Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 18 (1) (2018), 82-96 p-ISSN 2541-1683|e-ISSN 2541-2426 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/harmonia DOI: 10.15294/harmonia.v18i1.11570 Banyumas People’s Characteristics Symbolically Reflected on Calung Banyumasan Performance Suharto Department of Drama, Dance and Music, Faculty of Language and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia Received: Oktober 19, 2017. Revised: April 23, 2018. Accepted: June 10, 2018 Abstract This research aims at examining how Banyumas people’s characteristics are symbolically ex- pressed in Calung Banyumasan performance. This qualitative research employs a hermeneutic approach to examine any symbolic meanings in calung performance. The data are collected by literary study, document study, observation and interview, which are then analyzed using con- tent analysis and interactive analysis of Miles and Huberman. The research results show that some song lyrics identify Banyumas people’s images and characteristics such as equality and honesty (cablaka) just like the ngoko level language they use. The performance consists of opening, Lenggeran, Badhudan, and Baladewan acts in the process of illustrating the character of Banyumas people who love jokes and crowd. Some aspects arising in performance reflect Banyumas people as an egalitarian, straightforward, like-to-gather, and syncretic society. Keywords: Calung Banyumasan; Characteristics Symbolically; Banyumas People How to Cite: Suharto. (2018). Banyumas People’s Characteristics Symbolically Reflected on Calung Banyumasan Performance. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research And Education, 18(1), 82-96. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/harmonia. v18i1.15524 INTRODUCTION round needs to be thoroughly studied. They only study senggakan “in plain view” When we pay attention, many song and technically from musical perspective lyrics and dance moves in lengger, dagelan, by mentioning it as an identity, but they and senggakan are very special and reflect have not thoroughly discussed the mea- Banyumas people. The expressions used in ning behind senggakan. Therefore, the mea- senggakan, for example, tend not to have le- ning of “noisy” impression proposed by xical meaning, but do exist in every calung Sutton can be examined. performance (Murwaningrum, 2012a). The music of calung used to accom- Moreover, Sutton, (1991a) calls this activi- pany certain art performance has certain ty “noisy” or “busy”. Repeated appearan- work which is well processed by its sup- ces of senggakan throughout performance porting artists, thus Banyumasan styled are not necessarily presented without any karawitan appears with style and work meaning, primarily in the context of per- similar to karawitan which uses gamelan formance and culture as the background. ageng. This work model, which is consi- Its musical aspect has been discussed by dered typical, is also supposed to appear both researchers, but the cultural backg- in adjustment to Banyumas people’s sen- Corresponding author: B2 Building, 2nd Floor, Sekaran Gunungpati, Semarang 50229, Central Java, Indonesia E-mail: [email protected] 82 Suharto, Banyumas People’s Characteristics Symbolically Reflected ... 83 se. This artistic sense may appear based Priyadi’s dissertation (2010) entit- on the character of its supporting society, led “Dinamika Sosial Budaya Banyumas da- which is also reflected in a play style like lam Babad Banyumas Versi Wirjaatmadjana” that in calung style, which is not like that in shows that the value system of Banyumas gamelan ageng play. culture is based on cablaka which produces That songs with lyrics in thick Ba- paradoxical/contradictive values as ref- nyumas dialect are added into calung play lected in its figures’ character. The upheld shows its distinctiveness. Specific nuance values tend to be paradoxical, in which is produced by how quick instruments are thesis is faced with antithesis, which then struck, complementary plays and sengga- produces a synthesis. Meanwhile, the va- kans made by nayagas and sindhens. These lue orientation of Banyumas culture is at plays create very ramé (boisterous) im- traditional and modern positions, which pression. However, the word ramé in some may be observed from Banyumas people’s studies is considered something positive, view on the meaning of life, work, percep- not something negative, by certain com- tion of time, and relation between human munities, primarily in the context of art and human and nature. performance (Mulyana, Haryono, Sima- Previous researches conducted tupang, & Mada, 2012). According to the by Priyadi, (2003; 2007) show that Ba- research conducted by Mulyana, the ramé nyumas people have a specific character dimension which appears in art world called cablaka. Cablaka is the main model exists in many regions with a meaning far of Banyumas people’s character. Blakasuta, from negative element. This means that thongmelong, or cablaka has the same mea- the organizer and the players want their ning, which is to talk as it is or frankly. performance to be ramé. What does ramé in Banyumas