Dukuns probably have more of a hold in Java than in Bali. Most Javanese are Muslim, so they are not supposed to dabble in other supernatural practices. When personal family crisis arrives, people will often consult a dukun, behind closed doors. In Bali the daily offerings placed at intersections and doorways to keep evil spirits at bay, are part of Balinese life. Apedanda (high priest) will have special powers himself to ritually cleanse and offer blessings. Banyuwangi in East Java is a place associated with the practice of black magic.
Banyuwangi has long been known as one of the most powerful centers of black magic in Indonesia, along with Banten in West Java and the island of Lombok. Banyuwangi’s fertile land has bred a farming culture with close links to the spiritual world. As a buffer zone between the islands of Java and Bali, Banyuwangi also has a long history of violent struggle which in the past often met with failure. This combination of fertility and failure led to an obsession with sorcery among the peoples of Banyuwangi.
According to one history, black magic practiced today in Banyuwangi is a blend of animistic belief and Islamic mysticism which arose out of inter-religious conflict during the Mataram court from the 16th century onwards. Another account tracks the origins of Banyuwangi’s black magic to Tulung Agung, a region in the west of East Java.
Black magic in Banyuwangi takes on two major forms. The first is sihir, black magic used to kill another person. This generally comes in the form of busung, where the victim’s stomach will grow grotesquely in size. It is believed various items such as knives, nails, broken glass, even small frying pans or animals can be found inside the stomach. Busung victims rarely escape death.
The second type of black magic in Banyuwangi is rapuh, sorcery designed to make the victim suffer throughout their lifetime. Symptoms include sudden blindness or deafness, paralysis or uncontrollable shaking and trembling.
Dukun santet are feared, and feelings of revenge often occurs in villagers. However, revenge killings of dukun santet were rare. Banyuwangi villagers have long kept black magic in check at the local village level. A code of ethics among Banyuwangi dukun santet forbids them from using their magic against people in the same village. If this occurs the accused dukun must undertake an oath of innocence in the local mosque. A dukun found guilty by fellow villagers was usually exiled from the village and perhaps his home and possessions torched.
Dukun are indistinguishable from everyday people. Some are reverent teachers of Islam, some are comical, and some are gentle parental figures. All are strong characters and inspire respect in their own ways. Dukun believe that their spiritual powers are a gift from God. If those powers are abused through personal gain or nethical intent, they will be lost or weakened.
A person’s ability to become a dukun is generally passed down from their dukun ancestors. However, some form of preparation, at least initially, is necessary for dukun to receive their spiritual power. This usually consists of long periods of meditation and fasting for days or even months. Once the dukun has received this spiritual power, he or she needs to learn the skills and knowledge of dukun practice. Some dukun learn these skills from another dukun or from books on ilmu Jawa that are readily available in bookshops. Others say their skills were taught to them by spirits whom they continue to consult for advice on the diagnosis and treatment of their clients.
As the dukun practice is based on altruism, payment for their services is minimal. It is only a token of thanks, discreetly given to the dukun in a handshake at the end of the consultation. Payment can be in the form of money, tobacco, or consumables used during the consultation such as flowers, herbs and incense. It usually is between the value of A$2 and A$5. As such, dukun live modestly and are neither rich nor poor but have enough with which to survive. A well-off dukun is often suspected of fakery.
The dukun of Java have the wondrous ability to help people in all areas of their lives including the mind, body and soul through ancient practices. This intriguing and important aspect of Javanese culture provides hope, solace, healing and a sense of meaning for people in these uncertain and irrational times. It is no wonder the dukun trade is flourishing.

Rhoma added Western rock to the music and political content — much of it Islamic — to the lyrics, earning him the ire of President Suharto but creating a unique sound; most other dangdut still sounds like Indian film music.

Typical of the mainstream is Elvy Sukaesih, the other great star from the golden age, or Camelia Malik. More recent years have seen a dizzying series of stars, including Evie Tamala and “disco-dangdut” by Ade Irma, Sendak Oriel and others. Especially since the late 1990s dangdut has reached a broader following in Indonesia.

Dangdut, once the music of the poor, is upwardly mobile these days. Dangdut has been becoming respectable for a long time. It has a special power for Indonesians precisely because it is Indonesian, not Western. Dangdut also has meaning as “Indonesian” in a different sense, as virtually the only cultural form not identified with any particular ethnic group. It bridges all these regional identities. It is, however, perceived as strongly Muslim, even though its lyrics deal more with romance than religion, and as such is disliked in predominantly Christian or Hindu areas. There is dangdut sung in local languages, and that is powerfully local, because very few Indonesians can speak a regional language other than their own.

Most major cities, especially on Java, have one or more venues that have a dangdut show several times a week. The concerts of major dangdut stars are also broadcast on television. Sometimes the singers  became the subject of much controversy and criticism from conservatives over their suggestive, erotic style of dancing during televised shows.

A dangdut band usually consists of a lead singer backed by four to eight musicians. The term has been expanded from the desert-style music, to embrace other musical styles. Modern dangdut incorporates influences from Latin, house music, hip-hop, R&B, reggae and even Western classical music. Soon, Indonesians will get a taste of  new take on the roots of dangdut music. Arreal’s album, Dangdut in America, which features a lively mix of songs in both Indonesian and English, is scheduled to be released in November 2008.

He plays all the characters using many voices.

The puppets were complete artworks in themselves. Painted in minute detail, they also sported networks of intricate cutouts, adding depth to the projected shadows of stylized gods and demons. They moved at pivot joints, skillfully manipulated by the Dalang (puppet master). And being of leather, they were durable enough to show off near acrobatic moves in the fight scenes.

The dalang must be almost super-human. Performances can be up to nine hours long and for all that time the dalang sits cross-legged, telling the story and providing a voice for each puppet character; singing; moving the puppets; directing the gamelan orchestra and adding sound effects. The dalang must memorise lengthy dialogue and also be able to improvise about the local social and political situations. He may use up to 100 puppets in one performance. It is no wonder that the dalang is not only a respected and skilled artist, but is also thought to have a special spiritual dimension.

During a performance the dalang will sit cross-legged in front of the screen, holding a kechrek or rattle with his right foot, and using it to strike the kotak or box just to his left almost continuously, accompanying the story and guiding the orchestra.

A wayang performance usually takes place at night, often starting after 9:00pm and continuing until dawn – as much as nine hours! This is a social occasion for the audience, and a chance to relax with friends and family. Since they often know the traditional story well, they may sleep, eat or talk during the less exciting parts. A typical performance may be held as a celebration or major community event. Families come to the performance prepared to spend a long time enjoying each others company as well as enjoying the story.

The mission of wayang is to present moral messages. The entertainment aspect adds spice to the moral aspect, the main values in life: Loyalty, heroism, messages for good. The dissemination of these messages still draws large crowds to wayang performances. Yet only around 10 people graduate each year with a dalang major from ISI, with many dropping out before graduation due to difficulties in finding performance materials or for financial reasons.

Many dalangs are born into the profession and learn by working from early childhood with their parents. Although many dalangs are male, there are a few female dalangs. Being a dalang is a lifelong calling, passed down through particular families.

These masks are almost 50 kg heavy, worn by one man (called warok) by biting the wood inside the mask. It is impossible to normal teeth, that’s why all waroks are on trance conditions when dancing with this big heavy mask.  

Reog originated from the glorious era of the Kediri kingdom around the l5th century.  The performance re-enacts a legendary battle between Pujangga Anom, a minister from the court of Ponorogo, and Singa Barong, guardian spirit of the forest of Lodoyo. The former had aroused the anger of Singa Barong when he stole 150 tigers from the forest, apparently to be offered as a dowry payment for a princess of Kediri, whom the king of Ponorogo wished to marry.

A typical reog troupe, then, usually consists of the principal characters; Singa Barong, wearing an enormous tiger head and peacock feather mask, and his adversary Pujangga Anom. They are accompanied by one or more masked clowns/acrobats, as well as a number of hobby horse dancers, who are said to represent the troops of Pujangga Anom.

