A Knight of Palembang’s Leather Puppetry

Rhama Purna Jati

· 4 minutes read

Not many know that Palembang has its own leather puppet art. This is understandable, as Palembang leather puppet performances have been dwindling since the early 2000s. Now, the art form is under threat. Only one puppet master, Kiagus Wirawan Rusdi, still perseveres.

A big crate filled with around 100 Palembang leather puppets is proof of Kiagus Wirawan Rusdi’s life journey as a puppet master. Wirawan, as he is often called, stored the crate in his house on Jl. Pangerang Sido ing Lautan, Cek Latah 36 Ilir alley, Gandus district, Palembang. On Thursday (12/9/2019), Wirawan took the puppets of Dewi Perjiwo and Raden Gatotkaca (or Gatotkaco, as Palembang people calls it) from the crate and played them for Kompas.

“Kando kepundi kando ayun bekesa kulo tumut kando (Dear, wherever you go I will follow),” Wirawan said in the role of Dewi. “Iyo dindo, pasti kando ajak kemana kando pergi (Yes, dear, I will take you wherever I go),” he said afterwards, in the role of Gatotkaca.

This was a scene from the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Palembang shadow puppet stories adapt classic shadow puppet tales in the Palembang dialect. Wirawan uses both the high and low Palembang dialects.

In playing the shadow puppets, Wirawan usually modified the tales to be relevant to today’s world. He has at least 10 non-classical stories that he often play. “My father and grandfather wrote these tales. I adjust them to today’s conditions,” he explained.

Wirawan said that, in creating the stories, his father and grandfather consulted with clerics and elders in order to include moral messages in their stories.

Wirawan does the same thing. He usually has discussions with cultural observers and historians.

Fire

It is believed that the Palembang shadow puppet art has existed at least since the 1900. It used to be a popular form of entertainment. Among the many great puppet master was Wirawan’s grandfather Abdul Rasyid. “I knew at least five puppet masters. However, they passed one by one and there is no one to continue their work,” Wirawan said.

Wirawan’s father Rusdi Rasyid followed in Abdul Rasyid’s footsteps. However, in 1980, many shadow puppet and gamelan musical instruments left behind by Wirawan’s grandfather was caught in a fire. At the time, Wirawan’s father believed that it was the end of Palembang’s shadow puppet art.

More than two decades later, a new hope emerged. In 2002, UNESCO offered to help Wirawan’s father revive the art form. The help involved a donation of shadow puppets, a set of gamelan and a monthly funding of Rp 500,000 (US$35.8) until 2007.

Wirawan’s father was overjoyed by UNESCO’s offer. How can he not be, when one shadow puppet is very expensive, namely between Rp 800,000 and Rp 1,500,000. The gamelan is similarly expensive. Unfortunately, before the donation arrived, Wirawan’s father passed away.

As the oldest of nine siblings, Wirawan felt that he had the responsibility to follow in his father’s footsteps. “My father never asked me to be a puppet master. This is my own pledge to preserve the art form.”

Learn from cassette

As he lacked knowledge and skills on shadow puppetry, Wirawan taught himself how to become a puppet master and what stories to tell from his father’s old cassettes. He then called several people to play the gamelan. “I and my gamelan players learn together from the old cassettes.”

Wirawan weathered through obstacles through his journey. His gamelan players withdrew one by one, as they believed shadow puppet shows would not earn them enough money. Wirawan did not lose hope. He sought to hire students as gamelan players. It was only on his third recruitment that Wirawan got good players.

After learning for two years, in 2006, Wirawan performed for the first time. He had his debut performance in a Palembang city anniversary event in front of the Palembang tourism agency office near Kuto Besak Fort. He has performed in various events and festivals ever since.

Once, I went through two years without performing as no order came.

Like his father, Wirawan must face the reality that Palembang shadow puppet shows’ popularity is declining. Currently, he only holds two performances in a year. “Once, I went through two years without performing as no order came.”

Nevertheless, Wirawan refuses to give up. He does not want the art form to die. “I will only leave the job when there is someone to take it over from me,” said Wirawan, currently the only knight that keeps Palembang shadow puppetry alive.

Kiagus Wirawan Rusdi

Born: Palembang, 13 April 1973

Wife: Yosi Evianti, 42

Child: Sri Risky Aryanti

Education: SMEA PGRI 1 Palembang

Awards:

- Shadow Puppet Training at UNESCO Pilot Project Studio (2007)

- Lifetime Contribution in Sumatra MICE & Tourism from Sumatra MICE & Tourism Award (2014)

Editor:

naranasrullah

kompascetak kiagus wirawan rusdi