by admin | Jan 20, 2010 | Artikel
By I Nyoman Windha
The origins of Balinese gamelan are somewhat mysteries as there are few written records existing regarding very early forms of gamelan. From temple reliefs and existing ancient bronze drums, we can see strong early influences from China, mainland Southeast Asia and, in particular, India. In the first century A.D., Hinduism came to Java from India, along with Buddhism. These were the predominant religions in Java up to the fifteenth century, when Islam spread inland from the north coast, having traveled from Sumatra, where it had established its first strongest presence, dating back to the twelfth century A.D. To this day, Indonesian Islamic culture, particularly music, is strongest in Sumatra, particularly in the northernmost province of Aceh.
In Java persisting evidence of the path of adoption of Islam can be found in the fact that the strongest Muslim cultural layer of Central Java remains on the north coast. One popular musical genre there is the gambusan, in which four or more veiled girls sing Muslim songs, mostly in Arabic, accompanied traditionally by four tambourines, a flute (suling), and a small drum. Larger modern forms of this ensemble my additionally include four violins, a clarinet, an accordion and a gambus, which is a pear-shaped plucked lute said to have been brought long ago from the Persian-Arabic area to Pekalongan on the north coast, and to other strongly Muslim areas such as Minangkabau.
In Java, the Islamic influence on gamelan can be found in Gamelan Sekaten, the largest and loudest in Java. This ancient gamelan form is played once a year in an important ceremony. The gamelan is said to have been created by Java’s first Muslim prince in the early sixteenth century. He had built two enormous gamelan in the hope of attracting the largely Hindu population to the new Islamic faith. He ordered this large gamelan to play continuously for a week in his newly built court mosque, during the celebration of Mohammed’s birth, the Sekaten Festival. This festival still takes place every year with the gamelans at the great mosques of Surakarta and Yoygakarta.
Another important performing arts tradition descending from Arabic culture is the Qasidah. Qasidah is a classical Arabic word for epic religious poetry, traditionally performed by a storyteller-singer, accompanied by percussion and chanting. In Indonesia, Muslims practice their own versions of this by improvising lyrics in local languages that address contemporary moral issues and concerns. A modern version of Qasidah is popular. It is a pop-song form using modern western instruments, and rhythms and melodies from the popular Dangdut form which in turn borrows them from Arabic pop songs.
Current Balinese culture traces origins back through Java to India. In Java, the last great Hindu kingdom, called Majapahit, fell to Muslim rulers around 1500. Today, nearly ninety percent of Java’s population is Muslim, but the traditional arts of gamelan, dance, and theatre all have their roots in the older Hindu-Buddhist culture. In the late fifteenth century the Hindu Javanese Majapahit Empire fell to Muslim rulers. At this time, many of the Javanese princes fled eastwards across the narrow strait to Bali, taking with them their priests, dancers and musicians. To this day the Balinese religion is a unique blend of Hinduism and traditional Balinese beliefs.
In both Java and Bali gamelan music is inseparable from the arts of poetry, dance and drama. A gamelan player will be familiar with dance movements and poetry and many dancers are quite at home sitting in the gamelan. There is a very strong interrelation among different art forms, as exemplified by a tight interweaving with musical gesture and dance movement. This high degree of interrelation is signified further by the large amount of crossover for artists between different art forms. Beyond the fact that dancers and musicians can often perform competently, and even virtuosically, in either realm, musicians are often painters and wood carvers and the reverse is true also. The gamelan is rarely played on its own without accompanying dance or puppetry. Like many other Southeast Asian ensembles, it is closely linked to the theatre.
One of the most popular forms of theater in Java and Bali is wayang kulit. The wayang was originally associated with ancestor worship in the pre-Hindu era, but later adopted the Hindu stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, which have formed the basis of Javanese and Balinese dance and theatre for over a thousand years.
by admin | Jan 20, 2010 | Artikel
By Antonia Indrawati, translated by I Nyoman Suteja
Within intra-ethnic group in Indonesia the function of traditional dances is still well preserved, eventhough dance art creations are developing and becoming more and more in their quantity from time to time. Its educative, religious, recreative, and economic functions seem to be interrelated in variative configuration (Sedyawati, 1995/1996:22). This fact shows that traditional dances still function properly within the supporting community.
