Theater keeps traditional ties

Theater keeps traditional ties

By Yenni Kwok

JAKARTA (JP): There is a new buzzword for artistic styles. It
is cengkok.

Coined by Ki Hadi Sujiwo Tejo in a discussion of "Theater and
Tradition" recently at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta,
the Javanese-rooted cengkok has connotations beyond its formal
meaning, which is "accent" as well as "singing style".

Madurese speaking Indonesian have a different cengkok from
Banyuwangi people. A pesinden, or Javanese traditional singer,
from Surakarta has her own cengkok, distinct from an East Java
pesinden.

In the discussion, with ethnomusicologist Endo Suanda, cengkok
took on a broader meaning. It became a style or characteristic
inherited from surrounding cultures or traditions.

"I imagine that cengkok is born and nurtured by tradition,"
said Sujiwo, who is also a dalang (traditional puppeteer) and
Kompas daily's celebrated cultural correspondent.

Indeed the relationship between traditions and theater seems
to parallel the mother-child relationship. They have a bond that
is difficult to break. And the child is likely to inherit its
mother's physical or spiritual traits.

Sujiwo easily pointed out the traditional traits among
Indonesia's leading theater groups.

Bengkel Teater's Oedipus and Rituals of Solomon's Children
reminded him of a Javanese warrior dance. In Teater Populer's
Jayaprana Loyansari, some characters posed as if they were in a
Balinese dance. Yogyakarta based Teater Gandrik has some of the
traits of Central Javanese ketoprak, while Teater Koma is seen as
a modern version of ludruk.

He even compared two performances by Studiklub Teater Bandung,
Kartoluwak and Julius Caesar. He said that Kartoluwak, which was
based on Sundanese tradition, had received good reviews. What
about Julius Caesar?

"The costumes were Roman, but it was in Indonesian. It sounded
like dubbed TV soap opera," Sujiwo scoffed.

"Cengkok is a basic ingredient. It needs to be learned," said
Sujiwo. He argued that many theaters were dying because they had
not developed with cengkok.

Members of the theater community who attended the discussion
agreed. Says Ratna Sarumpaet, leader-director of Satu Merah
Panggung: "Young theater groups need traditions to develop their
characteristics."

Nevertheless, there were disagreements about whether tradition
was the only source of cengkok. What happens if a theater group
does not base itself on local traditions? Does it become a
prodigal son who wanders off and fails?

Endo clearly doesn't think so. He thinks that cengkok is
formed not only by tradition, but also by modern, western
culture.

Style

"If we see cengkok as style, depth or a system, doesn't modern
theater also have cengkok? It has its own cengkok, originated
from western, eastern, northern or southern traditions," he said.

Endo sees nothing wrong with basing one's self on western
traditions. Because some "prodigal sons" will eventually pay
homage to the home traditions.

Musicians like Slamet Syukur or Tony Prabowo may depart from
western music, but they then turn to traditional arts, without
leaving their western characteristic.

In turn, they develop their own cengkok. "City cengkok, that
is," Endo said.

This is the difference between Endo and Sujiwo. Endo said, "I
don't suggest theater should go back to traditions. Modern
theater will create its own cengkok."

Sujiwo, however, argues that the need to explore traditions is
not merely philosophical or ideological. "This is not romanticism
on my part -- saying our traditions are divine," he said.

Instead, adopting traditions could be purely practical. Sujiwo
says traditions sell because they are unique. He talked about a
Sundanese gendang player going to the United States. Being the
only expert there, the player was commercially successful; he was
invited all around the country.

Sujiwo complained that only a few theater groups incorporated
traditional arts into their performances, but Dindon WS of Teater
Kubur said that traditional traces were not always visible.

In some Teater Kubur performances Dindon opened with prolonged
drumming on empty oil-drums. Oil drums were never present in Bode
traditions. Yet, the prolonged musical intro is uniquely Bode.

"Memories of the past will always accompany a creative
process," Dindon said. "If we study people's creations, we will
probably find that they can't be detached from the artist's
memory."

Sujiwo also acknowledged the spiritual presence of traditions.
"I don't suggest transferring traditions to the modern theater,"
he said. "It is more like a spiritual adaptation of traditions."