Traditional music marks annual thanksgiving festival

Text and photos by Mulkan Salmona

SUKABUMI, West Java (JP): Something interesting happened two weeks ago in Cipta Rasa hamlet in the village of Sirna Rasa, Cisolok subdistrict, in the regency of Sukabumi.

Cipta Rasa field, which is usually quiet, on that very Sunday, turned into a scene of festivity. In the middle of the square, about 100 bundles of paddy were tied to a bamboo pole, ready to be pounded or stored. Several farmers, dressed in black, approached the pole and picked up some bundles of paddy and tied them to a bamboo carrying pole called reunggong. There were holes in the bamboo poles, so that when they were moved to the left and to the right, a rhythmic sound was heard, like the thunderous sound of the wind.

Meanwhile, in another corner was a dog-dog lojor group of artists ready with their bamboo musical instruments, drums and a trumpet. Suddenly, one of them shouted loudly as a sign to start the show. They played their instruments together, swaying their hips as they strode. The rhythm of the drum was like the repeated sound of gunfire, the soft sound of angklung (a musical instrument consisting of suspended bamboo tubes which sound when shaken) and the shrieking sound of trumpet, all this made the atmosphere increasingly lively and very interesting, even without the sound of the reunggong. It was extremely astonishing and was like a presentation of contemporary music.

But this was not a music concert. It was the seren taun, an annual thanksgiving festival, held by the villagers to express their gratitude after harvest time.

The ceremony continued with the appearance of a group of young, long-haired women wearing batik. Accompanied by an older woman, they walked slowly, carrying baskets of paddy. Then they sat with an old man who was putting those bundles of paddy in order on the grass. When the young women surrounded him and put down their baskets, the old man began to burn incense for the ceremony, and read out magic formulas while swaying the already smoking incense, asking almighty God's blessing so that everything would run well and smoothly.

The old man then stood up and signaled to a bare-chested man with a machete at his waist. The latter suddenly drew the machete and slashed his arm with the it. He also sliced areas of his neck and tongue. But not a single drop of blood, however, appeared. Then some people in his group copied what he did.

Then the old man then asked them to line up, and was followed by other groups.

A group of men with divine power then moved slowly in front while demonstrating their supernatural powers. Behind them were the long-haired young women, followed by the group carrying paddy in bundles, the group of dog-dog lojor artists, another group of paddy carriers and finally farmers and their wives.

This procession moved toward the square and the residence of their leader, Abah Anom, about one-kilometer away. Along the road, there were crowds of locals and visitors waiting, as well as hawkers. As the road rose steadily upward, they had to walk slowly in order not to slip and fall. After crossing rice fields and houses, they arrived at the town square and were welcome by married women who were pounding the paddy in a long mortar called lesung.

The procession stopped for a while to watch the women before they went to the Leuwih Jimat rice barn.

Abah Anom and his family, invited guests such as officials of the regional government and relevant institutions were waiting in front of the rice barn. There was also a group playing kecapi (plucked stringed instruments) and suling (flutes), and singing Sundanese songs. The songs said we should live peacefully and amiably, not reciprocally taking that which is not ours and to be wiser in upholding harmony.

What started out as a loud affair turned into a serene one, especially when the paddy was put in the rice barn. Abah Anom and his family later entered the barn and when they emerged several minutes later, they were welcomed by music from the dog-dog lojor group.

The ceremony then continued in the nearby village meeting hall, where elderly figures of the South Banten community had gathered.

The main event was a speech from Abah Anom on sustainable rural development and aid to the neighboring villages' citizens who were suffering from difficulties.

"The community must care for the environment; don't till the land at will as there is a kind of land that can be tilled for plant growing, but there is also another kind of land that can't be cultivated," he said.

When the speech was over, he invited the audience to observe his people's products in the form of vegetables and small handicrafts, and asked them to enjoy the refreshments.