The performance of traditional dances is mostly used as a medium for the teaching and/or introducing the cultural values of the local community to the target audience, while giving entertainment in celebrating special events. Therefore, this kind of dances is not merely used for showing the artistic expression of the supporting artists but also as a reflection of the community as a whole.
Talking about the performance of traditional dances, specifically those of Adonara in East Nusa Tenggara, one prominent dance of this category is Tenarere dance. Tenarere is one of the various traditional dances found in the areas of East Nusa Tenggara beside those of Hedung dance, Roja dance, Moras dance, Semogo dance, Liang Namang dance, Namang Ula dance, Namang Neron dance, Nogo Oe dance, Soka Palang dance, Lili dance, Sole Oha dance, and Hegong dance, Commonly those dances have something to do with similar function, that is as an expression of thankfulness to the Almighty and their Great Anchestors for their blessing so that the community can achieve a successful harvest, a successful building of new rumah adat, and/ or others.
In general, almost all of the above mentioned traditional dances have a similar function for moral teaching related to those of adat, social life, history and recreation. However, there are some dances only function to reflect the daily life of the community, such as Buhu Lelu dance (expressing the art of the process of separating cotton from its seeds toi be ready for tenun ikat weaving)., Pute Ture dance (expressing the art of the process of weaving local tenun ikat by women group)., Neket Tane dance (expressing the art of producing local tenun ikat, starting from the process of growing cotton up to that of tenun ikat weaving)., and Tenun dance (expressing the art of making ‘ikat’).
Spesificaly speaking, the Tenarere cultural art tradition is considered to be a ritual dance which is rich in philosophical values. This dance has all the need as what Koentjaraningrat (1997: 171) says that art as one component of culture appears because of human need to fulfill their instinct need for aesthetic value. Above all, Tenarere dance is also presented to fulfill the feeling of religiosity of participating group members.
At a glimpse, this dance seems to be monotonous since from beginning up to the end it only performs repetition of the similar movements. This kind of presentation makes us difficult to understand the synopsis of the dance. To understand it, we should listen to its accompanying song. It is this song that tells us the underlying story of the dance as a whole. However, in order to have a complete understanding on the cultural art tradition related to its role for strengthening brotherhood unity of thnic group of Adonara, it is necessary that one make a holistic interpretation on all its aspects.
by admin | Jan 20, 2010 | Artikel
By : I Nyoman Murtana
Leather puppet performance in Bali considerably so classical, either the figure of wayang (puppet) or the performance. The impression shows deeply that people has given a big appreciation in deed toward tradition culture. It is due to that tradition give a guarantee in regulation and quality such as awareness, belief, norm, and has been effectively used to inform and transmit all of values used today which come from the ideas and the thing in the past to build future. The big influence of tradition culture make them neglect to have an idea to change extremely, because tradition culture is supposed to have a power to obligate them in preserving the highly valued of Balinese culture to select many kinds of global influence. The global influence is impossible to avoided, but it has been creatively responded by art performance community, included here is a leather puppet, which make them able to keep “local wisdom” and “ local genius” which is taken from local culture. The dalang (puppet player) who come from academic institution or non-academic one, they are born from dalang inherited, or the mixture of both of tem, have been a big effort to make a reproduction of values and express them in contemporary and fresh puppet performance, but never leave Balinese logic, ethics and aesthetics. It seems that mentality of puppet performance doer and art performance keeper, have been in condition to keep taste of Bali as a strong foundation to make self expression. It is not too far if puppet performance to be one of manifestation as Balinese culture border.
The Recent Situation Of Puppet Performance In Bali, Download
by admin | Jan 20, 2010 | Artikel
By: I Ketut Murdana
Balinese culture has been trusted of the world, the one of it is the uniques. That unique processed continuously in a dynamic that can forms the identity and still alive until now. This is runs evolutively as the Balinese people guidance that hold it strongly balance principle or rta (balance rule). Those principle are manifests “the union” of human mind that is balance and harmony to something different or opposite; for example the life union of body and mind, people with nature and the environment (macro cosmos and micro cosmos), the real world union (sekala) and unreal (niskala), the combination with a something contrast (colors combination in pengider buana) and etc.
