Year 4, #4

Saturday, 23 October 2004

Laweyan, Solo

Dear Friends,

Last night we had the 4th klenengan in the 4th fiscal year of the Laweyan klenengan. Since it is the fasting month (6 days into it), we held the klenengan at Bp. Mulyadi’s in Lojiwetan. The Laweyan community is a much more strictly Islamic neighborhood and formally requested that we not hold the klenengan during fasting.

Because it was the fasting month and musicians had no commitments, the klenengan was overflowing, with people almost sitting on top of each other—over 40 male musicians, 12 sindhen, and quite a large listening audience. It seems that Bp. Mulyadi, a gamelan maker who has over 15 drop-in guests a day on average, must have mentioned the klenengan to many, as the listening audience was quite large.

Bp. Mulyadi, has been studying gender, kendhang and rebab for over 15 years now. Since the musicians know that, they offered the rebab to him on a number of occasions, and he kept politely refusing. He felt perfectly comfortable playing Wilujeng to open the klenengan at his house, but after finally being arm wrestled into playing rebab for Kencengsari he apologized profusely when the piece was over—and again at the end of the night to us specifically. I think he felt a little out of place playing at this type of event on a piece he was completely “sight-reading”. Of course I assured him that we accept whatever happens spontaneously at the klenengan and people in the USA will be interested in knowing how well he plays rebab in addition to making gamelan, etc, etc.

We had a number of new players:

  • Bp. Mariatun: an STSI student (semester 7 I believe), who is thought to have great potential on kendhang—he also happens to be blind.
  • Ibu Bero: a well-known Solonese sindhen from Kalitan who has been around for 20 years in the klenengan scene, and currently performs with Ki Purba Asmara
  • Ibu Marni: a sindhen from Sragen, brought in to the Laweyan klenengan group by Bp. Mardi

Because of a number of conflicts, it was decided that the next klenengan will be held on Friday, 12 November, still at Lojiwetan—still falling within the fasting month.

The December klenengan will not be held, as mas Wakidi and I leave for 3 weeks in the USA on December 18th. We will still have the normal 11 klenengan in a year though, since we did not take a month off for fasting. This 11 klenengan a year instead of 12 is what will allow us to give Lebaran bonuses next month.

Acara Gendhing

  1. Ldr. Wilujeng, pl 7

    Kd: Slamet Widodo (SriWedari)
    Gd: Wakidi
    Rb: Mulyadi
    Gb: Tulus
    Bn: Mardi

  2. Gd. Paseban kt 8 kr mg 16, pl 6 pt jugag

    Rb: Raji
    Kd Gd: Yadi
    Gd: Sarno
    Gb: Tulus
    Bn: Mardi

  3. BEDHAYAN pt ageng dhawah Gd. Kabor, kt 2 kr mg 4 kalj Ldr. Gleyong sw. Buka Ktw Sundhawa pt Lasem, pl 6

    Rb: Wahyo
    Gd: Karno
    Kd: Yadi
    Gb: Tulus
    Bn: Dalimin

  4. Gd. Daradasih kt 2 arang/4 arang/4 arang/3 arang mg Ldr. Uluk-Uluk, sl 9 pt wantah

    Rb: Wahyo
    Gd: Kamso
    Kd: Yadi
    Gb: Wakiyo
    Bn: Mardi

  5. Gd. Ima-Ima kt 4 kr mg 8 kalj. Ldr. Kapang-Kapang (wilet), pt nyamat jugag, pl 6

    Rb: Raji
    Gd: Sarno
    Kd Gd: Yadi
    Pn: Saptono
    Cib: Wakidjo
    Gb: Tukus
    Bn: Dalimin

  6. Ktw Sinom Parijotho, sl 9 (Ibu Nur—Bp. Mulyadi’s wife—an RRI wayang orang dancer)
    Jn. Uler Kambang, sl 9 (Marni)
    Ktw. Mijil Kethoprak, sl 9 (Bero, Tarini)

    Kd: Wakidjo
    Gd: Karno
    Gb: Wakiyo

  7. Jn. Klambi Luri, sl 9 (Yayuk)
    dolanan Kanca Ayo Kanca, sl 9
    dolanan Buta Galak dados Srepeg Mataraman, sl 9

    kd: Kuat

  8. Bawa (Yasa) dhawah Gd. Kencengsari kt 2 kr mg 4 kalj Ldr. Sri Kasusra, sl 9

    Kd: Wakidjo
    Cib: Kuat
    Rb: Mulyadi
    Gd: Karno
    Gb: Wakiyo
    Bn: Sagimin

  9. Jn Mari Kangen, pl nyamat (Dharti)
    Bawa Asmaradana (Widodo) dhawah lagu Kendhang Semarang, pl 6
    Bawa dhawah Lgm Janjine Piye, pl 6 (Dharti)

    Kd: Wakidi
    Gd: Bambang Siswanto
    Gb: Tulus
    Bn: Narto
    Rb: Darsono “cilik”

  10. Gd. Lempung Gunung kt 2 kr mg 4 (Gandrung Manis), pl 7 kalj Ldr Sarayuda dados Ayak-ayakan Mijil Larasati, Srepegan, palaran Megatruh (Darti), Kinanthi (Yayuk), Dhandhanggula Banjet (Kesi) dados Srepeg “Mataraman” (Nartosabdo), pl 7

    Kd Gd: Wakidjo
    Cib: Mariatun
    Rb: Darsono “cilik”
    Gd: Bambang Siswanto
    Bn: Sagimin

Musicians Attending

  • Rebab: Wahyo, Raji, Mulyadi, Darsono “cilik”
  • Gender: Wakidi, Sarna, Karno, Kamso, Bambang Siswanto
  • Kendhang: Yadi, Wakidjo, Kuat, Wakidi, Mariatun
  • Penunthung: Saptono, Wakidjo
  • Gambang: Wakiyo, Tulus
  • Sindhen: Dharti, Parni, Tugini, Tarini, Yayuk, Bero, Kesi, Munirah, Ratmi, Dwi, Sumini, Marni
  • Gerong: Panut, Yasa, Satimin, Widodo, Hartono “RRI”, Saido
  • Bonang: Dalimin, Mardi, Sagimin
  • (Gender Penerus: Bp. Mulyadi’s gamelan doesn’t have one)
  • Siter: Djoko Tipes, Pardi, Sular, Priyo
  • Suling: Tarno
  • Bonang Penerus: Mardi, Parman
  • Slenthem: Joko Sabar, Ripto, Slamet Widodo, Sagimin
  • Peking: Sular, Wardjina
  • Gong: Hali, Karman, Legiyo
  • Kenong: Sarsidi
  • Kethuk: Kuat
  • Balungan: Ngahono, Ngatno, Mayar, Slamet Widodo, Wardjina, Sagimin, Raji, Wiyono, Harta, Parman, Sutat, Mulyono “RRI”, Pahang, Narto, Prapto

Audience

  • Mindy Johnston, USA
  • Hanae, Japan
  • Kaori, Japan/USA
  • Dennisse, Mexico
  • Leon, New Zealand
  • Martan, Hungary,
  • Agi, Hungary
  • Ludek, Czech Republic
     
  • Lukman
  • Cipt
  • Sigit, STSI, semester 7
  • Juanda, STSI semester 7
  • Joko, STSI semester 7
  • Jarwa (Bp. Hali’s son)
  • approx. 15 STSI and SMKI students sitting outside

Budget

We spent Rp.6,600,000 or $733 ($1 = Rp.9000 at the banks).

Report written by Kitsie Emerson, Sunday 24 October 2004