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It was almost 15 years ago when I was a child to see Jathilan performance at my kampoong. It was almost 15 years so, that Jathilan still pretty similar, a simple music instrument from piece of gamelan which are Kempol, Bonang and Gendang. This instrument and dance seem to be quite old traditional dancer as older as the Javanese culture it self. Running through a struggle circumstances of many epoch alteration from the past until this modern era.
Kempol is part of Gamelan instument from Javanese made of metal brass or iron shape as cupola and hit by hammer made of wood. Beside, ‘Bonang’ is another part of Gamelan almost similar with ‘Kempol’ but more 2 times bigger. So the two of them will hit simultaneously as the rhythm of the Jatilan dancer who will follow the tempo.
‘Pong..pong…pong…pong…pong…dil…pong..’
Then with the sudden, smashing of the ‘kendang’ sorounding all the environment with the beat sound likely tribal ceremonial scene. The dancer of the Jatilan dressed with costume made of surjan, batik, shawl, head bandage, bare foot, black short pants and black long curly hair wig. Their face masked with red and black color figuring such a angry face. Some of them put a wooden mask, red color, ugly face, with two big black eyes and protrude teeth. Some of them tied a bracelet of small bell on their right foot, so their the sound of noisy bell will out as well as their step jerking the ground. The complete property is ‘jaran kepang’, a simbolic horse made by bamboo. Then this jaran kepang would be ride by some of the dancer likely brave knight. Holding a big whip that will hit at the ground creating a hard sound blast in the air.
‘Jatilan is contemporary art’ Said Yustoni Volunteroo, a young prominent artist from Yogyakarta.
Yustoni refer to the what Heri Dono, another of prominent Indonesian artwork as he represent the Jatilan performance. Not only represent the Jatilan in the ‘gallery’ for such uncommon place, but also modified it with different moving and the costume so. There are Jatilan to be contemporary art as it is performe in uncommon moment so, that is in art Gallery and watched by people who in their mindset generally want to appreciate the art-work.
Horrified tree as the central
It was at the past that Jatilan performance summoned by the villagers or by person to communicate to gins. Mention to the Javanese believe if they must life in harmonic between human life and ‘another’ life which are fully occupy by various kind of gins from Tuyul, Genderuwo, Pocong, Wewe, Peri, Buto ijo, Kuntilanak, Ndas glundung, etc. All the name of those gin are labeled by it shape and habit. Such as Tuyul it shape as tiny little creature, bald head, moving so fast as is fluent to stolen money from human. Or, horrrified ‘Genderuwo’ which tall as palm tree high, curly long hair, big two red eyes, canine tooth, smelt like a burning cassava and quite messy appearance. If all of this creature become obviously disturbs villagers, then villagers will ask to perform Jatilan. Else, there are such personal purpose to ask those ‘creatures’ which are living quietly within the big trees on the backyard to move out. The owner of the backyard want to cut of the trees as it will be build.
Then the Jatilan will start to perform, hit the gamelan, summon to all of the ‘creature’. Then some of the dance already trance. More active, wild, uncontrolled, angry face, and sometimes spoke with unclear words. Then some of them started to eat the Setaman flowers, swallow up chicken alive, grab the coconut and chew a smashed glass. But, its kind of magic, even they are nothing bloods or injury at all. At the top of the performance, there is a Shaman would be handle the trance dancer, started to communicate each other as if there another spirit appear on the trance dancer. The Shaman would asked of the spirit there not to disturb human life again as it to be the commitment between villagers and ‘those creatures’ to life within harmony.
The Show must go on
It was almost 15 year so when the Jatilan started to perform in the crossroad of my city, Yogyakarta. There no longer tranced dancer or Shaman. Or no longer Setaman Flower, black chicken, coconut or pieces of glass as it would be sacrificed and swallowed by the trance dancer. Even the sound is quite similar their the background already changes. If the past were the tall and big trees, then recently there are big billboards, flip flop of the traffic light, blast of the motorcycles, cars and busses. The sound of the gamelan would be attacked by the sound of engine, shouting the bus driver and all of the noisy city of Yogyakarta.
‘This is contemporary street dancer’ I said as if it install in the uncommon place, the cross road, just as it controlled by the light of the traffic light. When the light goes red, then the dancer start to dance at the Zebra cross just in front of the stopped people with the cars or motorcycle. Only few of the people quite take pay attention then throw the 100 rupiahs or 500 rupiahs coins in the cans hold by one dancer. But mostly seem quite obey, it just such another street clown a consequence of modernizations. Then when the nearly light goes green the dancer will change to another side of cross road. Almost similar life happen in such 100 second of counting traffic light.
Yes, this is contemporary art. I said. In term of multimedia installation. Pretty complete, isn’t it? The monotonously tone of traditional gamelan mix noisy crossroad, Jatilan dancer in the landscape of billboard picturing advertisement of such beautiful luxurious girl, shampoo, mobile phone or another branded new technology. However the Jatilan performer itself, surely, there is no idea or knowledge if they perform something contemporary. It seem quite simple of their motivation. There is no longer people summon or ask them for their fluent to mediate between human life and the ‘another’ life. Or might be even their no longer ‘spirit’ or gins as they already moved by the raising buildings and advertisements.Yes, the show must goes on, even its no controlled with the flip flop of traffic lights and fueled by the throws of rupiahs coins. It pretty contemporary.
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