Nature or the world for Balinese people as the balances, for example bhur, bhuah, shwah (hydrosphere-lithosphere-atmosphere), the balance of nature elements Panca Maha Bhuta are apah, teja, bayu, akasa and pertiwi (water, fire, wind, sky and earth) are kept harmonyly can become the friend to reach body and mind perfect life. This is can unity in every culture phenomenon also Balinese art. Kaler Surata say that the balances is a rta (nature rule) that is consist of upetti, shititi and praline (creator, keeper and destroyer). The three unity in a Ongkara or Umkara: Endless truth. The meaning is a island which the society ready to do the any actions to uphold The truth, as the source of endless truth (Kaler Surata, 1999: 29).
Bali island is become the Bhuana Padma symbol by Empu Kuturan, it is means that Bali island as the symbol of the universe sthana Hyang Widhi. By the symbol’s power Bali could become as spirit power always to do dharma or holy behavior in every ground span of Bali. Back grounding from this concept Bali island nature is seen as the great place of the God, that can hold the balances of the world and the creation source. All the mountain, lake, river, wellspring source, sea, the wind direction is assumed as sethana (place) of Gods. God who keeps all of wind direction is called as Dewata Nawa Sanga that can keep the stability and give the save and peace. In it is effected the cosmos rule as the behavior anvil to arrange shelter space, custom, arts and environment of Balinese society.
Jiwa atmaja said that the creation of painting art, dances, architecture is cosmic element that is placed on the balance rule that build totality. The elements do not be righted show the opposition with the cosmic rule. Based on the cosmic rule it looks like give the protection and power to the art environment, exactly at the time of the art touch the elements of foreign culture. (Jiwa Atmaja, 1988: 10).
This opinion shows that the base concept of Balinese art has characteristic vertical and horizontal. Vertical has the meaning of the faith that the beauty and art are come from the God Almighty and give back in the form of worship. Art has important meaning in every religion ceremony, even the religion ceremony cannot be finished without the art coming, for example leather puppet show, Sidakarya mask and so on. Horizontally has the meaning that give the benefit for all the people, therefore openly to the foreign culture. The combination of vertical and horizontal line forming cross line (+) in Balinese language is called tampak dara. Cross line or tampak dara like this often used to avoid the devils, for example: placed in front of the house door is written with vine chalk, at the end of 2005 last Balinese society a caused of commotion of colek pamor that trusted has magic power for the safety. Tampak dara line like this often used if someone has stomachache, out of breath and so on, that is written with vine chalk or charcoal that in the patient’s house. The motive of cross line or tampak dara also used as the world red cross. The development of tampak dara line motive become Suastika form, used as Hinduism symbol that symbolizing of earth and sun rotation.
That glorious values represent heritage from all Balinese ancestor which have formed an unity of family group (clan) that is so called pungkusan, soroh or wangsa. According to Singgih Wikarman: Babad source, Usana, Prasasti, Bancangah and etc. Balinese ancestor always connected with the holy and great names from the empires of Java like: Medang Kemulan, Kediri, Singasari, and the last is Majapahit. Moreover often connected to the Gods even the Great Creator (Dewa Brahma, or Sang Hyang Pasupati) until now sit in the land of Bali island. Beside that a part of mountains is placed by Original Bali people. Original Bali people according to the culture history, they come from Tonkin gulf, Kochin China (Singgih Wikarma, 1998: 3-4). Pungkusan, Soroh or Wangsa are interact and mixed esteeming each other difference in an unity of custom village bound by Pura Kahyangan Tiga (Pura Desa or Balai Agung, Pura Puseh and Pura Dalem). Until now this unity able support the Balinese custom, culture and arts in the era growth and the relation with external culture.
BALINESE ARTS AND CULTURE A flash understanding of Concept and Behavior, Download
by admin | Jan 20, 2010 | Artikel, Berita
Oleh: I Gede Oka Surya Negara (Dosen PS Seni Tari ISI Denpasar)
Ujian TA Seni Tari (ilustrasi)
Salah satu dari berjenis-jenis cerita yang di ambil sebagai lakon dalam teater-teater daerah adalah cerita Ramayana. Cerita ini mengisahkan peperangan antara Rama, Raja Ayodya melawan Rahwana, Raja Alengka. Demikian terkenalnya cerita Ramayana ini di Indonesia, sehingga mendorong hati para pujangga dan seniman untuk mengabadikannya ke dalam berbagai bentuk karya seni (Bandem, Murgiyanto, 1996 : 34). Bentuk karya seni pertunjukan tradisional Bali yang tetap eksis mengetengahkan epos Ramayana dalam penyajiannya adalah Wayang Wong.
