Year 1, #7

Saturday, 19 January 2002
Kerajinan Gamelan Bp. Mulyadi, Lojiwetan, Solo

Dear Klenengan Friends,

First a sad announcement for those of you who have not yet heard--Pak Sastratoegiyo passed away early Saturday morning in Delanggu. Below is a copy of the notice I posted on the gamelan list earlier:

I'm sorry to pass on the sad news that Bp. Sastratoegiyo died on Saturday morning, January 19. He was 82 and basically in good health, but suffering from a variety of miscellaneous, chronic ailments. He may have had renal failure, according to the nature of the reports, but it could be said he just died of "old age". He was active up to the end. Last month he sang gerong at the monthly klenengan in Lojiwetan, and just 3 weeks ago played gender for an all-female wayang orang production at RRI, organized together with Bu Listyarini. On Friday night he was walking around his kampung socializing.

Bp. Sastra lived in Delanggu outside of Solo, and was a highly-respected bawa and gerong singer at RRI Solo in the 50's, 60's, 70's, and early 80's. He had no biological children of his own, but many (including foreign students) that he took under his wing as a father figure. Almost every major musician in town attended his funeral yesterday, with Bp. Panggah and Bp. Saguh speaking at length. Alex Dea spoke very eloquently, and spontaneously, on behalf of Pak Sastra's foreign students. Then last night, at the monthly klenengan in Lojiwetan, the musicians played Menyan Kobar at midnight (muryararas) in rememberance of Pak Sastra.

A fond farewell to Pak Sastra and expressions of our immeasureable graditude for what he passed on to us.....

Kitsie Emerson

Last night we went ahead with the seventh of the monthly American-sponsored klenengan. It took place at Bapak Mulyadi's in Lojiwetan, as usual, starting at 8:00 pm and running until 2:00 am. The attendance was the highest yet. The feeling of the group is starting to gel nicely too, with less and less posturing for who plays what instrument and what pieces get played. Musicians who aren't playing for a particular piece are much more relaxed about just sitting and joining in whatever way they can (keplok, gerong, joking, or even sometimes for certain musicians and certain pieces, finding some notation and following along).

Last night's mood was affected by the death of Pak Sastratoegiyo early Saturday morning. Most of the musicians had attended the funeral at 2 pm, and there were many expressing the view that Pak Sastra was undoubtedly attending the klenengan in spirit. It wasn't a somber affect, but rather seemed to be a feeling of being united as a family of musicians--having just been powerfully reminded of that sitting together at Pak Sastra's grave earlier in the day.

--Kitsie Emerson, 19 January 2002

Acara Gendhing

  1. Ldr. Wilujeng, sl. manyura

    rebab: Wakidjo, gender: Kamso, kendhang: Wakidi

  2. Ketw. Gd. Daradasih, kt 4 kr mg kt 8 kalj. Ldr. Kagok, pl lima (pak Wahyo's request) pt ngelik jugag

    rebab: Wahyo, gender: Kamso, kendhang: Yadi, penunthung: Wakidjo, bonang: Dalimin, gambang: Wakiyo

  3. Gd. Kanyut, kt 4 kr mg 8 kalj. Ldr. Peksi Kuwung (wilet), sl. nem (pak Wahyo's request) pt. wantah

    same line-up

  4. Gd. Lonthang kt 4 arang mg 8 kalj. Ldr Sukarsih - Ketw. Martapura, pl nem (pak Wahyo's request, ldr/ketw Pak Yadi's idea) pt. lasem

    same line-up but Bp. Karno on gender

  5. Gd. Kenceng Barong kt 2 kr mg 4 kalj Ldr. Kagok Madura, suwuk gropak, sl sanga (pak Dalimin's request) (evidently it's supposed to be minggah kendhang, not ciblon--they this discussed afterwards) ada-ada, Srepegan dadi Palaran Pangkur (Mulyani), (Yasa), Pangkur "Surangga Greged" (Parni)

    rebab: Dalimin, gender: Kamso, kendhang gendhing: Yadi, ciblon: Wakidjo, bn: Sagimin

  6. MURYARARAS in memory of Bp. Sastratoegiyo (gendhing Pak Saptono's idea)
    Gd. Menyan Kobar

    rebab: Saptono, gender: Kamso, kendhang: Wakidjo

  7. pt. jugag pl 7 Bawa dhawah Gd. Jangkung Kuning kt 2 kr mg 4 kalj. Ldr. Randangangsu

    rebab: Saptono, gender: Bambang Siswanto, kendhang: Wakidi, gambang: Tulus, bonang: Dalimin

  8. Jineman Uler Kambang, pl 7 (Kesi)
    Jineman Kandheg, pl 7 (Parni)
    Jineman Sarkara (Kesi)

  9. pt slendro manyura jugag Bawa (Darsono) dhawah Ldr. Loro-Loro Topeng kalj. Ketw. Branta Mentul

    same as above but kendhang: Yadi, except for Ketw: Mujiono

  10. Ayak-ayakan Mijil Larasati

    ciblon: Mujiono

Musicians Attending

  • Rebab: Wahyo, Dalimin, Saptono
  • Gender: Kamso, Karno, Bambang Siswanto
  • Kendhang: Yadi, Wakidjo, Wakidi, Mujiono
  • Sindhen: Mulyani, Parni, Tukinem, Dharmi, Kesi
  • Gerong: Panut, Yasa, Diman, Darsono/STSI Gambang: Wakiyo, Tulus
  • Gender Penerus: Joko Sabar, Darsono "cilik" Bonang: Dalimin, Sagimin
  • Bonang Penerus: Sagimin, Ripto, Danis
  • Suling: Tarno
  • Siter: Joko Tipes, Pahang
  • Gong: Pahang, Ali
  • Kenong: Sarsidi
  • Kethuk: Kasim
  • Slenthem: Ripto, Mulyono
  • Peking: Ali, Ngatno
  • Balungan: Wiyono, Tulus, Raji, Ngahana, Karman, Mujiono, Sutat

Younger Javanese musicians/students (I'll list these separately, as some have been interested in the younger musicians and if they are attending):

  • Bambang Siswanto
  • Danis (Makam Haji)
  • Darsono "cilik" (Bp. Saguh's son)
  • Nyoman (mbak Parsih's little brother, just entered SriWedari as a dhalang and musician)

Audience

  • Alex Dea, USA
  • Kaoru, Japan
  • Akiro, Japan,
  • Miki, Japan (it was her last one--she's leaving on the 29th to go back to Japan) Rainer, Germany
  • Marzana, Poland
  • Niemh, Ireland
  • Esther, England
  • Sophie, England
  • Katherine, England
  • Lukman

Budget

The rupiah has been at Rp. 10,250 this week at the banks, and we spent Rp. 3,800,000, or about $370 this month--below our $400 monthly limit. We only spent Rp. 3,300,000 on the klenengan, but I gave Rp. 500,000 to Pak Sastra's family in the name of his North American students.