The people of Ponorogo have a reputation for being tough, both physically and mentally. The qualities of bravery and daring are fully displayed in a reog performance, where the focus of attention is on a trance dancer supporting a giant mask, often weighing more than 40 kg, between his teeth. The mask is a ferocious, snarling tiger’s head, covered in real tiger skin and crowned with a gigantic three meter fan of peacock feathers.

The success of a performance, including the ability of the principal dancer to bear the weight of the mask, is said to depend upon the magical power of the leader of the dance troupe. Known as warok, these men are believed to possess special talents, gained through years of training. One of the unique features of the reog dance is that the hobby horse (jaran kepang) dancers are invariably young boys dressed as women. Known as gemblak, they accompany the warok, who are forbidden close association with females, in their travelling performances.

A tiger’s head and a wide-winged peacock are the principal features of the traditional Reog Ponorogo dance. The weight of this pair, called Dhadhak Merak, may reach 40 kg or even 100 kg, carried by one man, moving around, up and down. The tiger’s head symbolizes a hero. The man, warok, who bears it must have a magic power.

Dhadhak Merak, often known as Singobarong, is performed as a welcoming dance for honorable guests, or as attractions, complete with its attributes. For instance, the player of the role of Prabu (King) Kelana Sewandono, with his supernatural power, always carries an inhabited, holy whip.

Another man plays the role of a dancer, Bujangganong, a governor under the rule of King Kelana Sewandono. He is a hero with a bad face, bearing a mask with a red, long nose, untidy hair and tusked teeth.

The team of players is completed with riders on horses made of bamboo plaitwork or skin of animal. They symbolize the escorting soldiers of King Kelana Sewandono on his trips. Formerly these horse-riders were played by men called Gembak. But now they are generally women.

The total number of a Reog team is between 20 and 40 members, including the magical heroes (waroks) with open breasts and waist band, symbolizing their magic power.

The most famous pusaka or heirloom for Javanese people is keris. In the old days, keris was owned by almost everyone in the society and mostly used as weapons.  A man was not considered as a real man if he has no keris. Keris, considered sacred and contains specific magical powers, is highly valued, treated and respected with special care.

A keris or kris is a special knife, a double-edged assymetrical stabbing weapon originating in Java which is used in a close range combat. It has spread its influence far beyond its initial beginnings to Bali, Lombok, Kalimantan, and even to Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Mindanao. From a stabbing weapon it has developed into a social status symbol and a symbol of manhood. According to Javanese keris lore, the development of keris can be assumed to take a parallel course with the kingdoms of Java. Unfortunately myth and fact are also intertwined that it is sometimes difficult to separate the two. 

Some keris  has been constructed entirely for magic and spiritual purpose. The creation is a long and complicated magical ritual which involves the blending of the metal with magical ingredients and the invoking of a powerful jinn/khodam spirit into keris. After keris has been created, the spirit is continually fed, so it gradually grows more powerful. They are often passed down from generation to generation. Our keris go back as far as the 8th century, when the most powerful magical knives and swords were made. They have become extremely potent through magical and spiritual usage and continuous feeding.

What gives keris its power is the genie (also known as Khodam or Jinn) that resides in it. The genie, or jinn, is a magical spirit that normally exists in a parallel dimension. The different powers will also reflect in the different ways of using them. Some are more suitable for experienced magicians, and like to be held in rituals, in which case they will add great power to the ritual. Some keris are easier to use by the beginner. You only have to hold it and visualize your desire and the jinn will work on fulfilling that desire. Others were created as family protectors, and can be used with no magical knowledge at all. All you have to do is hang it on the wall and feed it once a month and it will work quietly in the background, protecting you from harm, or drawing in wealth and good luck. There are some that can be carried on the person to confer authority on the carrier, silencing opponents and making you successful in all debates and interviews.

A keris can be used as a magical and spiritual aid in reaching and manifesting one’s desired goals and aspirations. The spirit which dwells within keris supports your daily aspects in terms of luck, wealth and health and interactions with people. The empus have created these magical blades with the thought that they will empower one’s aura and assist in one’s quest for desired qualities and enhancements in life. These are all infused into the item during its creation and these can all work to successfully aid one’s spiritual development.

