Ki Purbo Asmoro

ISI, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia


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UPCOMING PERFORMANCE by Ki Purbo Asmoro:
24 February 2010, Wednesday night
Halaman Kabupaten PACITAN
for Pacitan's "Founder's Day"
lakon not yet determined


Ki Purbo Asmoro, "dhalang sanggit"* was invited by President SBY to perform at theĀ 
Istana Negara on 7 August 2009, with his entire troupe, Mayangkara:


President SBY (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) with Ki Purbo Asmoro at the beginning of the wayang on 7 August 2009 at the Istana Negara in Jakarta. Lakon Sesaji Rajasuya.

On Friday, 7 August, Ki Purbo Asmoro was invited by the President of Indonesia, Bp. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to be the first dalang to ever perform at the Istana Negara since the days of Bung Karno. President SBY, along with his wife, lasted all the way to the VERY end, and appeared completely enraptured the entire performance, barely leaving their chairs once!

Ki Purbo performed lakon Sesaji Raja Suya for a group of 200 invited guests, and it was broadcast on a number of TV and radio stations. The performance was accompanied by his gamelan troupe from Solo, Mayangkara, and included simultaneous translation into English by Kitsie Emerson, for foreign dignitaries.

PEPADI Pusat (Persatuan Pedalangan Indonesia, national branch) was the organizing body behind the event, headed by Bp. Ekotjipto, SH.Another feature of the performance was the inauguaration/debut of President SBY's very own personal full gamelan and wayang set, which he only recently purchased.

PHOTO BELOW: At 04:00, after staying all night, Pres. SBY expresses his praise to Ki Purbo Asmoro, as the Dutch Ambassador looks on, who also lasted all night! A very different (and so clearly heart-felt) interaction, from the formal and polite one before the performance began...
(all Istana photos courtesy of PEPADI,Bp. Ekotjipto)



Ki Purbo Asmoro now has a Fan Page on Facebook!

Ki Purbo Asmoro's recent overseas trip: Santa Fe, New Mexico, Houston, Texas, August 2009


Ki Purbo Asmoro's NEWEST collection of wayang--acquired in mid-May 09!


Wayang Golek Purwa Gaya Solo: Purbo Asmoro's newest project

(above)
Brubuh Alengka, Sasono Mulya, 22 November 2008
photo by Jean-Marc Medina

(below)
Lahire Semar, TBRS 12 November 2009
photo by K. Emerson
(the over-sized Togog and Semar are borrowed from the wayang sandosa collection at ISI, designed by Bambang Soewarno)

*Sanggit refers to the solutions that a dhalang comes up with in regard to theme, story line and character development in a lakon--the how-s and why-s of what happens in a wayang, as well as the way the events unfold dramatically. Gusti Benawa, of the Kraton Surakarta, referred to Ki Purbo Asmoro as a "dhalang sanggit" in 2007 at a gathering of dhalang in Madiun. Many commentators before and after him, have noted Purbo Asmoro's talents in the area of interpretation--sanggit. (more information on informal classifications/labels of dhalang)
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