Seren Taun

The Jakarta Post, Sat, 01/22/2011

Seren Taun: Seren Taun---People march during the Seren Taun traditional ceremony at Oasir Eurih village, Bogor, on Saturday. Celebrating Seren Taun in respect of God as their harvest provider, has been avoided due to bad weather and pests.(JP/Nurhayati)

Indonesia is brother country for Suriname: deputy

Antara News, Thursday, January 6, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Numbers of Javanese people living in Suriname make Indonesia become the brother country for Suriname, said Angelic Caroline Alihusain, Suriname Ambassador to Indonesia, here Wednesday.

"Since many of Javanese descendants are there, automatically Javanese culture is strongly felt in Suriname. And the fact that they have been merged into Suriname nation makes Indonesia be not only a friend state for Suriname, but more that become brother country," said Angelic after signing the Commemorative Cover in the Framework of 35th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relation between Indonesia and Suriname.

Angelic said 120 years ago, there was a Javanese stepped in Suriname land for the first time and hence created history of Javanese people who lived in the country which most of the citizens were descendants.

The signing took place in Ministry of Culture and Tourism building, which was also attended by General Secretary of the Minister, Wardiyatmo and also General Director of Post and Telecommunication Muhammad, Budi Setiawan.

Wardiyanto said Javanese descendants had been an influence group in Suriname, either in administration or society.

"There are five Javanese descendants who become Ministers in the republic of Suriname; and it shows that Javanese is strongly related to Suriname," he said.

Moreover, he added, the signing of Commemorative Framework did not only become the follow up of Culture Changes Program, which was conducted in September 2010, but also as the effort to explore bilateral relationships in any sectors.

"Since culture is the root of bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Suriname, I wish after this framework signing, we will have bilateral relationship in many sectors, especially in economics," he said.

Related Article:

Tracing the life history of Javanese-Surinamese

A song for humanity

The Jakarta Post, Antara, Jakarta | Thu, 12/09/2010

A song for humanity: Sundanese chanteuse Novia Kolopaking sings accompanied by the Kiai Kanjeng traditional orchestra at the Jakarta Playhouse, Central Jakarta, on Thursday, in a show exploring the idea of humanity through musical genres ranging from dangdut to jazz. (Antara/Rosa Panggabean)

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Audio slideshow: Afghan sings for peace

Atilah Soeryadjaja: Celebrating Javanese female warriors

Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 10/20/2010 10:51 AM

When Javanese royal Bandoro Raden Ayu Atilah Soeryadjaja read a headline on a Singaporean newspaper stating that her hometown, Surakarta, was haven for terrorists, she was furious.

JP/Prodita Sabarini

Central Java city, also known as Solo (Surakarta), had been used as a hiding place for terrorist leader Noordin M. Top before he was killed last year in a siege on the city’s outskirts.

The headline sent shivers down 49-year-old Atilah’s spine. As the granddaughter of the Javanese king Mangkunegara VII — born and raised in the court of Mangkunegaran — she felt inspired to restore Surakarta’s image as one of the country’s centers of Javanese culture in the way she knows best.

One of the founders of the Mitra Wayang Orang Indonesia, a group of Javanese opera lovers consisting of socialites who train and perform Javanese plays, Atilah decided to produce an epic Javanese play based on the life story of her ancestor, Raden Ayu Matah Ati, the wife of the first Mangkunegaran King Raden Mas Said.

With a team of 95 dancers and musicians, Atilah will present the play Matah Ati on Oct. 22 and 23 at Singapore’s prominent art center Esplanade.

At her house in Imam Bonjol, Central Jakarta, Atilah said she had set her eye on Esplanade for her play since she had conceived the idea — one of the reasons being the art center is located in Singapore, where the newspaper with the disturbing headline is based.

Esplanade’s prominence in presenting high quality performing art attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world was another reason.