Wayang Wong adalah nama sebuah drama tari yang terdapat dibeberapa daerah di Indonesia. Di Bali, Wayang Wong merupakan drama tari bertopeng yang menggunakan dialog Bahasa Kawi yang selalu menampilkan wiracarita Ramayana (Soedarsono , 2002 : 140).
Di Bali ada dua jenis Wayang Wong yaitu Wayang Wong Parwa dan Wayang Wong Ramayana. Perbedaannya terletak terutama pada dua hal yaitu Wayang Wong Parwa mengambil lakon dari wiracarita Mahabharata, sedangkan Wayang Wong Ramayana mengambil lakon dari wiracarita Ramayana. Semua pelaku (pemegang peran) dalam Wayang Wong Parwa (kecuali panakawan-panakawan) tidak memakai tapel, sedangkan Wayang Wong Ramayana sebalik-nya semua memakai tapel. Dalam perkembangan selanjutnya yang dimaksud Wayang Wong di Bali adalah Wayang Wong Ramayana tersebut dan Wayang Wong Parwa disebut Parwa saja (Bandem, 1983 : 147).
Munculnya drama tari Wayang Wong di Bali diperkirakan pada abad XVI (1460-1550) pada jaman Kerajaan Gelgel (Klungkung), yaitu ketika kehidupan kesenian Bali mengalami puncak kejayaannya pada jaman pemerintahan Dalem Watu Renggong (dalam Budi Artha, 2004: 1).
Berdasarkan informasi yang diperoleh dari Guru Gede Putu Tirta menyatakan bahwa sekitar abad XVII – XVIII, datang keluarga Sangging, Pande, Sangsi, Jelantik, Arya Wang Bang Pinatih dan Pasek ke Desa Tejakula yang mengawali pembangunan Pura. Kemudian datang pula para seniman yang bernama I Dewa Batan dari Desa Bunutin (Bangli), membawa tari Parwa dan I Gusti Ngurah Made Jelantik dari Desa Blahbatuh (Gianyar) membawa Tari Gambuh. Kedua tokoh inilah yang menciptakan Wayang Wong di Desa Tejakula (wawancara, 2 Februari 2006).
Informasi lainnya didapatkan dari Bendesa I Made Mudana, mengatakan bahwa sekitar abad ke – 17 Masehi, penduduk dari berbagai daerah di Bali datang ke Tejakula karena daerah ini subur, sehingga cocok bagi mereka untuk pertanian. Penduduk pendatang yang ingin menetap di Desa Tejakula, diharuskan mengikuti aturan/syarat-syarat yang telah berlaku, seperti diharuskan menanggalkan kasta, wangsa, atau kebangsawanannya (wawancara, 18 Januari 2007).
Informasi yang didapatkan ini memang benar adanya, terbukti sampai saat sekarang masyarakat Desa Tejakula tidak memakai kasta/ kebangsawanannya dalam nama-namanya yang tertulis baik secara adat maupun administrasi.
Menurut ketua Yayasan Wayang Wong Tejakukus, Bapak I Nyoman Sutaya, pantai Tejakula dahulunya adalah pelabuhan terbesar di Bali, sehingga memberi peluang masuknya para pendatang dari daerah Bangli, Gianyar, Klungkung, Buleleng, dan Karangasem yang masing-masing membawa budaya daerah, sehingga mampu meningkatkan perekonomian dan kesenian di Desa Tejakula. Salah satu keseniannya adalah berupa Wayang Wong yang merupakan pengembangan dari Gambuh dan Parwa, yaitu kesenian sebelumnya yang tidak lagi berkembang di Tejakula sekitar abad ke -18 (wawancara 17 Januari 2007).
Wayang Wong Tejakula Sebagai Sumber Cerita Dalam Karya Anggada Mada, selengkapnya.
by admin | Jan 19, 2010 | Artikel
Oleh I Nengah Duija Dosen di Fakultas Brahma Widya (Filsafat dan Teologi), IHDN Denpasar.