Keris as the symbol of the glory of a historical era can be seen by its shape and its art. The older keris, the simpler the shape, the ornaments, and the function would be. The early function of keris is as a weapon to defend oneself, to preserve one’s life, and to function as a close range weapon. Preceding the development of culture and art, the shape of Keris changed according to the need and it’s contribution to human’s life, among others it could indicate the social status of the owner of keris. Keris also functions as the symbol of power (Wahyu Keraton).

Keris has two kinds of shape: straight keris and meandering keris. There are approximately 200 kinds of straight Keris and 250 kinds of meandering keris. The meander is called luk. Meandering Keris always has odd numbers of meander, from luk 3 up to luk 29, above luk 29 that is luk 31 up to luk 51 are the kriya artwork from outer Java.

Western travellers and scholars have long been fascinated with the island of Bali, its picturesque landscapes, and the richness of its music and arts practiced every day by ordinary people. They have been especially amazed by the fact that from daybreak the air in the island is filled with the sounds of complicated orchestral music requiring many hours of concentrated rehearsal.

The English playwright Noel Coward, visiting Bali together with Charlie Chaplin in the 1930s, said: “There is far too much music in Bali. … It appears that each Balinese native from the womb to the tomb is creative.”

A province of Indonesia, Bali lies near the midpoint of the southern arc of island of the Indonesian archipelago, separated by only a few kilometers of ocean fromJava, its island neighbor to the west, and by a wider and rougher channel to the east. It is a thoroughly developed agricultural land with water temples and a complex irrigation system supporting the rice farming, and is now the most popular destination for tourism in Asia, with a large international airport and hundreds of hotels.

Many have written about the people’s religious philosophy, their unique perception of time and space, and its intimate connection with nature. The signs of the unity of music and nature in Bali can be seen in the musical instruments crafted from bronze found in the earth of the island full of volcanoes. The entire landscape is suggestive of the score of a linear, polyphonic structure of gamelan music: the parallel lines of rice terraces, forested ridges climbing down the mountains, and the rivers crossing the island. 

Gamelan stands out as intriguing and intricate symbol of nature and human creativity collaboration. Gamelan refers to any one of several types of instrumental ensembles found on the islands of Java and Bali in Indonesia.  Indonesian traditional music that played using Gamelan called gending. It is the main element of the Indonesian traditional music. Gamelan has always existed in its instrumental form as well as in a supportive role when combined with dance, wayang kulit, wayang orang,  but there is no ‘concert tradition’ for gamelan music in Java.

In Indonesian traditional thinking, the gamelan is sacred and is believed to have supernatural power. Both musician and non-musicians are humble and respectful to the gamelan. Incense and flowers are often offered to the gamelan. It is believed that each instrument in the gamelan is guided by spirits. Thus, the musician have to take off their shoes when they play the gamelan. It is also forbidden to step over any instrument in a gamelan, because it might offend the spirit by doing so. Some gamelan are believed to have so much powers that playing them may exert power over nature. Others may be touched only by persons who are ritually qualified. In Javanese gamelan, the most important instrument is the Gong Ageng. The Javanese musicians believe that Gong Ageng is the main spirit of the entire gamelan.

Each gamelan is slightly different from the other; however, they all have the same organization, which based on different instrumental groups with specific orchestral functions.  The instruments in a gamelan are composed of sets of tuned bronze gongs, gong-chimes, metallophones, drums, one or more flute, bowed and plucked string instruments. Gamelan orchestras also feature a sinden or singer.  In some village gamelan, bronze is sometimes replaced by iron, wood, or bamboo.  The most popular gamelan can be found in Java, and Bali.

The word gamelan is derived from the low Javanese word gamel, meaning a kind of hammer, like those used by blacksmiths. True to its name, most of the instruments are made of beaten metal and are played with mallets. The ensembles can vary from small village groups comprised of a handful of instruments to the grand court emsembles with as many as 75 bronze instruments in addition to the rebabs, drums, and singers.

Gamelan originates from Indonesia but, as this is one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world, it is hardly surprising that there are many different types of gamelan ensemble.  The gamelan offers a rich experience for all the senses. Beaten bronze instruments glow softly in frames of intricately carved wood. The honey-like smoothness of the tones and the intense rhythm intertwine to produce a mood that is at once tranquil and dynamic; the music’s complexity encourages meditation. A tradition with a long history, the gamelan still thrives as an art form today in Java, Bali, Madura, Surinam, and other areas influenced by Indonesian culture.

