The Great Troubadour from Aceh

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

ACEH has lost a spokesman, Indonesia a great artist. Teungku Adnan PMTOH, a talented storyteller from Aceh, died at the age of 75 early in July. Adnan was a man who relentlessly tried to keep alive the storytelling tradition of old Aceh. His death leaves a void, raising concern Aceh will no longer have a man so talented in recounting hikayatold tales of Acehin beautiful poetry and songs.

Is there anyone who will take over and continue the tradition? Why arent there any more penjual obat, those traveling medicine sellers who played a crucial role in popularizing the hikayat of old. Tempo looks into the near-forgotten tradition and assesses its future.

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HES a charmer, an artist so adept at changing from one role to another. In Hikayat Malem Diwa, Teungku Adnan PMTOH transformed into Putri Bungsu, a beautiful princess from the never-never land of kahyangan, his face an expression of coquetry, his eyes flickering, a stole over his shoulder, and a wig on his head.

But in the next five seconds, he changed into a young man set to fight for the hand of Putri Bungsu, a steel helmet on his head, a drawn

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