Maestro of Wailing Storyteller

Jariah, 81, deserves to be happy because five years ago she was named a maestro of dideng. Now, the traditional art has been declared an intangible cultural heritage.

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

Jariah

It is truly unimaginable how the art of dideng and its storyteller has received two of the most prominent accolades at once. "I did not expect anything. This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation in our village. It turns out that the world appreciates it," said Jariah, Saturday (19/10/2019).

Dideng is oral or spoken literature from Rantau Pandan village, Bungo regency. Dideng is performed by a storyteller. It is performed in the form of wailing, an expression of sadness by humming.

The story told in dideng is a legend about a princess who is offended by the king\'s child. The pain pushes her to run far into the forest. In the middle of the jungle, the princess stops occasionally because she can\'t stand the sadness. She cries and conveys her sadness to all the forest dwellers. It’s the lamentation that is believed to be the embryo of dideng.

In the legend known among Rantau Pandan society, although the king\'s son followed her into the forest to apologize and pick her up, the wound is still etched in the princess\' heart. In fact, until finally the princess dies later.

Behind the story is a message that everyone should live with an open heart. People should be willing to forgive and not keep his or her resentment. It is not good to keep resentment, especially if the revenge is brought to death.

It turns out that the world appreciates it

Aside from its content about sadness, dideng is often performed in various events such as marriages, circumcisions and rice harvesting ceremonies. In the past, almost every week the sound of dideng was heard from the porch of the house holding an event.

To entertain the public, the storyteller sang along with the tune from the kelintang wooden instrument. Later, violins and gongs are also used during the show. There are no special chords when playing the instrument. Dideng performers use their musical instincts. For a number of chants, the composition of the kelintang can be rearranged for the sake of harmony.

Dideng has been part of most of Jariah\'s life. Anywhere she goes, there\'s the sound of dideng. It was so attached to her to the point that most people called her "the grandmother of dideng" rather than calling her by her name.

Jariah learned about dideng when she was a kid and performed it until she entered old age. She used to hear her aunt and a number of parents in Rantau Pandan, Bungo regency, Jambi, together. From that she studied dideng and eventually became a maestro.

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

Jariah, 81, plays a kelintang (wooden instrument) in the Dideng Oral Tradition performance at the Jambi Language Office on Sept. 16.

She still remembers how people used to sit on the floor all night long to listen to the song. Before the dideng singers, that’s how they are usually called, stop singing, the guests will not disperse. Sometimes the chanting is heard from morning to night and only ends before dawn.

Dideng storytellers like Jariah never rest for long. They continued until the lamentation ended, then people dispersed. "In fact, it has been sung almost every day of the week," recalled the mother of three.

The singing-storytelling was performed in a high-pitched voice and loud, often igniting emotion of the audience. Not infrequently the performers shed tears because they feel the story.

Art gallery

As the modern art expanded into remote villages, dideng was briefly at a crossroads. Regeneration was almost forgotten in the 1990s. At that time, only parents could still perform it, while young people were more interested in playing organ.

Not infrequently the performers shed tears because they feel the story.

Jariah understands the declining interest in the tradition among the people. Together with a number of parents, she formed an art studio focusing on dideng. She invited children to learn the art of dideng two or three times a week. They practiced playing the kelintang and a number of traditional musical instruments.

The establishment of the art studio was welcomed by the community. Children love to bring their parents along. To revive dideng\'s popularity again, the traditional art was made a mandatory show during events in the village.

But, she said creativity and seriousness of the performer were key to maintaining crowd enthusiasm, as dideng performers were entertainers and messengers of philosophical ideas.

Now, dideng is popular again in villages in Bungo regency. Many children proudly come onstage to perform this oral literary. There is pride for them to be "dideng performer."

Jariah was named Maestro of Traditional Art by the Education and Culture Ministry.

In 2013, researchers from the Jambi Language Agency visited Rantau Pandan village, the origin of dideng, to study the traditional art. Jariah was surprised at first to find the researchers expressing their admiration for the art.

The arrival of the guests was not merely for research. The guests had selected Jariah to be named an art maestro. In 2014, Jariah was named Maestro of Traditional Art by the Education and Culture Ministry. The consideration was that Jariah had a major contribution to preserving dideng.

The peak of happiness was felt by Jariah when dideng was established as an intangible cultural heritage by the Education and Culture Ministry. The certificate was handed over during the 2019 National Cultural Week in early October in Jakarta.

This appreciation reinforces her belief that local traditions can give importance to the world. Because of that, they need to preserve it.

Jariah

Born: Rantau Pandan, Bungo regency

Husband: Baduwi (late)

Children: Tabii, Jamilah and Hasan Jengki

Award:

- Establishing the Dideng Traditional Art Group Putri Dayang Ayu (2013)

- Maestro of Dideng Traditional Art (2014) from the Education and Culture Ministry

- Having a role in promoting Dideng to be declared as the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2019) by the Education and Culture Ministry