Sahilin, Preserving ‘Batanghari Sembilan’ Musical Tradition

Sahilin is 67. He has composed hundreds of batanghari sembilan guitar solo quatrains. His physical limitation has not dampened his creative spirit amid the current era of cultural transformation.

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

Sahilin

Sahilin’s dedication to traditional arts has earned him this year’s Bentara Budaya Certificate of Appreciation. The award was granted on the occasion of the 40^th anniversary of the cultural institution. Sahilin is one of four Indonesian maestros who have worked consistently to preserve the traditional arts in their regions. His only aim is to prevent this traditional art from being lost in the changing times.

The certificate he received on Monday evening (26/9/2022) is displayed along with his other awards on the wall of his wooden house, located on Jl. Lorong Kedukan Bukit II in Ilir 35 subdistrict, West Ilir II district, Palembang.

“This encourages me to continue my creative endeavors,” said Sahilin.

Despite his frail body and impaired vision, due to an illness he suffered since the age of 5, Sahilin has been enthusiastic in introducing batanghari sembilan traditional guitar music to various parts of South Sumatra. His latest performance was on Thursday (22/9/2022), at a circumcision ceremony in Mangsang, Bayung Lencir, Musi Banyuasin regency.

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He didn’t expect that his compositions were liked in the area, located around 288 kilometers from Palembang. He performed for two hours and sang two songs that had been popular in 1970 and into the 1980s.

“The number of fans is indeed not as big as it used to be. However, I’m happy that until today, there are still those who long to listen to these works of art,” he said.

In the mid-1970s, Sahilin’s musical compositions were a favorite among the local people. At the time, almost every household listened to his songs, recorded on cassettes produced in 1975. “I could even be invited to perform five to seven times in a week back then,” he recalled.

But I’m convinced that enthusiasts of this art [ batanghari sembilan music] are still out there.

Several fans from countries like Australia and Malaysia also visited him to enjoy his performance firsthand. His popularity made it so Sahilin could buy land and the house he still lives in today.

Today, he receives far fewer invitations to perform, as the musical trend has shifted to solo organ performances. He is asked to perform only two to four times per month. “But I’m convinced that enthusiasts of this art [batanghari sembilan music] are still out there,” he said.

His skills in performing this form of traditional music have never waned. His fingers adeptly tune his guitar. He plucks the guitar strings to produce a unique soft tone that resembles the sound of a gamelan. He then launches into song, singing a quatrain he has just created.

Sudah lama tidak ke rumah/Ambil jambu jauh-jauh/Yang datang siapa namanya?/Rupanya ada tamu dari jauh

(Nobody has come for a long time/Picking guavas far away/Who is it that comes?/It seems a guest has come from afar)

KOMPAS/RHAMA PURNA JATI

Sahilin, the artist of the Batanghari Sembilan Rhythm, received an award from Bentara Budaya

Perseverance

His abilities in playing the guitar and writing verses are inseparable from his experience in composing batanghari sembilan music for the last 50 years. He gained these skills as he listened to his father, M. Soleh, play music while taking a break from tapping rubber in his birthplace of Benawe, Ogan Komering Ilir regency.

“I was somehow drawn to listening to my father play. I paid attention and continued practicing. It turns out that this art has helped me to survive until the present,” said the father of six.

Aside from playing the guitar, he continued to compose humorous quatrains inspired by the local environment, a skill he picked up on his own. Sahilin composes quatrains on a variety of themes.

The quatrains, each of which has 30 to 50 verses, tell of sad stories, convey morals or contain funny jokes. Some of his most well-known batanghari sembilan compositions are “Ratapan Mati Gadis” (A girl’s lament), “Kaos Lampu” (Lamp wick), “Tiga Serangkai” (The trio), “Kisah Pengantin Baru” (Newlyweds’ story) and “Bujang Buntu” (Needy bachelor).

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Nyeberang naik ketek/Pergi Ke Seberang Ulu/Duduk di parak cewe/Sayang sedikit bujang buntu/Manis-manis gula tebu/Masih manis layang puan/Jangan ngate bujang buntu/Buntu di luar berisi di dalam

(Crossing the water by boat/Heading upstream/Sitting beside a woman/Pity he’s a needy bachelor/Cane sugar is sweet/A woman is still sweeter/Don’t scorn the needy bachelor/Needy outside, but full inside)

These lyrics from the humorous quatrain “Bujang Buntu” tells of a young man seeking to court a woman, though he is poor. The song warns never to turn down a potential suitor because even if he appears to be poor, he possesses internal wealth.

Sahilin has also been sharing his skills with artists who have the same interest. For him, this is a form of regeneration vital to the preservation of this musical art. He believes that every artist has a unique style of their own, so he isn’t worried by the many artists following in his footsteps.

Sayidina, 38, Sahilin’s fourth child, dutifully accompanies his father to a variety of arts and culture programs. Sayidina is proud to be the son of a maestro. “Almost everyone knows my father. Sadly, I cannot follow his kind of life,” he said, smiling.

Almost everyone knows my father. Sadly, I cannot follow his kind of life.

According to him, it was Sahilin’s physical limitation that has gained the admiration of his fans. “My father creates his works from his heart, as he cannot see. This makes his compositions different from that of other artists,” said Sayidina. This also increased Sahilin’s renown as a batanghari sembilan artist.

People have continued to enjoy Sahilin’s performances because of his unique compositions. Some people have kept their promise to invite the maestro to perform.

“For instance, those who [went on to] make a fortune have kept their promise to invite my father to perform. This practice is commonly found in the remote parts of South Sumatra,” he said.

In the near future, Sayidina hopes that his father’s works will continue to be widely known through social media and other digital means. This is part of an effort to fulfill Sahilin’s wish to remain creative as long as he lives.

Sahilin

Born:Benawa, Ogan Komering Ilir, 30 Dec. 1954

Awards:

- Certificate of Appreciation, South Sumatra provincial administration (2000)

- Anugerah Anggon Art Appreciation, Palembang Arts Council (2006)

- Certificate of Appreciation, Culture and Tourism Minister (2007)

- Special Appreciation for Batanghari Sembilan, South Sumatra Arts Council (2009)

- Certificate of Appreciation, Palembang municipal administration (2021)

- Bentara Budaya Certificate of Appreciation (2022)

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.