Reform era a boon for costume maker

Reform era a boon for costume maker

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Dul Wahab is proof that it is not only
politicians who found a new lease on life when the reform
movement was launched by students in 1997.

"For me, reform is a blessing," said the 68-year-old maker of
costumes for the barongsai (lion dance) at his modest residence
in Kemetiran Kidul GT II/818, Pringgokusuman village, Gedong
Tengen, Yogyakarta.

He was not exaggerating. Public performances of Chinese
traditional arts were forbidden during the "divide and conquer"
rule of the New Order. Today, they are undergoing a revival.

"While Pak Harto (Soeharto) was still in power, no one had the
courage to dance barongsai in public. It made me sad because I'm
a barongsai lover. Now, I'm overjoyed because barongsai is no
longer forbidden in public."

The newfound freedoms helped him change his line of business,
from being a mask maker to a barongsai costumer -- and he is
doing well at it.

Using old paper and cardboard, the father of six makes
barongsai of various sizes. He sells a small barongsai for Rp
30,000 and a medium-sized one for Rp 100,000. Children usually
play small and medium sized barongsai. Adult players use larger
costumes, which Dul Wahab sells for Rp 500,000 each.

"I can complete a medium sized barongsai in 15 days, while the
big ones need an average of a month to finish. For small sizes, I
can produce 20 of them in a month."

He learned how to make animal masks from a man of Chinese
descent named Bah Codot. When he was young, he would spend his
time after school at Bah Codot's house, watching him make the
masks.

Realizing how interested little Dul Wahab was in the work, Bah
Codot was motivated to teach him. Dul Wahab was happy even though
he was only given food and drink in return for his help. He
received his first payment after a lion mask he made was
considered successful.

Bah Codot was killed in the Independence War in Yogyakarta in
1949. "He was shot dead by a Dutch soldier. I cried when I heard
about his death," Dul Wahab said.

It forced him to look for another activity. He then joined a
martial arts club named BIMA. In 1957 he was one of the members
of the club chosen for a foreign cultural mission, visiting
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Egypt and the Soviet Union.

His martial arts skills enabled him to master the movements
for the barongsai dance.

Although Dul Wahab is not of Chinese descent, the art form is
not strange to him. He became familiar with the dance during his
childhood, often watching the Ho Hap Barongsai Club rehearse.

As a teenager, he spent most of his time dancing with a number
of barongsai clubs. He was forced to stop these activities when
he became a civil servant in the early 1950s and was assigned to
the sports department of Yogyakarta's office of education and
culture. He retired in 1991.

Retirement allowed Dul Wahab to spend more time with his other
love of refereeing soccer matches, for which he received national
accreditation.

"Actually, becoming a referee was only an escape for me
because I had nothing else to do after I retired," he said.

Due to old age, however, Dul Wahab was forced to give up
refereeing and become a match inspector. The frequency of the
matches is not consistent, and he looked for an additional way to
earn income.

Then a new window of opportunity opened when Soeharto stepped
down, reform set in and the barongsai made its return.

He put his experience making masks to a new use for the
barongsai costumes. He joined a local club, Naga Mataram, and was
elected its vice chairman.

It has brought him new and exciting experiences, such as being
invited to perform the dance at the Yogyakarta kraton (palace)
earlier this month. The invitations for events continue to flood
in, sparking his business instincts to produce the costumes for
other clubs.

He said mask-making and producing the costumes were very
similar. Another way for him to earn income is through
establishing a barongsai club, Isakuiki, specifically for
children from kindergarten to elementary school age. He provides
all the costumes for them.

The young performers are proving popular with audiences.

Requests for them to perform are remarkably frequent and they
are now averaging two to three shows a week.

"The orders we receive are actually more than that, but we
decided to accept only two to three a week. They are still
children anyway. I cannot force them to perform more, although
they themselves are happy with the orders because more
performances mean more money for them."

Dul Wahab was indeed right when he said the new era was a
"blessing" for him, as it is for many others in the country
learning to live and let live without fear and suspicion. (Tarko
Sudiarno and Nugroho CH)