“We can’t counter [the headline] with anything. But with our best work, we can show them. I didn’t tell anyone. For two years I developed the play, and rehearsed. This is for our culture and to return Solo’s image [as a center of Javanese culture],” she said.

The play is presented in the spirit of langendriyan, which Atilah explained as Javanese opera consisting of dance and singing. Atilah wrote and directed the play after carrying out extensive research on her ancestor. She was also hands-on with the actors’ costumes.

Atilah said the story highlights the life of Rubiah, who became Raden Ayu Kusuma Matah Ati after tying the knot with Raden Mas Said, and portrays her as a strong Javanese female. Rubiah was the leader of a 40-strong group of Javanese female warriors.

“I wanted to share that during that time, in the 18th century and even before, Indonesia already had a tradition of female warriors, consisting of farmers and housewives. They joined the fight.”

Rubiah, Atilah said, was a simple village girl from the village of Matah who was a gifted dancer. “She is actually the descendant of Sultan Agung, from the fourth of fifth line. Her father hid in Matah when there was conflict in Mataram,” she said, referring to the 17th century king of Mataram kingdom.

There are two versions of Rubiah’s name after she married Mas Said: Raden Ayu Kusuma Matah Ati and Raden Ayu Kusuma Patah Ati. Both “Matah” and “Patah” mean “to serve” in Javanese.

Atilah chose to use Matah Ati for her play as Patah Ati might be interpreted as broken heart, while the real meaning of her name was to serve the heart of the prince.

Atilah said she supported gender equality between men and women. However, she emphasized that as a wife, a woman’s role was to take care of the children and serve her husband. “In essence, men are above us. We should not forget our values — our eastern tradition,” she said.

Atilah learned Javanese dancing when she was little. She lived in the Mangkunegaran palace until she moved to Jakarta to attend junior high school. She felt repressed at the court when she was growing up, as she was not allowed to go out.

She was forced to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and would have to wait until her elders had finished their meals before she could eat.

“However, I realize this training was beneficial for me as a woman,” she said.

Atilah likened herself to a lost monkey when she moved to Jakarta. The sight of tall buildings and cars overwhelmed her. In Surakarta, she used to climb trees in the palace’s court to catch a glimpse of the city.

She remembers riding a double-decked bus with her school friends without getting permission from people from home, and getting lost. “There were afternoon discos at Hotel Indonesia at that time, and I went with my friends. I was so shocked by the loud music. All this time I had only listened to Javanese gamelan,” she said.

Atilah said she had always been in love with Javanese plays, but she only put her writing and directing skills to work recently.

Married to businessman Edward Soeryadjaja, Atilah used to spend most of her spare time supporting her husband’s business. But when her children returned from studying overseas, she was able to shift her priorities. “Before, I had to help out with my husband’s business. But now, since my children have returned and taken over, I have more time,” she said.

Atilah is already currently writing her second play.

After Singapore, Matah Ati will travel to Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

‘Matah Ati’

Oct. 22 and 23

Esplanade Theater

Singapore

8 p.m.

www.esplanade.com

Royal treatment

Ricky Yudhistira, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 10/07/2010 7:32 PM

Miss Universe 2010 Ximena Navarrete Rosete (center) enjoys a traditional Javanese massage at Sari Royal Heritage Spa in Jakarta, on Thursday. Rosete is scheduled to stay in Indonesia until Oct. 16. Besides attending the crowning of Puteri Indonesia 2010 beauty pageant, she will also visit Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Medan. JP/Ricky Yudhistira

One Woman’s Mission to Save Traditional Indonesian Dance

Jakarta Globe, Tasa Nugraza Barley, May 23, 2010

Iin Respatini Kusumastuti, shown wearing Javanese dress, can perform a range of traditional Indonesian dances. She is now passing on that knowledge to younger Indonesians. (Photo courtesy of Iin Respatini Kusumastuti)

In today’s fast-paced, modern society, it is easy to assume that young people don’t really care about culture and tradition. One person, however, thinks that this is not necessarily the case.