people with Banyumasan dia- Calung Banyumasan art performance with lect has established an egalitarian culture, different cultural background mean? which is to acknowledge equality among The research conducted by Priyadi, its people. The researches conducted by (2003) proposes that Banyumas people’s Priyadi (2003, 2007, 2010), from Banyumas character may be examined from their people’s character to people’s view on the daily behavioral elements in social inter- relation with the nature, have not specifi- action, figures’ character, taboos, and pro- cally studied how art and culture as a form verbs. These elements may exist in calung of cultural expression take a role in the performance, including song lyrics, per- dynamics of people. Do art and culture, formance presentation, and the content of including Calung Banyumasan, also reflect performance itself. Since art is the expres- the dynamics of people as observed from sion of people’s culture, then art content, the form of performance and performance including calung, may reflect the character elements? of people who produce such culture. It is Banyumas people’s character is ref- very interesting to study their relationship. lected in the existing value system in their A cultural analysis is based on an socio-cultural life. Calung is born and de- idea that daily life stretches out in a mea- veloped from a dynamic people’s social ningful arrangement (Mulder, 1996). This life, which in its birth is a civilization and concept explains that esthetic activity part of their cultural system. Songs in ca- through calung performed by Banyumas lung have lyrics in Banyumas typical lan- people is something inevitable which has guage, which reflect Banyumas people’s important meaning for their lives. The ine- character (Suharto, 2016). According to the vitability and meaning-making takes place rhythm of songs, its gendhing playing style in the world of shared knowledge, which which refers to gamelan ageng is the symbol is Banyumas culture, which may be analy- of low-class people’s culture which repre- zed as a system of perception, classificati- sents low-class culture, in which they want on and other interpretation they may have. to reflect on how thepriyayi play gamelan as 84 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 18 (1) (2018): 82-96 a representation of a bigger culture, which maintain culture hereditarily acquired is Javanese culture. from their ancestor. Song lyrics and how they are sung in Because of its local nature, Banyumas Banyumasan music like Calung Banyuma- culture becomes an integral part of a more san, for example, cannot be separated from general culture adopted by the Javanese. those characteristics. The expressions in However, its remote geographical locati- use –some community groups say it rude– on from the center of kraton‘s power and is the reflection of people’s daily life. Ho- the inherent view of life make Banyumas wever, those expressions are considered people’s various cultural aspects different. rude only by ethnocentric people, who Banyumas people have been estab- view art from the different cultural cor- lished with characters of having popular ner like kraton culture, which is inciden- spirit and acceptance of given condition tally created from a new culture to restrict because of helplessness. These behaviors themselves (kraton) from low-class culture. are then called sense of inferiority from ot- Culture belongs to people, which her economically, politically or culturally is collectively used as guideline or terms stronger or superior strata. of reference for relevant people. People’s Banyumas culture is also formed behavior is not free from culture, which from a combination of the elements of is essentially the complex of knowledge, old Javanese culture and local public life values, ideas, and faiths or beliefs which pattern. In its journey, Banyumas culture controls them (Bachtiar, 1985). The relevant is influenced by New Javanese culture as guideline may become model selectively bigger culture, Sundanese culture, Islamic used by supporting people to communi- culture, and Western culture. It is pre- cate, to preserve and to connect knowled- valent that a bigger culture influences a ge, to behave and to act, not only to fulfill smaller culture. Moreover, the elements of life necessities, but also to solve constantly Old Javanese culture (Ancient and Middle evolving life challenges (Geertz, 1993). Javanese) is influenced by Indian cultu- Meanwhile, Geerts also defines “Cul- re (Hinduism-Buddhism) which has long ture is a system of arranged meaning and time ago been disseminated by a priest na- symbol, in the sense that individuals de- med Aji Saka (Yusmanto, 2006). fine their world, express their feeling and Based on the background above, the provide valuation; a meaning pattern his- main problem is how the calung Banyuma- torically transmitted, realized in symbolic san performance presentation may descri- forms through media where people com- be Banyumas people according to musical municate, monumentalize and develop and non-musical meaning in its perfor- their knowledge and attitudes toward life; mance.