Shadow Puppets of Java at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum

• Ki Midiyanto, puppeteer
• Wakidi Dwidjomartono, hand drums
• Heni Savitri, solo vocalist, dancer

Join us in the new Buffalo AKG Art Museum (formerly the Albright-Knox Gallery) for an afternoon performance of cosmic Javanese wayang kulit shadow puppetry and gamelan music featuring puppet master Midiyanto, master drummer Wakidi Dwidjomartono, singer and dancer Heni Savitri, and the gamelan musicians of Nusantara Arts! 

This special program, funded by the National Endowment of the Arts, is entertainment that also teaches our audience about the art form of wayang puppetry and its ancient characters, and makes for a fun filled afternoon activity for all ages. In some of the first performances in the new AKG Art Museum, Nusantara Arts puts on not one, but two free performances with two different stories! Each performance will include dance, storytelling, artmaking, and traditional Indonesian snacks. 

Javanese Shadow Puppetry: Wayang kulit performances are traditional and wildly popular multi-genre performances from Indonesia. They combine virtuosic shadow puppetry, enrapturing gamelan music, comedy, philosophy, community, and civic engagement. The Wayang performance is led by the dhalang (puppet master) who controls the performance of the puppets and cues the gamelan musicians who have to very closely follow the signals, creating exciting and smooth transitions between scenes. The stories told are traditionally drawn from the ancient Indian epics the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

Story Synopsis, Friday: "Rajamala and the Lake of Watari"
In the Kingdom of Wiratha, there is trouble in the streets and the people are upset. Investigating the turmoil, King Matwaspati and his son Raden Seta discover a secret plot to overthrow the kingdom by his own nephews: Rajamala and his two brothers Kencakarupa, and Rupakenca, elite citizens of Wiratha.

The kingdom is holding a contest of human strength. Rajamala is seemingly unbeatable with endless stamina and strength, becoming more popular with the people. Bima of the Pandawa family, living secretly in Wiratha under the alias “Jagal Abilawa”, attempts to challenge Rajamala but is defeated every time. His brother Arjuna discovers that every time Rajamala gets tired or is injured, he bathes in the lake of Watari, restoring him to full strength and making him nearly invincible. The Pandawas must figure out a way to defeat Rajamala and his brothers or the kingdom of Wiratha will be lost.

Story Synopsis, Saturday: "Prabu Boko: Terror of Ekacakra"

The story of Prabu Boko is a myth of wayang as well as a folk legend surrounding the hundreds of ancient temples and ruins around Prambanan in Central Java.

Prabu Boko is the giant, powerful, and sinister king of Ekacakra. He keeps his kingdom subjugated by demanding that every village send one of their residents to be sacrificed every month as part of king Prabu Boko's meal.

In the village of Manahilan, the only people left are the head of the village, Rishi Ijrapa, and his own family – everyone else has fled, scrambling to save themselves from the sinister king. At this time, the mighty Bima of the Pandawa family is living in the village, disguised as a homeless wanderer. He plans to end the reign of the cruel king by offering himself as a sacrifice to be brought before the king. When the time is right, he will be able to confront and battle the king himself. 

About Nusantara Arts

Nusantara Arts was born from the growth and success of the Buffalo Gamelan Club, an informal group existing since 2016. Nusantara Arts is the start of something bigger and even more beautiful for a group of people dedicated to the arts of Indonesia. Buffalo Gamelan Club had grown in size and community appreciation with successful shows at Kleinhans, Artpark, and dozens of other places, and with hundreds of students in Buffalo learning this new artform. Facing increasing numbers of performances and classes, and growing primarily through the use of volunteer time, Buffalo Gamelan Club founder Matt Dunning began the process of establishing a nonprofit organization in the Spring of 2019. Approved in the Summer of 2019, with a board of engaged community members excited to support its growth, Nusantara Arts is well on its way to spreading this beautiful music and culture further in Buffalo and the surrounding areas.

About Ki Midiyanto, puppeteer

Renowned Central Javanese musician and puppet master (dhalang) Ki Midiyanto teaches and performs as Lecturer and Co-Director of Gamelan Sari Raras at University of California, Berkeley, and also as guest artist and instructor throughout the U.S., Indonesia, and internationally.

About Wakidi Dwidjomartono, hand drums

Wakidi Dwidjomartono is a renowned gamelan master, originally from Solo in Central Java, Indonesia. He has been a visiting artist at Tufts University, an artist-in-residence at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, and the musical director of tours to the USA, Singapore, France, and India. He has been a Local-Master Visiting Artist at Jakarta International School for over twenty years, and is one of the administrative directors of Pujangga Laras, a monthly performance event in Solo that has been regularly held since 2001. While his primary instrument is the kendhang (drum) for concert pieces, dance, and wayang, Pak Wakidi is also an expert singer and bonang player, as well as being well-versed on the rebab, gendér, and gambang.

About Heni Savitri, solo vocalist, dancer

Heni Savitri began to study sindhènan (Javanese singing with gamelan) in 2002. In 2003, she won the competition for best vocalist in her native district of Wonogiri, Central Java. She enrolled in the Performing Arts Conservatory in Surakarta in 2004, and began representing the institution in competitions the following year as well as performing in shadow puppet plays.

After enrolling in Indonesia’s state conservatory for the traditional performing arts in Surakarta, she was chosen as the singer for many recordings of new faculty compositions and traditional works, representing the academy in the 2008 international vocal competition in Jakarta. Since coming to the United States, she has been in great demand for concerts by the leading gamelan ensembles in North America.