Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

140 REFIGURATION OF IDENTITIES AND FUTURES IN TIMES OF TRANSFORMATIONis far removed from social reality. Furthermore, Isometimes heard “there is no social concern within ISI-Denpasar because they cannot do anything” as a socialvoice. Some cassettes recorded by STSI-Denpasar orISI-Denpasar that are already on the market are said tofeature the wrong way of playing gamelans, especially inthe traditional pieces. Many old, non-formally educatedgamelan players complain about this. However, theserecordings are still broadcast in the Balinese mass mediaand have become popular works. Also, some studentsin ISI-Denpasar cannot judge the lomba of traditionalgamelan well. Because of their poor judgment, manypeople complain of the lack of fairness and problemsarise within the committee.Female gamelan activitiesVillage-based women’s gamelan groups are usuallycalled Gong PKK. There are a number of methods bywhich the members of the group are selected or thegroups are formed. It is not only women but also menwho are concerned with the establishment of a group.There are three ways of forming a group. The first typecan be called a “selected members” group. Members ofthe group are selected by men in the community andare expected to bring honor to the group or to becomean example to their children. One who wants to jointhe group but does not have the ability cannot beselected for the group. The second type can be calleda “mixed members” group. Members of the group aresometimes selected to bring honor to the group orselected because of the status of the husband or the wifein society. However, if anyone wants to join the group,the request is not rejected. The third type can be calleda “true lovers” group. Members are not selected fromany specific type of people; anyone who wants to join iswelcomed to the group.A showcase of Ajeg BaliThe gamelan activities of the women are not a traditionalphenomenon. However, the wearing of pakaian adat(traditional clothes) is almost a duty. This shows thatthe gamelan is clearly customary. In the ngaya (offeringof the gamelan play to the gods) at the pura (temple), thewomen wear their traditional Balinese clothes and say aprayer to the gods before a performance. They receiveholy water from a priest and then play the gamelan. Thedonning of traditional clothes, the offering of prayer,the receipt of the holy water and the performance of thegamelan are the indexes of their practice of Ajeg Bali.Therefore, the dedication performance in the templebecomes a big event in their village. The image ofwomen who are good wives and mothers, who protecttheir tradition well and practice Ajeg Bali, is a source ofpride not only for women but also for men. Moreover,the lomba of the gamelan has similar importance to thengaya. Winning a high prize in lomba brings great honorto the village. Therefore, lomba are held for gamelanplaying in various classes such as those for women,children and youth. In the case of women’s gamelan,it was after the 1980s that lomba were first held. Afterthe Ajeg Bali movement began, the lomba became morepopular. Currently, not only women but also meneagerly promote the gamelan activities of women.Identity of womenTraditionally, women are not expected to performartistic activities in society, except for girls’ dances.Married women are only expected to have the role of thekeeper of the family properties and to make offerings totheir gods and ancestors. They are expected to followtheir husbands. However, women’s relatively low socialstatus has been a hot topic recently, with some womenwanting to improve their status. In the study sites, thereare two attitudes towards women. At one site, womenare making efforts to raise their status, while at theother site, women want to maintain traditional femaleroles and images. These two attitudes separate womeninto two groups. One is the group that joins, supportsor approves of the female gamelan activities. Whenthey hold a ngaya, they get the chance to participateas gamelan players wearing their special costumes. Theother group criticizes female gamelan activities. Theyinsist that the gamelan activities are men’s work and notsuitable for women.Children’s gamelan activitiesIn many cases, the establishment of children’s gamelanis deeply connected to the parents’ request. Children’sgamelan activities have an educational purpose.However, a more interesting phenomenon is the viewingof the practice of the gamelan as social education. Insome areas where public morals have been corrupted,parents want to keep their children away from socialproblems like prostitution and the drug trade, amongothers, with the lessons of Ajeg Bali. Of course, there arecases of children’s gamelan groups that are establishedbecause of the children’s aspiration. However, becauseof the problems of expense, instruments and facilities,it is difficult to start the lessons in a banjar (a regionalassociation). When the group is approved by a banjar,they can practice the gamelan at the bale banjar (banjarassembly hall). If they are not approved, the groupcannot use the bale banjar. In this case, children’sgamelan activities are done within the context of aAsian Transformations in ActionThe Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows