Hello friends Summarized! Have you ever heard of the term karawitan? Maybe for some of you, this word sounds foreign or not familiar. In fact, karawitan is a traditional Javanese musical art that has high aesthetic and cultural values. Karawitan is not just instrumental music played with gamelan, but also includes sound arts, visual arts, literary arts, dance arts, drama arts, and others. Karawitan comes from the word “rawit” which in Javanese means smooth and soft. So, karawitan means the tenderness of feelings contained in gamelan art.
Karawitan, Javanese Traditional Music Art Full of Gentleness
Karawitan is a type of traditional music originating from Java, growing and developing in Central Java, Yogyakarta to East Java. Karawitan can be divided into three types, namely:
- Karawitan sekar , which is presented with singing or vocals.
- Gending karawitan , which is served with instrumental or gamelan only.
- Karawitan sekar gending , which is presented with a combination of singing and instrumentals.
Characteristics of Karawitan Traditional Musical Art
Karawitan has several distinctive characteristics that distinguish it from other types of music, including:
- Karawitan uses slendro and pelog scales. Slendro is a scale consisting of five notes in one octave, while pelog is a scale consisting of seven notes in one octave.
- Karawitan uses pathet as a modal or barrel system. Pathet are the rules or guidelines for choosing and arranging the tones in a gending or karawitan song. There are three main pathet in Javanese karawitan, namely pathet sanga, pathet nem, and pathet manyura.
- Karawitan uses rhythm as a rhythmic system. Rhythm is a change in speed or tempo in a gending or karawitan song. There are four main rhythms in Javanese karawitan, namely the smooth rhythm (very slow), the rhythm of responsibility (slow), the rhythm of dadi (medium), and the rhythm of wilet (fast).
- Karawitan uses the form of gendhing as a musical structure. The form of gendhing is the composition of the parts in a gending or karawitan song. There are several forms of gendhing in Javanese karawitan, such as ladrang, ketawang, sieve, sampak, and others.
Karawitan example
Here are some examples of karawitan that are popular among the public:
| Title | Type | Pathet | Rhythm | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waking up vaguely | Now | Sanga | Fluent | Macapat song |
| Srivijaya Gending | Sekar Gending | Nem | Father | Ladrang |
| Udan Mas | gending | Manyura | Wilet | Ketawang |
Karawitan function
Karawitan has many functions for the Javanese people, both individually and collectively. Some of its functions are:
- As a means of entertainment or recreation for the creator, presenter, and audience.
- As a means of education or learning for the younger generation about Javanese cultural values.
- As a means of expression or communication for creators and presenters to convey feelings, thoughts, or messages to the audience.
- As a means of ritual or ceremony for the Javanese people to honor their ancestors, gods, or the universe.
- As a means of preserving or developing Javanese cultural heritage which must be preserved and developed according to the times.
Conclusion
Karawitan is a traditional Javanese musical art that is full of tenderness. Karawitan has distinctive characteristics that are different from other types of music, such as slendro and pelog scales, pathet, rhythm, and gendhing forms. Karawitan also has many functions for the Javanese people, such as entertainment, education, expression, ritual, and preservation. As well as being one of the riches of Javanese culture that we must be proud of and preserve.
Thus the article about karawitan that I can convey. Hopefully useful and add to your insight. If you have questions, suggestions or criticisms regarding this article, please write in the comments column below. Thanks for reading and see you in the next article!
