Keeping ‘Pat Im’ Music Alive

For Surip, pat im, an art that is more than a century old, is more important. Pat im, he believes, is a noble piece of art that voices the value of diversity.

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Surip

Surip, 29, is determined to preserve pat im (traditional Chinese music), even though he is not of Chinese descent. A resident of Cirebon, West Java, Surip pays no heed to people\'s scorn and the economic burdens that impede his life. For him, pat im, an art that is more than a century old, is more important. Pat im, he believes, is a noble piece of art that voices the value of diversity.

On Monday (8/2/2021), in a corner of Dukuhwidara village, Pabedilan subdistrict, Cirebon, Surip and four of his friends were enjoying the tunes of pat im they were playing. A trumpet was blowing. There were also strings of kong ayan and yan tea (fiddle-like musical instruments). The music further pulsated, amplified with the beats of a xylophone and drums.

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The music session was supposed to be practice for their performance for Chinese New Year at Dewi Welas Asih temple in Cirebon. Almost every year, Surip and his friends sit on the temple’s floor, which is covered in mats, performing pat im music in a haze of smoke of incense on the eve of Chinese New Year. Fifteen days later, they also usually take part in a Cap Go Meh celebration.

Pay us whatever you want. I made this pact with my great-grandfather. Alhamdulillah [thank God], we always have enough money.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has ruined this tradition. Their pat im performance did not take place as usual this year. For now, congregations will not hear pat im music during worship.

“We perform to honor Chinese New Year,” said Surip, the leader of Pat Im Langgeng group.

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Surip does not regret the fact that his group’s performance must be cancelled. From the very beginning, their objective in performing has never been for monetary gain. Having performed at the Wihara Dewi Welas Asih temple for years, which is located approximately 38 kilometers away from his house, Surip has never put a price tag on his group’s performance.

“Pay us whatever you want. I made this pact with my great-grandfather. Alhamdulillah [thank God], we always have enough money,” he said.

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Surip

Furthermore, Surip’s main income does not only come from his role as the trumpeter in his pat im group, which performs at least three times a year. Surip, an elementary school graduate, receives more income from playing his bamboo flute in a tarling, which refers to a musical group consisting of two main instruments: guitar and suling (bamboo flute). Unfortunately, during the pandemic, he lost his source of income from tarling performances as well, which can bring in between Rp 150,000 (US$10.43) and Rp 400,000 per performance. Last year, for instance, four of his tarling performances were canceled. Previously, during the peak season of public celebrations, he was often fully booked for a month.

The income that he receives from his performances is often used to replace his old and rusty musical instruments. Droplets of water from his house’s leaky ceilings have often ruined his musical instruments. He feels uncertain about buying new instruments. Not only do they cost millions of rupiah, his house, which is 50 square meters, is also crowded, having nine people living in it.

I’m ready to teach anyone who is willing to play pat im.

According to its meaning in Chinese, pat im is a musical piece traditionally performed by eight to nine people. However, the lack of new talent and the difficulties in buying new musical equipment mean Surip’s group still consist of merely six people.

“I’m ready to teach anyone who is willing to play pat im. The most important thing is not to let pat im go extinct. This was the message of my great-grandfather,” said Surip, who prefers pat im over his tarling performances.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Surip

Legay From Great-Grandfather

By great-grandfather, Surip means Wastar Rucita, who is the son of Warcita and started pat im performances around the mid-19th century. Warcita himself learned about this tradition from Babah Heng Liam, who is of Chinese descent from Semarang who moved to Cirebon.

Usually, pat im is performed during wayang potehi (Chinese hand puppetry) show. However, pat im has become a performance of its own and can even be seen on the streets.

Pat im, also known as cokek, developed further in the time of Wastar. Back then, there were four similar groups whose members were from the same bloodline. Each group consisted of six to eight people, none of whom was of Chinese descent. They were all also Muslims.

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Surip still remembers how he often found time to pluck the strings of teh yan or beat the drums. He learned by watching his great-grandfather and grandfather practice with their group. His interest in the traditional Chinese music made him want to take part in his great-grandfather’s performance. One day, when he was 8 years old, Surip started playing teh yan.

His skills at playing the musical instrument surprised his great-grandfather. Since then, he has often been invited to take part in his great-grandfather’s performance.

“From a very young age, I have been performing. I feel like this is my fate. It’s like my heart was speaking directly to me,” said Surip, who conceded that he often missed school to perform at several shrines in Cirebon, Indramayu, Slawi and Tegal.

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In early 2000, Wasta passed away at the age of nearly 100 years old. Not long after, his grandfather, Taryo, also passed away. Since then, Surip has kept the Pat Im Langgeng group alive, together with his father Akmad, 65, his brother Sekhudin, 21, his nephew Wanto, 24, and his friend Ki Amad, 70.

“Only we are left to continue the pat im tradition in Cirebon,” Surip said.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

The Pat Im Langgeng music group in Dukuhwidara Village, Pabedilan District, Cirebon Regency, West Java, Monday (8/2/2021). Although not of Chinese descent, this music group has been preserving this unique Chinese art from generation to generation.

Surip conceded that he felt dispirited when he received no invitations to perform. Pat im is losing its popularity compared to other performances, such as tari topeng (mask dances) which is often performed at events held by the government.

There are also those who sneer at him.

“You are a Javanese, but you play Chinese music. What religion are you? Do you visit temples often?” said Surip, echoing words that he often heard from other people.

Surip often responds to these remarks with a smile. For him, his group does worship at the temples, but they pay their respects to Chinese traditions and Chinese New Year.

You are a Javanese, but you play Chinese music. What religion are you? Do you visit temples often?

When unrest erupted in Losari, his hometown, at the end of the New Order era, members of a temple in Tegal asked the Pat Im Langgeng group to temporarily take refuge in the temple. They were provided accommodation and food. His great-grandfather and grandfather also often got free medical treatment from Pak Sutan, a doctor posted in the Tegal temple.

Now, Surip maintains a good relationship with members of the Tegal temple.

“To be honest, I’m amazed by pak Surip and his group for their dedication in preserving this musical tradition. This greatly supports the preservation of diversity in Cirebon,” said Sungkono, 78, the secretary of Dewi Welas Asih temple.

Surip and other members of the Pat Im Langgeng group have surpassed the traditional living boundaries in the country. They have not only contributed to preserving a Chinese tradition but also fostered the beauty of diversity.

Surip

Born: Cirebon, Feb. 11, 1992

Education: Dukuhwidara Elementary School (Graduated in 2004)

Profession: Leader of Pat Im Langgeng musical group

This article was translated by Astria Z. Nabila