Dalang with Kungfu Moving

Wayang kulit (shadow puppet) becomes a breath of life into straits chinese citizen. The shadow puppet that brings Mahabarata and Ramayana story  to be an integral part of people's lives and were accepted into the spectacle of the citizens unity when performed at temples Tridharma in a small town in Java.

Widajat Djiang a.k.a Tjioe Bian Djiang is one of the straits chinese shadow puppet's dalang (master of shadow puppet) who survived to the present day. He became a cultural bridge between the java community, straits chinese and chinese. He was able to dalang-ing in various dialect as javanese, hokkian and punctuated words in mandarin chinese.

Widayat Djiang was born to from a couple Tjioe Kok Hin and Raden Ajeng Djuariah, a female aristocrat of Paku Alam, Yogyakarta. Therefore, since childhood, Djiang familiar with chinese and javanese culture.

The family raised him for close to that cultures. The mother was given a Chinese name, Ong Kim Hwa. His father, who is also a fan of shadow puppet pushing Djiang close to javanese artists. Little Djiang routine to watching the shadow puppet show, particularly with his mother.

Grown up, a number of authors in a publication in Java language as Panjebar Semangat (1950 to 1960 's) become Djiang's comrades. He also avidly diligent live the teachings of Kejawen (javanese mysticism).

According to tradition in villages, each one of childbirth was always rolling out puppet spectacle. One day my family 'submit' me to the puppeteer Soemomardjan, Netherland man from Leiden who have a javanese wife," said Djiang, who lived in Kecubung village, Nganjuk, East Java.

Since then, in the 1950's, Djiang learned to Soemomardjan. No wonder if the puppeteer then bequeath a number his wayang purwa collections to Djiang. Puppet collection date from the 19th century with a special "pelemahan" (attenuation) or figures pedestal foot spot stepped on the earth with the use of three color, i.e. red, white, and blue. These three colors symbolized the flag of the Netherlands Kingdom.

"Look, these are rood (red), wit (white), en blauw (blue). Types of puppets like this are no longer made after independence of Indonesia," said Djiang while showing his rare collection that ever offered by a museum in Leiden. "Nobody gets me off, it's something very valuable," he asserted.

In contrast to the puppeteer from Java in General, armed with skill of Kun Thauw or Chinese martial arts from his father, in his show Djiang combining wayang moving with his kungfu techniques." The way of wayang moving like this could be said as the uniqueness of the Chinese and Javanese straits  puppeteer," he said.

source : http://oase.kompas.com/read/2012/01/26/23532512/