Get to Know Wayang Golek Betawi Before It Being Claimed Another Country

Reza Purbaya (32), a wayang golek Betawi puppeteer and the successor is holding one of the  wayang puppet.

Indonesia has a diverse culture, one of which is wayang. Starting from wayang kulit (shadow puppets), wayang golek Sunda (Sunda wooden puppet show), and wayang golek Betawi. Wait. The reader may not familiar with wayang golek Betawi.

Like one of a 20-year-old teenager, Maudy Azahra. Although she is Betawinese, Maudy didn’t know the existence of wayang golek Betawi. She said it was the first time she heard about this. However, she had desire to watch the performance of wayang golek.
"I'm interested to watch wayang golek Betawi because I'm Betawinese. Besides that, I want to know about the culture of my hometown," Maudy said.

In other way, a 20-year-old college student Rijcy Sanjaya who is also Betawinese has known about wayang golek Betawi. However, he has no interest in getting to know or watching the wayang golek Betawi show.
"While in Kota Tua I have watched puppets show, but I didn't know what kind of puppets. Besides, I am not very interested in puppet show because they have so many characters that I don’t know," Ricjy said.

It’s an unfortunate if you don’t know yet about wayang golek Betawi. Therefore, we met and asked about wayang golek Betawi to one of the puppeteers and the successor Reza Purbaya.

He started to tell a history about wayang golek Betawi. Starting from Reza’s father Tizar Purbaya, he opened a business of a custom wayang-making. Until the beginning of 1998, many people ordered their puppets, even the customers came from foreign embassies. So, the wayang have a foreigner faces. Unfortunately, during the 1998 riots, many foreign customers chose to return to their countries. As a result, many wayang were abandoned.
"We don’t know what to do with these wayang because it cannot be sold and cannot be played. Finally, because ​​Jakarta doesn’t have a wayang show, then why don't you make a wayang golek Betawi? "Reza said while wore black shirt with red knee-length shorts.

Inspector Frans. One of the wayang puppet that has "foreigner faces" and plays as an invader in “Si Jampang” story.

The Governor of Jakarta at that time Sutiyoso supported the idea of ​​the birth of a wayang show. In 2001, the wayang golek Betawi performed for the first time at Galangan VOC, North Jakarta. This first performance of wayang golek Betawi, it raised story of Betawi in colonial era. So, the abandoned wayang that embassy has ordered was used as an invaders.

Unlike the wayang golek Sunda that tells stories of Javanese Hindu relics, such as Mahabharata, and Ramayana, the wayang golek Betawi picks up stories of various Jakarta legends. Si Manis Jembatan Ancol and Si Jampang are stories that are often performed. Each story will be presented in a lenong Betawi storytelling style and accompanied by traditional Betawi music, Gambang Kromong.

Other uniqueness is the puppet that used are made in a modern way and have their own actions. Some puppet can stick out their tongues, wink, raise their eyebrows, shed tears, firing a gun, and many more.

Mang Ceblek. The character in “Si Jampang” story that can stick his tounge out.

Every attraction that displayed by each puppets requires teamwork. For example, when there is a gun firing scene, the cooperation is needed to move the puppets, light a ammunition, adjust the motion of the lights, and regulate the discharge of smoke. There are that make the performance of wayang golek Betawi have more complicated stage action than wayang golek Sunda show.
"At one stage, there are 15 people in one team, including the music players. Also we have five puppeteers to control puppets movements on the stage because there are several puppet scenes appear from various sides. If I become a puppeteer by myself, it will really difficult for me," Reza said.

Wayang golek Betawi is one of a cultural icon of Jakarta. That is why we must preserve this art performances. In Reza opinion, we can take small steps to preserve our culture, and our arts.
“Conserve the culture it's very easy. You don't have to have a puppet or become a puppeteer. Just needed curiosity and recognition about one of culture, you are already conserving the culture," Reza said.

However, Reza will be very open if there are young people who want to become a wayang golek Betawi puppeteer. For him, everyone can be the puppeteer, provided they have a strong desire, and most importantly want to know and learn about the culture.

Here is some tips for Reza Purbaya for you, if you want to be a wayang puppeteer. 

Reza told us that there were many interesting experiences he had felt while being a puppeteer. One of them was when he had to performed at the Taman BMW located in Sunter Barat, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta before the park was evicted. At that time, he was invited by one brand of the children's milk products to played in front of the scavenger children. One of the challenges was he had to played in a floating school built from a pile of trash on top of a pond.
"We feel touched, when we perform, they are very entertained. That's the point of a culture. You can entertain anyone through it," Reza said.

Besides from the community support, Reza also needs support from the government in his efforts to conserve wayang golek Betawi. He jealous of Malaysia, which had an open place provided by the government for free that can be used to performing arts. So, every week there will be many cultures displayed and everyone can watch from local people to tourists.

He hoped government will provide this facility. Although, there is already a cultural place in Setu Babakan, but the place is far from the center of Jakarta and there are not many people can see it. So the place was considered less strategic.

Reza suggested that it will be cool if there is one open space in Monas, then every culture rotated to play once a year. By doing that, we can introduce our culture from all Indonesia to public.

The more people who know about our culture, the more people have a sense of responsibility to preserve the culture. Actually, wayang golek Betawi almost claimed by our neighboring countries. Reza had been asked to give them a wayang golek Betawi, and instead all the cost of Reza's life and the family would all be borne. However, Reza rejected it. He will not follow his ego and give his wayang golek Betawi to other country.
"Don’t let foreign people know more about our culture than us. Don't wait until it is claimed by another country, then we get angry. If that happen, where have you been?" Reza said.