Tarawangsa is a traditional
Sundanese
Sundanese may refer to:
* Sundanese people
* Sundanese language
* Sundanese script
Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
musical instrument from
West Java,
Indonesia, in the form of a stringed instrument that has two strings made of steel or iron wire. Tarawangsa is an ensemble of chordophones (stringed instruments whose sound source is a resonator room) of two musical instruments. One is called tarawangsa itself, played by swiping and the other is called jentreng played by picking. The art of Tarawangsa is performed in the Ngalaksa ceremony, which is a ceremony for abundant harvests. The ceremony in the traditional agrarian society of the Sundanese is always identified with the figure of Nyai Sri Pohaci or Nyi Pohaci Sanghyang Dangdayang Asri or Dewi Asri or Dewi Sri as the Sundanese goddess of rice.
In 2011, the tarawangsa musical instrument of the
Sundanese people from
West Java was recognized as
National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia by the
Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.
Etymology
The word 'tarawangsa' comes from the
Sundanese
Sundanese may refer to:
* Sundanese people
* Sundanese language
* Sundanese script
Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
language. Tarawangsa comes from three combinations of words, namely 'Ta - Ra - Wangsa'. 'Ta' is an acronym for the word 'Meta' which means 'movement', then 'Ra' means 'great fire' or 'the sun', and 'Wangsa' is a synonym for the word 'nation'. So 'Ta-Ra-Wangsa' means 'the story of the life of the sun nation'. In other words, Tarawangsa is an art of welcoming the harvest of rice plants that are very dependent on the sun as a symbol of gratitude to God Almighty.
History
The word tarawangsa is found in ancient
Balinese manuscripts of the 10th century. In the manuscripts written the words "trewasa" and "trewangsah". According to Jaap Kunst in his book 'Hindu-Javanese Musical Instruments (1968)', it was stated that at that time the art of tarawangsa had existed in
Javanese,
Balinese, and
Sundanese
Sundanese may refer to:
* Sundanese people
* Sundanese language
* Sundanese script
Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
communities. But at this time only remaining in the area of
Sundanese
Sundanese may refer to:
* Sundanese people
* Sundanese language
* Sundanese script
Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
of
West Java and
Banten. In the ancient
Sundanese
Sundanese may refer to:
* Sundanese people
* Sundanese language
* Sundanese script
Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
book, Sewaka Darma (16th century), the term tarawangsa is also found which states that tarawangsa is a musical instrument.
During the British colonial period (1811 – 1816) in Indonesia,
Thomas Stamford Raffles wrote the book
The History of Java in which he discussed
batik,
angklung, and tarawangsa.
Gallery
File:Raffles Javanese manufacturing tools and handicrafts.png, Picture of musical instrument in the book of The History of Java by Thomas Stamford Raffles (1817).
References
External links
Youtube
The Tarawangsa performance in the Ngalaksa Ceremonyby Karya Gelar Seni Budaya Jawa Barat 2020.
The Tarawangsa Rancakalong performanceby The group of Tarawangsa from
Sumedang,
West Java.
{{Indonesia topics
Indonesian musical instruments