“Our young people have actually started to appreciate their cultural heritage, especially traditional dances,” 57-year-old Iin Respatini Kusumastuti said. “As we get smarter, we realize the importance of preserving our own culture. Smart people won’t just adapt other people’s culture to keep up with the trends.”

This master of traditional dance has made it her mission to help preserve the country’s cultural heritage.

“Our traditional dances are so beautiful, why would we learn dances from other countries?” Iin said. “It is so easy to find beautiful dances right her in our own country, from Aceh to Papua.”

Growing up in Surabaya, Iin loved to dance ever since she could remember. With the encouragement of her mother, she started dancing when she was only 4 years old. Balinese dance and ballet were among the first forms she learned.

Over the years, Iin mastered traditional dance. While she specializes in Javanese dance, she is able to perform almost every traditional Indonesian dance.

“My mother always wanted me to be able to do traditional dances, especially the Javanese dances,” Iin said.

Iin grew up in Yogyakarta. As a student, she was actively involved in local dance clubs and won many competitions. “I always loved to perform on stage because I could wear makeup and people applauded [the performance],” she said.

In 1989, Iin took her love for dance a step further by establishing the dance workshop Kasitha Smarandhana — which means “a love song from a princess” in Javanese — with colleagues. She said that her main goal was to train future dancers. “My friends and I are getting old. We need the young to replace us,” she said.

Iin acknowledged that while today’s lifestyle is heavily influenced by modern culture, she said the younger generation has much to learn from traditional dance.

“By respecting their culture, young people can be motivated to contribute more to the country,” she said.

It wasn’t always easy for Iin to pursue her love for dance. Her father, a doctor, wanted her to pursue a medical career. “My father always wanted me to do well in school,” she said.

Because she spent so much time dancing, her father threatened to put a stop to it if she failed to keep her grades up

“I had to learn to keep my dancing under wraps so that my father wouldn’t find out,” she said.

To please her father, Iin in 1972 decided to study politics at the University of Indonesia. But she never lost her passion for dance. While at university, she also studied dance at the Art Institute of Jakarta.

Her dedication to her craft paid off when she became part of the Penari Istana (Palace Dancers) at the Presidential Palace, a role she had from 1972 to 1984. The dancers were considered cultural ambassadors and traveled around the world to perform. “It was a very happy stage of my life,” she said. “I could visit so many countries by dancing.”

To prove to her father that she could pursue dance and higher education at the same time, Iin studied for a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Indonesia, graduating in 1994. She earned a PhD in marketing from Melbourne University in 1999.

These days, when not busy dancing, Iin runs a catering and interior design business.

Iin’s Kasitha Smarandhana dance workshop now has about 50 students, mostly women between 14 and 30 years of age, who attend class on a weekly basis.

Deka Dwinanda, a 23-year-old postgraduate psychology student, has been attending the workshop and studying Javanese dance for three weeks. Deka said that she has had an interest in dance for a while now and feels an obligation to help preserve traditional dance. “Our culture is very rich, and traditional dances are part of it,” she said.

Deka added that traditional dances were special because they represented real women. “Traditional Indonesian dances reflect beauty, patience and sexiness,” she said.

Alphadian Parahita Winarno, 27, also enrolled in the workshop, sees Iin as someone who is very dedicated to traditional dance.

“She’s a very professional dancer,” Alphadian said, adding that what makes Iin special is that she always treats her students like her own children.

“That’s why it’s so comfortable to learn dances here,” Alphadian said.

Iin said that unlike modern dance, mastering traditional dance is more difficult. “It takes a lot of patience and is a long process,” she said.

According to Iin, there are eight things that a beginner should pay attention to when it comes to learning traditional dances, especially those from Java: stance, attitude, flexibility, uniqueness, expression, harmony (between movement and music), rhythm and music.

“It’s true that traditional dances are not easy to practice and master,” she said. “But once you get to know the beauty of our traditional dances, you will be addicted.”