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)