Bismillah in open this post
Marayama, a Kacaping1 Maestro . If we look up at her body, you will not believe that
she is a Kacaping Player and tremendeous singer. Her body is
very old, hunchback, wrinkled skin, oldwoman typical. But when she's holding a Kacaping
start to picking the strings and singing, there was a great energy that
radiates. Yes, that's the hallmark of the maestro. Like the late Ma’Coppong,
her body is very weak, but when dancing, her figure like a young girl.
Marayama lived amid
chocolate and coconut palms, close to Timbu-timbu Hills. Quite difficult to
find her home without asking people around there. To find Maryama’s house, we
can use motorcycle from Tinambung, pass Galung Lombok Village, Renggeang
Village, and Tandassura Village (About 10 km from Trans Sulawesi Highway).
Between mosques and Tandassura
Elementary School, there is a small road into the middle garden. Winding roads,
through one or two stage home. About 300 m from the axis of Tandassura or 1 km
from Mandar River, There was a simply house belongs to Marayama. Almost
everything made from wood and bamboo, except the front wall of the House are
made of zinc. No electricity at home. So when the evening using oil lamps as
the light. There was some family’s house around her house, included her sister,
Satuni.
Marayama don't know
exactly when she was born. But she's a kid when the occupation of Japan. So I
expect she's born in the 30 's, the era of the pakkacaping2
legend, I Pasoq. So her age is around 80 years.Marayama has four
siblings, all of them can play kacaping.
They are I Yasi (female), Lemba (male), Satuni, Marayama, Sapa (female, can
play kacaping but was not her job). Among them, the oldest brother (I Yasi) was
the most expert play Kacaping.
Although both parents Marayama could play kacaping,
but Marayama and her sisters taught play
kacaping from the oldest sister, I
Yasi.
Marayama’s father named
I Jalaq ( from Kambaqjawa, Samasundu ), her mother named Maliaya ( from Galung,
Majene ). For farming ,they move from their hometown, Renggeang and Marayama
was born there, to Tandassura. Both Marayama’s parents were not pakkacaping. Different to Marayama’s
grandfather. He's a Paqgeso , ancient
musical instrument from Southern Sulawesi Island. This instrumen like a violin.
Usually played on traditonal circumcition and Marriage .We can’t find this
intrument anymore.
Marayama’s Grandfather
called I Roa, her parents (Marayama’s great-grandfather) came from Lombok and
Salabose (Majene). In addition to paqgeso,
he is a kacaping maker too. So little
Marayama very familiar with her lifetime things (kacaping). Not only from her grandfather and her older brother,
Marayama influenced to played kacaping from
her uncle, namely Sumaati and her aunt, I Cicci. I Cicci could play kacaping better than her friends.When I Cicci got old.
She lived with Marayama who helped her when she got paralyzed. Not only
inherited skill to play kacaping.
From I Cicci but also inherited an ancient kacaping
which is currently hanging in the
Marayama’s living room.
Her First husband
called Ba’durramang, Bandru’s servant (famous gangster leader). They lived in
Puppengaq. Ba’durramang was killed in Kayumate, Mamuju. Actually Marayama
follow her husband to Mamuju, but she's back to Majene. Sometime later there
was a news that her husband killed by the Bugis, led by Salla Kalluq, on Sunday
night. Then Marayama married Ba’as but she divorced because he was playboy.Both
Ba’durramang and Ba’as were Tandassura villagers. From their marriage, Marayama
had no children. So, Marayama named as Kanneq Manang (manang = tamanang,
barren).For present generation, barren is a taunt, but it's actually a common
thing. In fact there were a King whose name based on the their lack, for
example Tokape and Andi Depu (‘depu’ word derived from word ’arepus’ which
means ugly).
Before 90s Era, and Mandar
was a very isolated area, go play kacaping
is a serious challenge. When Marayama was a young lady, she accompanied by her
father.For play kacaping, Marayama
and her sister often went out more than a week. No car and motorcycle so they
walking especially to reach more isloated area like Ratte Kallang, Tu’bi, etc.
They paid with money or harvest product.
Sometimes Marayama and
her sister attacked by black magic. Like when they played on Tu’bi, Marayama
felt twisted by a big snake and told it to Satuni but Satuni couldn’t see
anything. Other times, there are light similar to coals shell fluttering around
them.Sometimes kacaping suddenly
disappeared but the sound is heard. Even the mats was often used as a medium for attacking them
when playing kacaping. The mats and
pillows scroll directly (commonly used for disproving the thigh during play)
suddenly like living things, between the pillow and mats fight each other.
