Year 7, #1
22 September 2007 Dear Friends, On Saturday night, 22 September, we had the first klenengan in the SEVENTH fiscal year of the Pujangga Laras klenengan. It was held at the home of Dr. Rahayu Supanggah in Benawa. Because it is the fasting month, we started at 8:30 (necessary to allow the mosques to finish the evening prayers after the opening of the fast, before the gamelan music starts). The klenengan went until 2:30 am. Each fasting month our tradition is to give out bonuses for the upcoming Lebaran holiday, and it is because of such bonuses that we only put on 11 klenengan a year. So right away with our first klenengan it was necessary to give out the Lebaran bonuses. On the average we add 50% on to each envelope, but we also just bascially made the amount a rounded even amount so there is some variation in the actual percentage that is added due to the varying honoraria. This klenengan was EXTREMELY successful and very, very “gayeng”—the Javanese term for a lively, animated and positive atmosphere. Mas Wakidi and I tried something new that may be controversial. Because of the monotony many had been feeling in the sindhen and rebab positions in particular, mas Wakidi made a “daftar penabuh” and determined ahead of time each rebab player and which sindhen would sing for merong and then inggah. His plan is to highly and wildly vary this daftar, so that many different players get a chance to play rebab, and so that we hear different sindhen in different styles and forms. We’ll see how it works, but the players on Saturday gave him numerable compliments on the new system—overall they seemed to love it. A memorable moment in the klenengan was when Bp. Darsono “vokal” gave a speech to inauguarate the 7th fiscal year. He outlined the history of Pujangga Laras, the main committeee members, the sponsors and countries they are from. Then to an absolutely silent audience (you could hear a pin drop), he listed the members of Pujangga Laras who had passed away since its inception. He is a very compelling public speaker and it was not only touching but also appropriately personal and funny as well, at times. He listed the following—and we all hope we didn’t forget anyone:
Some whispered to him to add Bp. Warto (penggerong Mangk), Bp. Hardi, and Bp. Walidi—but in fact technically they all passed away before Pujangga Laras started, but of course we recognized them as well as the whispers got passed on. Then Pak Panggah cut the tumpeng rice mountain and gave the top slice to Bu Tukinem very ceremoniously. It was a nice moment—I hope my picture came out, which I’ll pass around once I get it processed. The next month will be very busy as musicians go home for the Lebaran celebrations and then have full schedules in the weeks after Lebaran. We’ll try to schedule the 2nd klenengan in this year for the very end of October, either in Gebang (home of Purbo Asmoro) or back in Benawa again. —Kitsie Emerson, Solo/Jakarta Acara Gendhing
Musicians Attending
Audience:
BudgetWe spent: Rp 9, 125,000 or $997 (Rp. 9150= $1). Some $290 of that was on Lebaran bonuses. |
