Year 5, #6

Friday, 17 February 2006
Home of Bp. Rahayu Supanggah, Benawa, Palur

Dear Friends,

Last night we had the 6th klenengan in the 5th fiscal year of Pujangga Laras. It was held at the home of Bp Rahayu Supanggah in Benawa, starting at 8:00 and lasting until 2:30 am. This month's klenengan was extremely full attendance-wise, as it is the Javanese month of Sura. Here was my entry last year for the Sura klenengan on February 12, 2005—still accurate I would say:

Sura is the lunar month in which, by legend, the formidable Queen of the South Seas is always marrying off one of her relatives, and a month in which mortals defer to her and don't plan weddings, circumcisions, or any other ceremony aside from various types of cleansing ceremonies. As modern as life in Solo may get (sindhen sitting glued to their handphone, text-messaging away, while not singing—in Jakarta while singing) the month of Sura remains a month for wayang of a certain variety--cleansing villages, offices, neighborhoods, etc--but not much else activity.

Unfortunately this month we had to commemorate a number of sad occurences. Last Saturday night, February. 11, Bp. Wiyono passed away at age 61. Pak Wiyono was a loyal and enthusiastic member of Pujangga Laras since its inception, a kenong and balungan player at the Mangkunegaran, and formerly a lead musician and bonang player at the Mangkunegaran. He had been to almost every Pujangga Laras klenengan for 5 years, including the most recent one in January. He died rather suddenly of lung disease.

Last Sunday night,12 February, Pak Dalimin had a stroke. Pak Dalimin is the rebab player at the Mangkunegaran and has also of course been a leading member of Pujangga Laras since its inception. On Monday Pak Dalimin checked into the hospital and was told that in addition to his stroke-related problems, he also had prostate cancer and needed to be operated on. His operation was set for yesterday—19 February—the Sunday morning after this klenengan. (He is recovering from the operation slowly and frankly rather painfully, and still has some lingering effects from the stroke as well. If you would like to be on a list to receive updates on his progress please e-mail me and let me know.)

In addition, last Monday, Bu Panggah's father passed away. Pak Panggah still very much wanted us to have the klenengan at his house however.

Therefore at around midnight the group did a "mulyararas" in memory of Pak Wiyono and Bu Panggah's father and to wish for a successful operation the next morning for Pak Dalimin. For a mulyararas, the musicians turn off the lights and play an introspective version (no senggakan, gerongan, bonangan, demung, saron, gambang—sindhenan is very soft) of a piece—usually in slendro sanga (they did Gambirsawit).

On the more positive side, we were happy to have Bp. Ratno/Kartasura come again—he hadn't shown up for years. Ki Jungkung Darmoyo (Ki Mujoko alm's son) has also become a regular as a gerong singer and rebab player, and Ki Purbo Asmoro came as well and stayed to the very end, in a show of support for the event which had been held at his house a few months ago.

The next klenengan is tentatively scheduled for Friday, 11 March at the home of Bp. Supanggah in Palur.

Acara Gendhing

  1. Pambuka Pujangga Laras, pl 5

    (Pak Wakidjo wrote this up this month, but everyone decided after playing it to make some changes—we'll try again next month with the changes)

  2. Ktw. Barikan, pl 5

    ( a piece from RRI Solo, specifically to be played during Sura)

  3. Ktw. Gd. Daradasih kt 4 kr mg 8 kalj. Ldr Playon, pt ngelik

    Rb: Wahyo
    Gd: Ratno
    Kd: Yadi
    Bn: Mardi

  4. Gd. Lobaningrat kt 4 arang mg 8 kalj. Ldr. Gonjang (wilet), sl 6 pt Kedhu

    Rb: Wahyo
    Gd: Legiyo
    Kd: Yadi
    cib: Wakidi
    Bn: Mardi

  5. Ktw Gd Ela-Ela Penganten kt 2 kr mg Ldr

    Rb: Wahyo
    Gd: Ratno
    Kd Gd: Yadi
    cib: Wakidjo
    Bn: Mardi

    MULYARARAS for Bp. Wiyono, Bp. Dalimin

  6. Gd. Gambirsawit kt 2 kr mg 4, pt jugag, sl 9

    rb: Jumadi
    Gd: Ratno
    Kd : Wakidjo

    BREAK FOR DINNER

    STSI students:

