Wata is a versatile artist. In Tambi village, Sliyeg district, Indramayu regency, he is known as a gamelan player, trainer and maker as well as one playing a mask dance musical accompaniment.
By
Melati Mewangi/Abdullah Fikri Ashri
·5 minutes read
Wata has never distanced himself from music or performances. Although once forbidden by his father, he immersed himself in arts. He has even formed a music group and opened an art studio to train children in his village for free.
Wata, 51, maneuvered his fingers on the holes of a bamboo flute he was playing. Its melodious sound accompanyed a story narrated by Samsudin, 50, a roving Indonesian Rare Wildlife storyteller, on Monday (29/3/2021). The laughs and cheers of children made the show livelier.
The duo that have often appeared together since last year served as volunteers that noon to entertain children of survivors of the fuel tank explosion and fire of Pertamina RU VI Balongan, Indramayu, West Java. They told the story of single-horn rhinos now still missing. Orangutans, the rhinos’ good friends, invited children to search for their playmates.
Wata kept gazing at the children, who were captivated by the story. Their enthusiasm reminded him of the joy of kids in the vicinity of his village partaking in gamelan playing at his studio.
Wata is a versatile artist. In Tambi village, Sliyeg district, Indramayu regency, he is known as a gamelan player, trainer and maker as well as one playing a mask dance musical accompaniment. His is widely experienced, appearing both at home and overseas.
Forbidden
The first time I watched the show with a gamelan accompaniment, I was enthralled. It was in perfect harmony, I was interested to learn.
Wata began to show interest in arts after graduating from primary school in 1982. At the time, he often watched his father, Dimah, play bonang (part of gamelan in bronze bowl form) to accompany Wisat, an all-round artist of Indramayu. “The first time I watched the show with a gamelan accompaniment, I was enthralled. It was in perfect harmony, I was interested to learn,” he said.
However, his serious intention to delve into arts was once rejected by his father. Dimah said the future of artists was not bright, with less money to take home. “It’s just enough for me. You should be a seller or trader in order to earn a lot more money,” said Wata imitating his late father’s message.
Yet he was destined to take the path of arts. After failing to continue his study due to financial difficulty, he was engaged in the artistic world. He was learning at the studio of his father.
He started everything from scratch. He began by preparing coffee for senior players before learning to play bonang for the first time. Later he was asked to accompany dance competitions several times with small payments.
Worthier than just the rupiah, his endeavors paid off as his capability was further honed. He began to join famous wayang (puppet show) groups. One of them belonged to puppet master Taham, the child of Wisat and father of mask dancer Wangi Indriya. He was also included in Wangi Indriya’s group that performed in Belgium, Holland, Italy and Switzerland in 2001.
Not many people were ready to become art activists, making it hard for him to recruit more personnel.
Four years later in 2005, Wata went to London to perform with mask dance maestro Mimi Rasinah’s group and her grandchild Aerly. “There was a bomb attack near the hotel. We canceled the performance. I hid under a table,” he said.
For him, his overseas experience proves that gamelan has a promising future. He was thus determined to form an musical art group typical of sisingaan (with a lion figure) called Manuk Dangdut in 2005. With capital worth around Rp150,000, he made a simple gamelan set comprising saron (bronze xylophone), bonang and penerus (relay instruments) from used articles.
His music group only had five members. Not many people were ready to become art activists, making it hard for him to recruit more personnel. The minimum regeneration prompted him to gather youngsters around his home to train gamelan every afternoon for free, even with food and drinks.
Manuk Dangdut was frequently invited to perform at family events or circumcision ceremonies, besides also various major programs. During 2008, for instance, they appeared 80 times at a cost of Rp1.7 million per show. Wata is now convinced that whatever art is performed will have its own audience in line with the passage of time.
Learning for free
Wata realizes that life is not merely meant for material gain but also for meaningful sharing with fellow citizens. In this spirit, he established an art studio named Gelora Muda (Youthful Enthusiasm) in 2012. He wants it to be a forum of learning and nurturing interest in gamelan playing among youths. Everybody can learn free of charge.
Originally it was not easy to draw interest to learn gamelan, with only five children joining. But the sound of gamelan in Wata’s house gradually attracted other children to watch them training.
They were curious, asking him about many things and trying to play. Wata acted as a father, giving comfort and chatting with the children as his friends. Today, 25 youngsters aged 8-15 are learning at his studio.
His house, measuring only 5 meters by 8 meters, has often turned into a stage. Almost every Friday evening there’s a performance to test the capability of trainees. Two sets of gamelan can be used by the junior artists of Indramayu for their exercises.
Samsudin, Wata’s duet partner, also appreciates his preparedness to work together. “Not many artists are willing to collaborate in voicing conservation. Wata is one of the few,” he said.
Whatever art form can serve as proof Wata’s sincere creativity. He doesn’t want traditional arts of Indramayu to stand still and become extinct. Wata wants the present generation to follow in his footsteps.
Wata
Born: Indramayu, 13 November 1969
Education: Tambi Primary School I Indramayu (1982)