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.