Physically they
attacked too. Their body got injury and diarrhea. But Satuni and Marayama
proud, although they attacked by blackmagic, they didn’t thing to stop play kacaping, they consisted to pluck kacaping string, like a a scene in the
Kung Fu Hustle. The other challenge when Marayama and Satuni play kacaping is a
fight between spectators. It is common in Mandar, in the 80s era, every croed
event must be a fight and killed each others.
A prohibit to step on kacaping and sometimes could make people
unlucky or danger.When someone makes a vow (the promise), for example, if I
have a Buffalo I would invite pakkacaping.
When nazar was not fulfilled, he would get sick. At the same time, the kacaping at Marayama’s home will be
tense strings, frequently sound weird. It is a sign there that somebody has not
met his vow, somebody would sick. To
solve it, invited the pakkacaping. When
a pakkacaping brought his kacaping passing in front of your house
and you greets him and he didn’t greets to you. You’ll be sick and to solve it
you had to invite him. So we didn’t need
to greets pakkacaping but if he
didn’t bring his kacaping no worry.
In the 40s era, Marayama and I Tage
got achievment a silver pins from Tenggelang District Government (Puang
Tenggelang Hamma), Lambe Lotong, Sumarrang Village (known Campalagian). More
than five decades later, Marayama with Cammana (rebana’s player), Tombo Palua
(dancer, singer and calong player),
Ka’dara (pakkacaping, keke player and
calong player) and Ma’dang (pa’raga) got Sipakaraya Achievment from
Sipakaraya Forum at Tinambung (Sept 2009).
Dalif Palipoi ( a
cultural observer) proposed to acquire Marayama Award from the Ministry of
culture and tourism. Goverment usually invited Marayama and the public too.
Sometimes Marayama invited by Arajang (Mandar Queen) Andi Depu who lived in
Makassar as a strategy to against Netherland Occupation.
Now, no one to practice
play kacaping.. Pakkacaping regeneration less than Cammana (tambourine player.
There are some factors :
First, almost
imposibble to find youth want to play kacaping
especially young lady. Second, to be a pakkacaping
take a long time. Not only to memoryze song, but also ability of improvisation
understading stories and knowledge in Mandar literature (kalindaqda and some adaptation words when Sung). Third,
when you expect revenue from the play kacaping, it is very difficult. Pakkacaping only invited on certain events
(e.g., the welcomed festival)and sometimes from the general public. Pakkacaping is no longer entertainment.
It replaced by Orchestra, gambus, band and, sayang-sayang.
However, Marayama has
taught play kacaping to some people, i.e I Kanda (Lena, Galung Lombok), Cicciq
Moreq (Lebukang), Jagariah (Pakkaqbang, Tandassura), Patima (Pakkaqbang,
Tandassura), and Indoq Sogo (Sossoq). The latter is probably still alive, but
it's been a few years Marayama never met him. Marayama also
has taught a passayang-sayang, but
not for long time because the students things play kacaping is very difficult.
Now Marayama use her
fourth kacaping made in the Kappung
Lena (Galung Lombok) in 40s, made from kuqmil wood (jackfruit). Some kacaping is not used because of the
damage, not because it is obsolete. There is due to fall from the backrest and
fell right up the motorcycle. Damaged cartilage causes the kacaping wooden is very thin. Interestingly, the strongest
strings was brake motorcycle wire. She also use string made from gold. She got
it from a Buginese Goldsmith fan to her. Bugis kacaping smaller
than Mandar kacaping. Bugis Kacaping put in hand but Mandar kacaping must be rest on the
stomatch.
We have to appreciate
Maramaya concistenty in order to entertain the people who invite or request it.
She's proven makkacaping as a way of
life. He could be ascertained as kacaping
maestro. As art of Mandar culture,Marayama is the last pakkacaping woman heir . Although her sister, Satuni, was also a
player and often duet with her. Marayama has a special ability. For example the
specificity of her voice, a bit of baritone and when singing, each end of the
temple there is a heart wrenching shrill. That's not including the ability to
deliver oral stories to audience.
In conclusion, We must
appreciate Marayama and other kacaping
playersby giving them awards, studying them, documenting the capabilities and
their life stories, and give them freedom to express her makkacaping skill. A pakkacaping
paid IDR Rp. 300.000-500.000 for play till midnight. If we compare with a
seminar speaker, for a hour, they paid for a milion. So,
pakkacaping fare is reasonable. If
there were no invitations to play kacaping,
kacaping gradually will hang on be
unheritable skill. Therefore, there are no youth interested to be a pakkacaping. Kacaping as a peak of Mandar art will lost whether gracefull kacaping putrefied.
1.
Kacaping is a traditional music
instrument like a guitar well known in Indonesia as kecapi but in different
model and size for every region.
2.
Pakkacaping, a kacaping player
3.
Mandar region is refers to afdeling
Mandar or West Sulawesi now.