Government is fighting for the declaration of angklung
instrument as the global heritage.
The area is beautiful and flourished by trees, located
in the eastern part of Bandung. When evening
sets in, it becomes crowded. Tens of children are
dropped off by their parents, and there are those who
come in cars of tour buses. What’s going on in there?
There; concerts of angklung music are constantly held. It is Sundanese
people’s traditional music, and it is the angklung concert
that has become the attraction of the place namely the Saung Angklung
UJO (SAU). SAU is one of the many numbers of musical
groups that concentrate on angklung music in West Java. It can
be said that SAU is the one most active and tirelessly preserves
the angklung and makes the angklung music a favorite, and even
copycatted by musicians from the Neighboring Land of Malaysia.
In that country even, there is an area where angklung is frequently
played, with a poster that mentions that angklung is Malaysian
traditional music that is also recognized by artists from East Java.
This is a misleading poster, because in Indonesia, angklung is
commonly played by musicians from West Java.
Besides SAU, the art group that introduces angklung to foreign
lands is the Kabumi fron Indonesian Educational University.
There is also the choir from Pasundan University or Bandung
Technology University that plays the angklung.
Although in Indonesia angklung is identified more as the possession
of Sundanese artists, but those who play the angklung and
instruments of sort are not just Sundanese artists. One of the references
on the Samanyata bulletin Edition II/2009 published by
the Department of Culture and Tourism mentioned that according
to Dr. Groneman, angklung had already been a favorite of the
entire Nation even before the Hindu era.
In Bali, for example, angklung is played also, especially in the
events of ngaben (cremation ceremony). The Baduy Kanekes of South Banten also plays the angklung at time of cropping or yielding paddy fields. In Jati Village
of Serang, the term angklung gubrag is known as the instrument that is played at times of
village collective clearout, and as for the commencement of field cultivation, the Kulonprogo
calls it the angklung krumpyung.
According to Yaap Kunst in Music in Java, angklung is also mentioned to exist in South Sumatra
and Kalimantan (Soetigna in Sumarsono and Pirous, 2007: 2008). According to several
info, angklung is also known in West Kalimantan, which item is kept in the Indische Institute
Museum in Holland, listed in the catalogue No. 1297/1-2 dan 1767/1-3.
According to catalogue No. 40/58, traditional angklung is also played in Lampung. While in the
Land of Sunda alone, angklung has various names such as the Angklung Badeng, Angklung Buncis,
Angklung Dogdog lojor, Angklung Badud, Angklung Gubrag, Angklung Bungko.
The map of angklung expansion above shows that the musical instrument for the same
sort of angklung is actually not only known by the people of West Java. It could well be
too that the artists of our neighboring country knows angklung beforehand, remembering
the existence of bamboo there. However, the type of angklung as we know it now is
assured as the modification made by Daeng Soetigna, one of the angklung artists from
West Java who was the most persistent in preserving angklung.
 |
| Add caption |
Soetigna who was a teacher at the Hollandsch Inlandsche
School (HIS) of Kuningan District, West Java; was successful
in developing modern angklung, that was only in pentatonic
tones, to be made in diatonic. This angklung is commonly
called the Angklung Daeng or Angklung Padaeng.
In 1968, Daeng received the honor of “Cultural Satyalencana
Honors” from the Republic of Indonesia. Since then Daeng
mentioned the motto for angklung as the cheap, simple, educating,
and attractive musical instrument.
In 1950, Daeng Soetigna developed the diatonic angklung
in the City of Bandung. It was here that Daeng found a
highly talented and eager student namely Udjo Ngalagena.
After Daeng Soetigna departed, Udjo loyally concentrated
on angklung to date. It is the place where he
developed the angklung that stands in the beautiful and
flourished area of East Bandung.
Taufik Hidayat, SAU operational Director explained that,
Daeng Soetigna is an inseparable part of the Saung angklung
Udjo’s establishment, for it was from the said artist that Udjo’s
interest in angklung grew stronger. Located in Padasuka 188
Street of East Bandung, at the beginning Saung angklung
Udjo was only a common residence.
However, due to the interest that Udjo Ngalagena and his wife
Uum sumiati have towards angklung, their house was finally
turned into an angklung manufacturer. With time, the angklung
manufacturer spot became known and started to get visits
from foreign tourists. From there, Saung Angklung Udjo
began its development into the sundanese culture art tourism
destination as it is now.
The Indonesian Republic Government, through the Directorate
General of Art Culture and Film Value (NSBF) of the
Tourism and Culture Department, is fighting for angklung to
be enlisted the global heritage. All of the requirements for that
fight has been fulfilled and gone through. And now, we are all
in wait for the juror that was assembled by Unesco to decide.
Best of Luck.
Why should angklung be fought for as a global heritage? It is
because angklung music is not only entertainment, but also
guidance. In angklung music, there are values of discipline,
awareness of duty and obligation, democratic, tolerance, confidence,
collective work, precision, swift, and responsibility.
Angklung cannot be played alone. That is why, cooperation is
the important key in an angklung musical concert.
No comments:
Post a Comment