History and art district kebumen

The name of Kebumen seems came from word ‘Kabumian’ – a living place of someone who called Kyai Bumi. This place before was a destination of Bumidirja or Mangkubumi Prince escaping from Mataram at June 26th 1677, when 1st Sunan Amangkurat held the power. Before that, Kebumen that called Panjer at that time, was noted in Indonesia History Map as one starting movement of Mataram warriors in Sultan Agung era to attack Deutch Colonizer in Batavia ( Jakarta ).


Bagus Bodronolo, one of great – grandchild of Senopati Prince, who was born at Karanglo Village, Panjer, received a demand from Ki Suwarno, a representator from Mataram, to gathering food material for Mataram soldiers. And as a reward, Sultan Agung declared Ki Suwarno as Panjer’s Bupati and sent Bagus Bodronolo to Batavia as guarding soldier for the food expedition.

Same with other places in Central Java, cultures and arts in Karanganyar are similar. The mystic is still strongy influence to cultures and arta. Taken an example, the kuda lumping show is a unification between art and magic.

1. Kuda Lumping Trance
Kuda lumping or ebleg or jathilan or kuda kepang is familiar trance dance in this region. The show of kuda lumping consist of players, woven bamboo flat horse, singo barong, gamelan orchestra, and mastermind. The mastermind has important role in success of show, where he able to call satan and to possesse them into the soul of players during show. When the show begin, players dance by gamelan orchestra arrangement. Then the mastermind calls satan, suddenly some of players begin trance that be causes by nfiltrate of satan to players. Satans infiltrate to the soul of players and unify or possesse to soul of players. Players will become not conscicousness and and trance, thats why players able to eat glass, metal, fire without injure them. It is the really magic and mysthic. When the show finish, the mastermind awareness players one by one, and satan will be fleed out from soul of players. The groups of Kuda Lumping are owned from vilagges : Karanganyar (Singoyudo), Wonorejo, Panjatan, Pekuwon, Plarangan, Sidomulyo.

2. Wayang Kulit
Wayang Kulit is the most popular art show in Java island since hundreds century ago. Wayang kulit is made from leather of buffalo or other. Then it is chiselled and painted becoming wayang. The names of wayang are more than 100 names of profile. The story of wayang began in Java since thousand years ago, such as Barathayuda & Ramayana. Wayang is the oldest and the best art in Java island. Besides wayang kulit, there is wayang orang that play by people. The group of wayang kulit in Karanganyar region is owned by Ki Dalang Slamet from Desa Sidomulyo. National TV such as TVRI and Indosiar always relay the wayang kulit show every week end.

3. Karawitan / uyon-uyon
Karawitan or uyon-uyon is singing javanesse songs that arraged by gamelan music. Titles of song that ussualy sing are Gendhing Macapat : Dandhanggula, Kinanthi, Pangkur, Megatruh, etc. Gamelan is arranged by Slendro and Pelog. Many people who has party such as wedding party and sunatan always play karawitan live or by cassete.

4. Campursari
Campursari is unification between karawitan that arranged by gamelan and modern music instrument such as piano, guitar and drum. Sometimes a story also play during show of campursari. Campursari firstly conducted by Manthous, and now becomes popular music in Java. National TVRI relays the campursari show.

5. Angguk
Angguk is drama story about Marmaya and Marmadi, tell story about story of Islam in Java.

6. Janengan
Janengan is music influenced by Islam songs. It is arranged by terbang and rebana orchestra.

7. Jemblung
Jemblung is played by 4 people only. Ussualy they tell about story of wayang. They sit surrounding table consist of food such as tumpeng. They begin play and be arranged by music from their mouths.

8. Ketoprak
Ketoprak si drama story that it is played by many players. The story ussualy about history of Java, and it is arranged by gamelan orchestra.