Final Curtain Call for Maestros?
They are the last master craftsmen of the traditional arts in their respective fields. Many of them live in abject poverty but, nevertheless, have somehow not lost their enthusiasm for performing on stage. However, the stage has now been replaced by television and the organ tunggal, a single keyboard electronic organ, which usually includes a singer and the organ player. Their demise is the sound of the death knell for the traditional arts of the archipelago. Here we provide a portrait of their last moments.
August 4, 2010
WHAT are the maestros of the traditional arts doing now? Sawir Sutan Mudo, the most famous saluang singer fills his time helping his wife sell women’s clothing and accessories. Mimi Rasinah, the great supporter of the Cirebon mask dance, is partially paralyzed as the result of a stroke, nevertheless, she still manages to teach dance at her home to 300 children. Guti Jamhar Akbar, spokesperson for lamut, a form of oral literature originating fro
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