Wayang kulit (kulit - leather) is the best known of the Javanese puppetry traditions and can be used to describe any puppet theatre using flat leather puppets which cast shadows on to a screen.

The puppets are carved from buffalo hide and painted. As a general rule they have jointed arms, which are manipulated with horn sticks (tuding). The puppets are supported by another piece of horn (gapit) which is split down the middle with one half extending up each side of the figure.

The puppets used in Java are highly stylised, which is thought to derive from the Islamic influence (which forbids literal representation of human figures) on the arts of Java. In Bali, which retained Hindu beliefs, the puppets are much more realistic. The most popular stories (lakon) are those based on episodes and characters from the great Indian epic poems – the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The performances follow a formalised dramatic structure and include humorous interludes featuring a number of clown characters. Traditionally a wayang takes place overnight, lasting approximately nine hours.

A performance is given against a large screen, traditionally lit by an oil lamp. The dalang (puppeteer) is in overall charge of the performance and not only voices all the puppets, but also sings and controls the musical accompaniment by means of a variety of cues.

Traditionally wayang performances were accompanied by a gamelan wayang, a smaller gamelan with fewer saron, a small number of kenong and kempul and without bonang. Today a full gamelan is usually used and a wayang kulit performance is an exciting, colourful and typically Javanese event.

From literary tradition, epic stories and colonial government reports, pencak silat developed rapidly amidst the communities of Central Java, East Java and Madura during Dutch colonial times. Many poems and folk tales tell highly stylized images of the young master of pencak silat, called jago or pendekar, studying the Al Qur’an, and practicing pencak silat in the monastery as an eager youth. Then, after mastering the skills, the jago rises to the role of opposing the Dutch, by becoming a marauding bandit who steals from the rich and distributes the spoils of this thievery to the poor, sometimes donating it in order to build a village mosque. The legend of these “Robin Hoods of Java” have become well known and their actions are described in Malay and Indonesian literature, some of them in the form of popular comic books. The adventures of Sakera (a hero from Madura), Sarip Tambak Yoso (a jago who won Surabaya), Sawung Galing (a jago from Pasuruan) and Si Pitung (a jago of Batavia) have spread far and wide in the Indonesian archipelago, with many of their stories being passed on orally from generation to generation, and some even being adapted for cinema and television.

It is believed that the development of silat in the Dutch colonial period is closely related to the social-economic situation during the 18th and 19th centuries in Java. At that time, pencak silat spread across Java via mass (trans)migration, which resulted from the development of transportation and infrastructure, as well as from changes in the agricultural economy. In 1808 hundreds of thousands of farmers from the whole northern coast of Java were mobilized as forced laborers (kuli or coolies) to build a highway, known as the “Grote Postweg”, stretching from Anyer (in Java ‘s westernmost point) to Panarukan (on Java ‘s east coast), covering approximately a 1000 km (Koentjaningrat 1994:66).

In the very little spare time they had, the kuli from each region who were involved in the construction, entertained themselves and each other by practicing and showing off their pencak silat-skills. Their expertise in self-defense was, clearly, also useful for them in facing conflicts or robberies, which often arose amongst the different groups of laborers or against their often tyrannical overseers and work-bosses. So it happened that different, regionally based styles of pencak silat, in this case various Javanese branches of pencak silat, became mixed. This eventually resulted in the creation of new pencak silat styles.

The Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia (IPSI) or Indonesian Pencak Silat Organization is a national umbrella organization for Indonesian pencak silat schools. The members of IPSI are independent pencak silat perguruans spread all over the country. It is said (but official statistics are lacking) that IPSI counts more than 800 pencak silat perguruans from 26 provinces as its members.

Cycle rickshaws are human powered, but now some are equipped with an electronic motor to assist the driver. They are often used on a for hire basis, equipped with one or more seats for carrying passengers in addition to the driver. The human powered transport has caught on as an environmentally friendly means of transit.  Believe me, a passenger will have an entirely different urban experience when one rides in a becak.