  7. dolanan Kanca Ayo Kanca, Montorku, and others
     
    Ktw Gd Sumedhang Kebar kt 2 kr mg Ldr. Gonjang Ganjing ktp Ktw. Cakrawala dados Ayak-ayakan Mataraman (a more complete version than usually known in Solo), Srepeg Mataraman, mawi rambangan Pangkur (Peni), Dhandhanggula (Sumardi), Srepeg Mataraman, Sampak Mataraman, pt jugag

    rb: Joko Raharjo "cilik"
    kd: Nandhar
    sd: Peni and others
    bn: Wawan
    gerong: Sumardi

  8. Jn. Uler Kambang, sl 9 (Yayuk)

    kd: Wakidjo
    gd: Darsono "Jepang"

  9. Gd. Erang-Erang Bagelen kt 2 kr g Ldr. Opak Apem ktp Ktw. Retna Wigena, pt jugag, pl 6
     
  10. Bawa Mijil dhawah Lgm Anteping Sih by Ibu Padmi (Yayuk), pl 6
     
  11. Lgm Wuyung, pl 6 (Berowati)
     
  12. Jn. Dudukwuluh (Parni) dhawah Gd. Kinjentrung kalj Ktw. Suka Asih, pl 7

    rb: Jungkung
    gd: Darsono "Jepang"
    kd gd: Wakidjo
    cib: Wakidi
    bn: Mardi

  13. pt manyura jugag Bawa (Tukimin) dhawah Gd. Lambangsari kt 4 kr mg 8 kalj Ldr Lipursari dados Ayak-ayakan Mijil Larasati

    rb: Wakidjo
    gd: Pahang
    kd gd: Wakidi
    kd: Panggah
    bn: Mardi

Musicians Attending

  • Rebab: Wahyo, Jumadi, Jungkung, Wakidjo
  • Gender: Legiyo, Ratno, Darsono "Jepang", Pahang
  • Kendhang: Yadi, Wakidi, Wakidjo, Panggah
  • Gambang: Wakiyo, Tulus, Narto
  • Sindhen: Dharti, Parni, Yayuk, Kesi, Tarini, Tugini, Berowati, Kaeni, Warti, Munirah, Sumini, Dwi, Taduk
  • Gerong: Panut, Tukimin, Widodo, Jungkung, Hartono RRI, Joko Raharjo "cilik",
  • Bonang: Mardi
  • Gender Penerus: Ngahana, Joko Sabar
  • Siter: Priyo, Joko Tipes
  • Suling: Mujiono
  • Bonang Penerus: Parman
  • Slenthem: Ripto, Sular, Joko Sabar
  • Peking: Mayar
  • Gong: Karman, Kuat
  • Kenong: Sarsidi
  • Kethuk: Mujiono
  • Balungan: Ngahono, Wakiyo, Joko Tipes, Warjinah, Parman, Sular, Pahang, Legiyo, Sutat, Ngatno, Slamet Widodo, Saido

Audience

  • Marc Benamou, USA
  • Mindy Johnston, USA
  • Miki, Japan
  • Niamh, Ireland
  • Lucek, Czech Republic
  • Kaori, Japan
  • Hanae, Japan
  • Kaoru, Japan
     
  • Purbo Asmoro
  • Waridi
  • AL Suwardi
  • Lukman
  • Bp. Raji, for the second time and with the welcome intent to make it a tradition, brought a group of STSI students to play while the older musicians were having dinner, which made for a nice mix of ages throughout the night.

Budget

We spent Rp. 6,510,000 ($713 with Rp. 9,123 = $1).

Report written by Kitsie Emerson, Jakarta/Solo, 18 February 2006