Kahi Ata Ratu, Playing the Jungga until her Last Breath

For over 50 years, Kahi Ata Ratu, has immersed herself in the jungga. The woman dubbed the “Queen of the Jungga” never gives up. Kahi Ata Ratu is determined to keep playing the jungga until her last breath.

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Kahi Ata Ratu

Kahi Ata Ratu 60, is a female jungga (a traditional string instrument) maestro from East Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara. Since the age of eight, when she was a third-year elementary school student, she has had a great affection for the jungga and hitherto dedicated her life to it.

The Jungga is a traditional musical instrument typical of Sumba island that is played by plucking the strings, like a kecapi (West Java zither) or ukulele. Many people call it Sumba’s traditional guitar. “I was interested as I watched people play the instrument. Then I was interested to learn,” said Ata Ratu when met on Friday (17/3/2023) in Bali.

On that day she appeared at the 2023 Bali Joyland Music Festival organized by the Plainsong Live Promotor on Peninsula Island, Nusa Dua, Bali. On the Lily Pad Stage located at the edge of the beach on Peninsula Island, Ata Ratu presented four songs: Himbu Pamanyarang Nduma Lurinda, describing the struggle of Ata Ratu as a jungga artist; Mai La Humba, inviting people to visit Sumba; Mayilla ’da Lurima, relating the suffering of orphans; and Ludu Pahiawa, bidding farewell to the audience.

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Amid the pounding waves, Ata Ratu’s vocal capacity was strong and intense. It was achieved through her endeavor in avoiding hot and greasy food. She was also plucking at the jungga strings vigorously and confidently.

In order to produce the right tones, the strings made from motorcycle brake wires have to be tightened by using pliers. That is why Ata Ratu always carries a pair of pliers wherever she goes with her jungga.

“She was held at the airport yesterday,” said Nency Dwi Ratna, the manager accompanying Ata Ratu after her husband’s passing in 2017. Previously, at every jungga performance event, Ata Ratu always went together with her husband, who was a dancer.

It took a short time to learn. I could do it right away.

The involvement of Ata Ratu’s spouse was practically a manifestation of his support or permission for Ata Ratu. In Sumba tradition, the jungga is generally only played by males. Women do not normally play the jungga because they do the more responsible household affairs. Still, it did not dampen the spirit of Ata Ratu. Along with two female friends, she became a student of Retang Laki Djawa, a jungga player in her Payeti hamlet, Tambori village, East Sumba.

“It took a short time to learn. I could do it right away,” said Ata Ratu. Ata Ratu was the name of her grandmother, which she took on as a token of respect. Her own name is Kahi. It was in 1971 when Ata Ratu learned to play the four-string jungga adapted from the Sabu area. Many Sabu people who moved to Sumba are said to have brought the jungga which they played while extracting the sap on sugar palm trees. Their songs have a fast tempo, or belong to the pop-song type like songs of love or nature in the Kambera language.

Meanwhile, the two-string jungga is played a lot more to accompany custom ritual songs containing lawiti, which are kinds of quatrains or proverbs with deep meanings. Ata Ratu is skilled at playing both instruments.

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The audience watched Kahi Ata Ratu's performance at the Joyland Bali 2023 music festival on Peninsula Island, Nusa Dua, Bali, Friday (17/3/2023). Ata Ratu is a traditional music artist and creator of Sumba songs.

Breakthrough

When she was a sixth-grade elementary school student at the age of 11, Ata Ratu was forced to drop out. Apart from economic constraints, education was not prioritized at the time. However, she kept learning to play the jungga with perseverance.

“When I learned [the jungga] I was frequently admonished by mama for not working to help her. I was just playing,” recalled Ata.

At one time, when she was asked to collect water from a place quite a long way from home, Ata left the water jar as she noticed people playing the jungga. Then she joined them until it was late.

Ata Ratu was indeed headstrong. It was all due to her strong fascination with the jungga. “I love it very much. It’s impossible for me not to play it. It’s kind of a ringing in my ears. I don’t know where it comes from,” she said.

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At age 13, with the jungga given by her teacher, she created her first song. Her capability was further honed and nobody could prevent her, not even her husband. Her spouse actually had once forbidden her, but he finally allowed her. It was on the condition that every time Ata Ratu staged her jungga performance, her husband would follow. He would be dancing. Gradually, she got his consent without pressure. Her spouse later even bought her a jungga as a gesture of his approval and permission.

The experience of Ata Ratu’s two female friends who once learned the jungga together with her is different. They had to discontinue the activity as they were prohibited to play by their husbands. As a result, Ata Ratu became the only female jungga player and songwriter. This capability is very rarely found among women in Sumba.

The jungga opened the path for Ata Ratu to break through the culture of patriarchy. The jungga also offers a living. Every time people came to her to request a song, they brought along coffee, sugar or rice in compensation. “The song would be recorded by means of a blank cassette tape. That was in the past when people used a cassette recording,” she said.

Like the mahang (lion) tattoo on her left arm symbolizing power, Ata Ratu wishes to keep playing the jungga until her last breath.

To date, countless songs have been written by Ata Ratu; they may be in the thousands. She has often been invited to various programs, ranging from village head or regent elections to tourism events. Yet, she feels the local administration still provides minimum support. In fact, she plays a major role and makes a substantial contribution.

Ata Ratu’s work, for instance, has been released by Smithsonian/Folkways in the compilation album Music of Indonesia–Vol 20: Indonesian Guitars (1999). She also appeared at Europalia in Belgium in 2017. She handled the project Perempuan Sumba & Musik Tradisionalnya (Sumba Women & Their Traditional Music) in cooperation with the Ford Foundation & Cipta Media Ekspresi.

Like the mahang (lion) tattoo on her left arm symbolizing power, Ata Ratu wishes to keep playing the jungga until her last breath.

Kahi Ata Ratu

Born: East Sumba, 16 March 1963

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.