Gendang
beleq is a dance
and music performance from Lombok island, Indonesia. It is a popular performance among the native Sasak people.
The name gendang
beleq is a Sasak language term, which means "big drum
(big gendang)", as the performance is about a group of musicians
playing, dancing and marching with their traditional instruments, centered
around two big drum (gendang) players.
Instruments
The ensemble
for gendang beleq performance consists of main players with of two
(occasionally four) large drums. They are followed by players using a gong, a
traditional flute (suling), some hand-held kettle-gongs (similar with bonang), and many
sets of cymbals. The size of the ensemble is usually 12-15 persons,
with 3 person to carry and play the heavy gong.
The drum is
made from a wood frame with goat skin drum-head. The wood is
selected from woods which is hard yet light. The goat skin is selected from
goats that are approximately 5 years old to make drums with the best
sound. There are two different types of gendang used in the ensemble: the male
and female gendang. Each is made from a male and female goat. These two types
of gendang have different sound quality.
The player
for the ensemble is called sekehe. It is composed of men only (usually
young boys). There are many gendang beleq clubs in Lombok. These
clubs are supported and sponsored by the Indonesian government as a way to
promote Sasak culture and to involved youth the cultural activities. The clubs usually practice once a week. During performances, the players will use colorful
traditional Sasak dress, which are similar to the related Balinese dress.
History
Gendang
Beleq is a variant of gamelan oncer, a gamelan form in Lombok. It is used for ritual purposes and as
a performance to encourage Sasak warriors that were going into, or returning
from, the battlefield. It is part also of the ceremony in Pura Lingsar, one
of the main Hindu temples in Lombok.
The
popularity of Gendang Beleg has increased since the 1990s due to support and
promotion by the Indonesian government to promote local art performances. Presently the performance is not only in a ritual
context but also in cultural festivals or for tourist performances.
Performances
In a Gendang
beleq performance, the drummers carry and play gendang and dance a dramatic and
confrontational duet. The drummers play interlocking tune with their large
drums. Aside from able to play their instruments, the
players must have the agility and stamina to perform the dance and marching
with their instrument.
Gendang
beleq can be performed during life-cycle ceremonies, such as celebration of
birth, circumcision, wedding and funeral. It can also
be performed in a ceremony to invoke rainfall or in a celebrations for national
holidays.
In Sasak
wedding, gendang beleq performance is part of the nyongkolan ceremony,
where the family of the groom went in a parade to the bride's house to bring
her to the location of the marriage ceremony.
The West Nusa Tenggara provincial government held
"The Master of Gendang Beleq" competition where gendang beleq players
compete to decide the best team. It is held in front of Governor office in Mataram, Lombok.
Outside
Lombok, the performance is popular among migrant Sasak in other islands of
Indonesia, such as in the neighbouring Sumbawa Island.
Sumber: wikipedia