WAYANG GOLEK

Wayang golek  is a traditional art of Sundanese puppet show made of wooden dolls, which are especially popular in the Land Pasundan, Regional distribution stretching from Cirebon in the east to the area of Banten in the west, even in Central Java region bordering West Java often performed wayang golek performances.

Puppet is a form of folk theater is very popular, especially in Java and Bali. People often link the word "puppet" to the "shadow", as seen from a puppet show that is put on the screen, in which appears a shadow. In West Java, in addition to known wayang kulit, the most popular is the Puppet show. The term golek can refer to two meanings, as a verb word marionette means 'find', as a noun golek meaningful wooden doll. [1] With regard to the puppet show, there are two kinds of them puppet show flat (cropped) and puppet show purwa that in the Sunda region. Except puppet which is a form of dance-drama is danced humans, most forms of puppet art as a puppeteer played by a leader who once sang suluk show, voicing Antawacana, set gamelan organize songs and others.
As the storyline puppet general, in a puppet show also usually have good plays strain. The story line can be drawn from folklore such as the spread of Islam by Walangsungsang and Rara Santang nor of epic derived from the Ramayana and Mahabharata using the Sundanese gamelan Sunda (salendro), which consists of two saron, a howl, a selentem , one device boning, boning rincik one device, one device kenong, a pair of gongs (kempul and goong), plus a set of drums (a drum Goon and three kulanter), xylophone and fiddle.

In the puppet show, a play that is commonly performed carangan. Only occasionally performed the play lines. It seemed to be a measure of intelligence puppeteers create carangan nice and interesting. Some of the famous puppeteer puppet show of which Tarkim, R.U. Partasuanda, Abeng Sunarya, Either Tirayana, Apek, Asep Sunandar Sunarya, Cecelia Supriadi, etc.
At the initial appearance, the wooden puppet art was born and developed in the north coast of the island of Java in the early 17th century where the oldest Islamic kingdom in Java, namely Demak Sultanate grow there, using Java language in the dialogue. According to the legend that developed, Sunan Kudus using this initial form of a puppet show to spread Islam in society.

Art puppet show Sundanese language which is currently more dominant itself is expected to start growing in West Java during the expansion of the Sultanate of Mataram in the 17th century, despite the fact that some of the influence of the cultural heritage of Hinduism still survives in some places in West Java as the former territory of the Kingdom of Sunda Pajajaran. The grip and the way the story according to the puppet show leather puppet version of Java, especially tale puppet prototype (Ramayana and Mahabharata), although there are some differences, misalmya in naming figures punakawan known in Sundanese version. The wooden puppet art Java language can now be found as a contemporary form of wayang Menak in Kudus and Puppet smacking in the Cirebon, although its popularity is not as much a puppet in the region purwa Priangan.

Performing arts puppet show starts to get its present form around the 19th century. When the art puppet show is a performing arts theater folk dipagelarkan in rural or urban residency. In addition to functioning as a complement or ruwatan selamatan ceremony, performing arts puppet show also became a spectacle and entertainment in a particular event.

Since the 1920s, during a puppet show accompanied by sinden. Sinden popularity in those days was very high so that beat the popularity puppeteer puppet show itself, especially when his time Upit Sarimanah and Titim Patimah around 1960.

Puppet show today is more dominant as a folk performing arts, which have functions that are relevant to the needs of the community environment, both spiritual and material needs. It thus can be seen from some of the activities in the community such as when there is a celebration, a celebration both (party festivity) in order circumcisions, weddings and others sometimes diriingi with a puppet show.

Now in addition as a form of puppet theater performing arts, crafts puppet show is also often used as souvenirs by tourists. Puppet show characters commonly used as souvenirs crafts is a character pair Rama and Shinta, the famous puppet characters like Arjuna, Heroine, and Krishna, as well as figures such as Semar and Cepot Punakawan. Handicrafts puppet show is used as decoration, decoration or ornament and interior room. As in modern times Puppet show after creation has begun to be developed by the craftsmen of young puppet, which still does not eliminate the grip of Puppet show purwa, of which there are craftsmen wayang golek Evolution, Caraka Wayang Indonesia (FWI) and others.
The development of the puppet show from the 19th century until the 20th century can not be separated from the manipulator continue to develop this traditional art, one of which Ki H. Asep Sunandar Sunarya who have provided innovations to the puppet show in order to keep abreast of the times, one of the creativity that is the Cepot where he is now in the hands of the puppet show is not only ancient art that is said. but the traditional art that must be developed in the modern era.