of examiners
accepted his argument.

A year later, UNESCO, in its Paris headquarters, finally
recognized the leather puppet show as one of the world's cultural
legacies. Again, Manteb had to perform the brief version of
Rahwana Gugur, demonstrating his superiority while showing a
profound philosophical understanding.

Still, Manteb was yet satisfied. "Now that the leather puppets
have gained appreciation, what will happen to the puppet master?"
he asked.

Responding to his own question, Manteb performed a Bharatayuda
Jaya Binangun show -- shortening the normally seven-day
performance into 24 hours and 28 minutes nonstop, without any
rest -- at the RRI building in Semarang last year, and he entered
the Indonesian Museum of Records.

Apart from being a popular puppet master, the man, who stars
in a traditional medicine ad on television, is also an Islamic
preacher, often invited to lecture on Islamic teachings viewed
from Javanese cultural perspective.

Once, after performing a meruwat bumi rite to ward off evil in
Solo Baru area, he was approached by several members of a radical
Islamic mass organization, accusing him of propagating heresy.
Manteb responded politely and after a serious discussion, they
accepted his argument. "They even invited me to give a lecture
before their group," he said.

Despite his popularity, Manteb remains a modest person, just
like in the pictures taken by photographer Chayadi Dewanto, who
observed him for five years and recently displayed the images in
Yogyakarta.

The pictures also show the other side of him -- a large
motorbike lover with 14 big motorbikes, 12 of them are now
considered antiques.

In his spare time, he maintains his collection of thousands of
leather puppets, checking and repairing them, or examining his
gamelan orchestra that he uses to accompany his show.

He vows that he will dedicate all his life to leather puppets,
though it means he has turned down offers to become a House
member or appear in more TV commercials.

"(If I do more commercials), I'm afraid I'll be famous as a TV
commercial star than as a puppet master."

Even when he departs this world, he plans to take the love of
this life with him: He has told his heirs to bury him with all
his of his favorite leather puppets.