Betawi people who live in the city of Jakarta have a plural culture, ranging from music, performing arts, to culinary. You may have familiar use some of his names, but there are also arts that are now rarely found except at ordinance events. This time Traveloka wants to invite you to get to know more betawi culture. Check it out below!
Tanjidor is a music orchestra that entered Indonesia in the 18th century. Its name comes according to the Portuguese "tangedor" aka stringed musical instruments. Although it has the name 'strings', actually the meaning of the name is now out of sync anymore because the musical instrument used is an inflatable musical instrument - hit such as trombone, clarinet, trumpet, and drums. Tanjidor performances are played by 7-10 people to accompany the bride and groom or welcome special guests in the event. Some of the songs that are commonly performed by tanjidor orchestras include Sacred Karam, Sweet Cente, White Pigeon, Bananas, Surilang, and Kramton.
You must have been no stranger to using ondel-ondel. This pair of giant dolls is made of bamboo blades that are given cloth and jewelry such as brides, and inside contains people who dance. Usually ondel-ondel women have a whitewashed face & which men's face is red. Ondel-ondel is considered a repellent of reinforcements and also as a complement to the ritual of the completion of rice harvest. But as the times progressed, ondel-ondel is now as displayed to create a lively at the people's party or the time of the welcome of honored guests. When performing there is no specific music, but generally ondel-ondel accompanied by tanjidor, Betawi pencak drum, ketimpring tambourine, &gambang kromong.
Although both orchestras, kromong gambang is different from tanjidor. This orkes has a close interaction with chinese peranakan people because it combines gamelan using western and Chinese music. The gamelan instrument consists of a wooden gambang, chrome or a set of 5-tone bonang, drum, kenong, transversely blown distilled, rebab, and musical senses from a mini coconut shell known as tehyan &ohyan. In addition there are also musical instruments based on the West such as violin, guitar, trumpet, &saxophone. Famous songs that are often performed are Jali-Jali & Indung-Indung. Gambang kromong is generally displayed to enliven ceremonial programs such as Cap Go Meh.
The traditional betawi maen punch or silat art was discovered by Lie Tjeng Hok who combines martial arts according to his family (Chinese) and his teachers (Betawi). Silat beksi developed by the people in Kampung Dadap, Tangerang and currently the sanggarnya has circulated poly in Jabodetabek. The clothes worn by fighters are considered pangsi, betawi special loose clothes use pants hanging over the eyes, sarongs on the neck, and peci. Usually the fighter also carries a machete at the waist. Some of his moves include The Flying Stork Move, The Triad Sword Move, The Blade Pull, and the Empty-Handed Sword Move.
Door bars have the meaning of opening a barrier to be able to enter an area. This tradition is synonymous with wedding events that are to test the ability of science & how dare the groom edit the bride. In the process of the doorstop, the men came in groups where there was one champion according to the man, 2 champions based on the female side, one guide from each party, 3 readers of shalawat dustur, one reader sike (verse of the Qur'an), and a team of kecimpring tambourine accompanying the groom.
There are 2 conditions that must be met by the male side, namely the winner of the male side must defeat the champion of the female side in silat & able to chant sike or quranic verses. If successful, then the groom is allowed to meet using the bride in the wedding. In addition to the wedding program, doorstops can also be done to welcome special guests on important programs, such as state events.
Theatre art still exists in Betawi culture, known as lenong. Initially, betawi people knew noble theater and stambul law with players based on various ethnic groups & dialogue using Malay. Betawi society imitated it into a lenong show. This theater is played without more than 10 people with Betawi language chat and accompanied by kromong gambang music. The lenong show is divided into 3 parts. First, mars rhythmic songs are played as an opening that aims to invite the audience to arrive. After that the entertainment song is known for dalem songs (classical songs) and vegetable songs (modern kromong gambang songs), and the last play or staging of the story. In the past, lenong brought royal stories. But as it develops, lenong brings the story of everyday life. At the performance, lenong players will compete so as to add an element of comedy to the show.
Betawi Mask Dance is theatrical, with folk life stories featured in movements and plays that contain moral messages. This dance was originally staged around being entertainment in party programs such as circumcision or wedding because it was considered to be able to keep away from danger. As the times change, Betawi Mask dance is better known to be entertainment. Hand movements, hips, and leg resistance are very important in betawi mask dance. At the time of performing, dancers will dance while biting the mask made according to wood so that the mask does not fall. The dance is accompanied by music from kecrek, rebab, kempul, gong buyung, drum akbar, kulanter, and kromong tiga.
Lenggang Nyai dance was created by Wiwik Widiastuti, a choreographer from Yogyakarta. The dance name is from the terms "lenggang" or lenggak-lenggok and "nyai" taken after Nyai Dasimah, betawi female figure in the story of the citizens. The character & struggle of Nyai Dasimah on defending women's rights &freedom is symbolized in this dance. The movement is a cluster of cokek dances, mask dances, using Chinese elements. The dancers are four to six mini girls.
If in the West there is a salad, Betawi has salty. This food is a freshly preserved vegetable (e.g. mustard, Colonel, bean sprouts, lettuce, beans, understand) & tastes sour-sweet. Sometimes also added yellow noodle crackers into a complement. The seasoning is made according to peanut seasoning, with chilli & vinegar dough.
Almost all regions in Indonesia have their own style in the presentation of soto, including Betawi. Soto is rich in flavor with savory taste is shahdan named "tangkar" because during the Dutch colonial period, meneer will eat beef while the tangkar or ribs and offal will be given to Indonesians. Finally, this part was processed into Soto Tangkar.
Thus the list of some Betawi cultures & actually there are still many other Betawi cultures that are no less interesting for you to explore.
Let's get to know Betawi culture more closely using a plane or train ticket to Jakarta at the best price and comfortable hotels and lodging! Of course, cleanliness remains a priority let alone travel in this time pandemic. You can determine the accommodation using the BadgeTraveloka Clean Accommodation which means that you have implemented standard synchronous hygiene recommendations determined by the government and already have a certificate of hygiene standards. To travel around the city of Jakarta and learn betawi culture, more freely if you rent a car with four wheeled vehicles through Traveloka!
In addition to airfare & accommodation, find local culinary recommendations that you have never tried on Traveloka Eats or exciting entertainment ideas & activities while in Jakarta through Traveloka Xperience!
