Jamane globalisasi,jaman ingkang sarwa nggegirisi
Budaya manca ngrusak tradisi
Tradisi mati dha ra preduli
Dirusak dening acara televise sing nggegilani
….
(A Javanese song entitled Pola Palaran)
The music started to be played. Two dancers entered the stage. Their moves were on rhythm, just the same. Their costumes are identical as well, in the shades of navy blue and white. That night (8/12/2016), Kembar Sepasang dance became the opening dance of International Festival of Karawitan Gadhon 2016, a karawitan (traditional music performance) festival held by Javanese Language and Literature of Cultural Sciences Faculty UNS.
After the opening ceremonial done by UNS Rector, Pandawa Community (Paseduluran Kadang Jawa) presented Garapan “Gatra Mutiara Jawa”. As the first performer, Pandawa Community was being able to heat the atmosphere in Taman Budaya Jawa Tengah Theater Arena. The community from Javanese Language and Literature Students Association succeed in presenting energetic karawitan performance with the strong Karawitan Gadhon essence and soul. The development of this work was showed through the instruments, vocal and the way they presented the performance.
The voice of Marshalia Rose (sinden) and friends agitated the audiences’ emotion. The song lyrics sang were so ear catching. Once in a while, the audiences laughed out loud for the funny verse and the touch of theatrical action in Gatra Mutiara Jawa performance. Jamane globalisasi/ jaman ingkang sarwa nggegirisi/Budaya manca ngrusak tradisi/Tradisi mati dha ra preduli/ Dirusak dening acara televise sing nggegilani/ Goyang ngebor goyang ngecor goyang itik lan goyang meri/ We lha dalah gendheng puniki//. That is what one of the lyrics sang by Pandawa Community. It is funny, isn’t it? Anyhow, it is actually nggegirisi lan nggilani (pathetic).
Karawitan Gadhon is a gamelan performance in main instrument composition, such as gambang, rebab, gender, and kendhang. Pandawa Community adds extra instruments, such as keyboard, saxophone and also bass guitar for their performance. It is claimed as the other way to enjoy Karawitan Gadhon.
The performance of Manunggal Rasa whose members come from 5 countries (America, Japan, Italia, Hungary, and Indonesia) can steal the audiences’ attention. If you listen to the beat of kendang, the sound of siter and the other instruments played as the backsound of the singer’s voice while closing your eyes, you may not realize that the performance is done by those foreign students under the lead of Kitsie Emerson.
The Karawitan Gadhon Festival is also filled by the performance of Solo Kolektif Community(Wales), Garam Masala (England), Gadhon Mangkunegaran Modern, Laras Triyagan, Gajah Nada, Sido Mukti, Laras Kumenyar, Saraswati, Gora Swara, SOLO Junior. Their performances are done in two days; August 12-13, 2016.
Endang Tri Winarni, the Chief of Karawitan Gadhon Festival hopes this first-held festival can be a promotion media for Indonesian culture on the international scene. The performance of Karawitan Gadhon Festival as a part of Lustrum 8 UNS is a corporation momentum between UNS and various art and cultural educational institutions on the international level.
Meanwhile, UNS Rector Ravik Karsidi appreciates the foreign artists for their consideration in this Festival Karawitan Gadhon. “Through this occasion, Javanese culture can be flourished, without neglecting the root of Indonesian culture,” he explained. Ravik said that UNS should give appreciation to the foreign artist joined in this agenda of conserving karawitan. The accomplishment of this international festival is a step forward taken by UNS to be world class university by introducing karawitan to the people worldwide.
….
Pring reketeg gunung gamping ambrol
Tekad kudu jejeg, yen ra eling jebol
( A Javanese song entitled Ladang Wilujeng)
