"SKIN PUPPET BETAWI" by Slamet Priyadi

WENDNESDAY DECEMBER 14, 2011 - Denmas Priyadi BLOG: Around the seventies when I was a teenager, I never watch puppet performances at Crocodile Hole area, East Jakarta. At that time I do not know if I watched the puppet arts are Wayang Betawi, because to my knowledge at that time the puppet is a form of public art Java, especially Central Java, where I come from. I know it is only then that I witnessed the puppet Puppet Betawi wayang after I enjoyed it until the finished leather. It turns out that I watched the puppet speak Indonesian with here and there adorned with distinctive dialect of Jakarta, full of humor and a bit humorous dialogue between the puppeteer and the nayaga. Skin Betawi puppet that I saw it played by a puppeteer who at that time his name was well known by local people named, Bonang.

From the experience mentioned above has intrigued me to learn more about the art Wayang Betawi.

Skin Betawi puppet is a puppet show that uses puppets made of buffalo skin and application of game show is still in Java. Accompanied by a set of gamelan music with martial drums became the dominant music in the accompanying motion puppet songs with a lilting Sundanese sung by the singer.

In Betawi Wayang performances with Javanese puppet shows, puppeteer using a puppet and a box of eight players who played gamelan music as accompaniment puppet show.

In the region of Lubang Buaya (Crocodile Hole), Cijantung, Pasar Rebo, and surrounding areas, r puppeteer Bonang was the only game mastermind who puppeteers other than his contemporaries, it is said he even exceeded his own teacher, Mr. Misan the first resign as a puppeteer Puppet Skin Betawi.

Puppet Skin Betawi including one form of traditional art Jakarta area that is still favored the local community. This is evident in every performance in the areas surrounding Jakarta audience participation is always there, visible from the dialogue between the puppeteer and the audience, puppeteer and one of the gamelan players. They said, replied with a dialogue "nguda taste" (talking to yourself).

Leather Puppet Betawi musical accompaniment is a set of gamelan consist Kromong 10 tones, demung 7 tones, 2 saron with 5 tones, two tap, one kempul and a gong. As the carrier is an instrument fiddle melody or it could be the singer. As for the music barreled Slendro.
Wayang stories Betawi sources vary, can of folklore such as the Jampang, from the comic strip, or from an existing puppet story and story writing. [Reference: Growth of the Performing Arts - Prof. Dr. Edi Sedyawati]