Berbicara tentang seni atau kesenian, maka tidak dapat dilepaskan dari kon-teks kebudayaan yang melahirkan seni itu sendiri. Pertautan ini disebabkan oleh karena seni atau kesenian merupakan bagian dari tujuh unsur kebuda-yaan yang bersifat universal, artinya sekecil atau sesederhana apapun kebu-dayaan suatu suku bangsa unsur kesenian ada di dalamnya. Menurut C. Kluckhohn, setiap kebudayaan suku bangsa terdapat tujuh unsur kebuda-yaan yang disebut cultural universal, yaitu meliputi: (1) bahasa, (2) sistem pengetahuan, (3) organisasi sosial, (4) sistem peralatan hidup dan teknologi, (5) sistem mata pencaharian hidup, (6) sistem religi, dan (7) kesenian (Koen tjaraningrat, 1990:203-204). Kesenian terdiri dari (a) seni patung, (2) seni re lief, (c) seni lukis dan gambar, (d) seni rias, (e) seni vokal, (f) seni instru-mental, (g) seni kesusastraan, (h) seni drama (Koentjaraningrat, 1985: 8).
Di Bali seni pertunjukan mengalami zaman keemasan sejak tahun 70-an, dimana seni pertunjukan di Bali cukup beragam mulai dari seni pertun-jukan yang bersifat seni Wali seperti Sanghyang, Rejang, seni Bebali yakni Gambuh, Wayang Wong, dan seni Balih-Balihan yakni Legong, Arja, Ke-byar (Bandem,1996:62). Selain itu perlu diketahui bahwa seni pertunjuk-an tradisional dalam kesenian Bali meliputi: dramatari Gambuh, Wayang Ku-lit, dramatari Topeng atau Prembon, Calonarang, Operatari Arja, Sendra-tari dan Drama Gong (Dibia, 1993:137).
Salah satu seni keagamaan (wali), yaitu Tari Baris adalah meru-pakan salah satu bentuk tari yang mencerminkan nilai-nilai spiritual dan watak kepahlawanan, yang sampai saat ini masih tetap digemari dan diles-tarikan oleh masyarakat Bali pada umumnya. Tari Baris adalah merupakan salah satu seni budaya yang masih hidup di Bali, dan di dalam keterpaduan unsur-unsur seni itu, maka unsur seni tari yang paling dominan. Karena seni tari itu tdak lepas dari kehidupan masyarakat Hindu di Bali yang selalu mempunyai keterkaitan dengan pelaksanaan upacara-upacara keagamaan.
Salah satu desa di Kabupaten Bangli yang masih kental ekspresi se-ni keagamaannya adalah Desa Adat Penglipuran. Desa Adat ini yang terda-pat di wilayah Kecamatan Bangli, Kabupaten Daerah Tingkat II Bangli. Desa Adat Penglipuran adalah merupakan salah satu objek pariwisata di Kabupaten Bangli dengan luas wilayah ± 70 Ha, dengan jumlah penduduk ± 800 orang. Desa Adat Penglipuran ditunjang dengan adanya beberapa tem-pat suci (pura) dan pementasan beberapa tari-tarian sakral pada saat upacara keagamaan. Pelaksa-naan upacara keagamaan yang diselenggarakan di Pura Penataran dan Pura Puseh Desa Adat Penglipuran selalu dilengkapi dengan pementasan tari-tarian sakral, seperti : (1) Tari Baris Jojor, (2) Tari Baris Presi, (3) Tari Baris Bedil. Pementasan tari-tarian sakral, seperti : Tari Ba-ris Jojor, Baris Presi, Baris Bedil, di samping sebagai tari penyelenggara upacara Dewa Yadnya di Desa Adat Penglipuran, juga sering dipentaskan pada saat penyelenggaraan upacara tertentu di Pura Kehen Kabupaten Bangli dan di Pura Besakih Kabupaten Karangasem.
Untuk itu pertanyaan yang dapat dirumuskan adalah : 1) bagaimana bentuk ekspresi seni di Desa Adat Penglipuran sebagai sarana pemujaan kepada Tuhan ? 2) apakah fungsi pementasan seni tari-tarian sakral bagi Desa Adat Penglipuran dalam kaitannya dengan pemujaan kepada Tuhan? 3) apa makna pementasan seni sakral di desa Adat Penglipuran yang berkaitan dengan agama Hindu dan lingkungannya sekitarnya?
Ekspresi Seni Masyarakat Tradisional Desa Adat Penglipuran Bangli Sebagai Sarana Pemujaan Kepada Tuhan, selengkapnya.
