Social Action of Conversion in Islamic Art: Study on the Larasmadya Art Form in the Sleman Geocultural Region

Abstract

I. IntroductionIn the Sleman region, there are many art forms having an Islamic nature. The Islamic nature is indicated by, among others, the use of the musical instrument called terbang or rebana accompanying vocal text containing Islamic hymns or elements of dakwah (preaching). Thus, they are performing art forms using musical elements and they are, among others, called Badui, Santiswara, Larasmadya, Emprak, Kobrasiswa, Angguk, Dolalak, Mondreng, Rodat, Slawatan Maulud, Berjanjen, Samroh, Hadroh, Kuntulan, and Trengganon. All these art forms, whether they are dramatic, dance, or musical art forms, are Javanese art forms showing the influence of Islam. Murgiyanto [1993] says that the Islamic influence in the Indonesian performance arts with musical elements is felt through two aspects: content or message and instrument.At first, the type of Javanese performance art using terbang as its musical intrument was called Slawatan. However, when it spread and developed from region to region, each region showing the influence of Islam varies in name but remains uniform in musical instrument [Soedarsono, 1994]. Basically, the Islamic nature only goes as far as load or content in a Javanese art form because the dramatic, dance, and musical technique itself is not present in Islam. The varieties of movement in the dances called Badui, Trengganon, Japin, Angguk, and others have not been shaped through Islamic norms. The Macapat chorus in the Larasmadya and Santiswara music is not any vocal originating in Islam. The art form called Srandhul, a folk drama incorporating elements of dakwah into it self, is not a dramatic art form shaped through Islamic dramatic concepts. Thus, all the above art forms are Javanese art forms having inserted Islamic messages or containing elements of dakwah.A form of performance art is said to contain elements of dakwah when it contains invitations to behave in accordance with the rules of Islam by being fearful of God, by being dutiful to people considered older, by inviting others to pray, by emulating the actions of the Prophet Muhammad, and so on. In addition, the reading of verses from the holy book Al Qur'an, the utterance of greeting and sholawat to the Prophet Muhammad are all found in Islamic Javanese arts. These performance forms bearing messages of being Islamic have lasted for generations [Sedyawati, 1995]. And they have their own supporting communities in their respective regions. Therefore, these art forms count as included in the treasury of traditional arts in existence in the Sleman geocultural region.The communities supporting the traditional arts in the Sleman geocultural region frequently take the social action of conversion or transfer from one genre of art to another for a certain purpose. Performers in some traditional arts have been known to make a conversion to some other traditional arts. Some of them have made a conversion from Wayang Wong Purbawanara to Jathilan, from Karawitan to Campursari, from Kethoprak to Wayang Kulit, from Samroh to Hadroh, and from Slawatan Maulud to Larasmadya, for example.Parsons [1974] mentions that social action has a social framework. The framework is a schema consisting of five basic elements, namely, (1) the actor, who acts deliberately and with awareness, (2) the goal, which is the place to which the actor's action is directed, (3) the means, which is the instrument for achieving the goal, (4) the value orientation, which makes the actor determine the choice and goal of doing the social action, and (5) the actor's biological condition and social situation. These five elements influence each other in a certain sense. Each actor taking a social action has a consciousness also influenced by the biological condition and social situation of the actor concerned. That is not the end of the matter because an actor taking a social action is also influenced by the means that the actor would choose to achieve the goal of the social action. …