Tabanan, Rainbow over Ricefields

Tusti Adnyana
From the village to World’s Cities

His talent and ability in playing Balinese traditional instruments creates an opportunity for this man who was born in Tabanan to become an instructor and a performer of many instrumental concerts all over the world. “I’ve performed in India and Japan performing gamelan (traditional Balinese music instrument) collaboratively with the local musicians,” said I Wayan Tusti Adnyana, S.Sn, alumni of STSI (Indonesian Arts Institute) Bali.

In his village, Babahan village, Penebel sub district, he became an instructor. Moreover, this man who was born on 30 March 1971 was appointed as tabuh creator (composer) for each important ceremony in Tabanan.
According to Tusti Adnyana, the profession of tabuh instructor started in 1987 when he was still studying at Senior High School. However, that was only as sekaa gong (traditional music group) instructor in his village. Thus, sometimes he is trusted to teach other sekaa gong in other villages.
He applied the older teaching method, which stayed for a while in certain villages especially in the village that is furtherist from his village like Badung, Buleleng, and Jembrana.
“If you want to socialize in traditional arts, you should do it without a doubt. Just take a flashback review of our elder method; they sometimes leave their house for months to teach art. I am nothing if compared to them. Today is a modern era, the transportation facility is available at ease, so I don’t need to leave my family in the long term,” he explained.
After finished his study in STSI Denpasar, beside a permanent instructor in his village, Tusti Adnyana was trusted as an instructor and composer in gong kebyar festival related to Pesta Kesenian Bali (PKB) – Bali Arts Festival, as the representative of Tabanan regency for playing gamelan gong kebyar, semar pagulingan, rindik, and other traditional music instruments. “As a college student, I always participated as an instructor and music arranger to represent Tabanan regency,” he said.
In composing gending-gending (traditional songs lyric), he is not just benefiting the traditional instruments, but mixes the Balinese traditional music instrument with modern instruments from outside of Bali. These sorts of songs are usually performed in several competitions or entertainment shows. His seriousness made him offers from many arts studios to become an instructor, for example Bianglala studio.
He had founded this studio since its emergence. Even though it composed of beginner members, with his seriousness, it well developed in many kinds of arts, such as mask dance-drama, arja muani, wayang, dances, rindik joged, then lately became popular recening a lot of stage orders.
Further more, this go-international artist explains, that since 1993 he worked as a foreigner instructor especially for the Japanese tourist. This profession occupied him almost everyday at an art-shop in Ubud.
The method of teaching the local people and the foreigner is quite different. He asserted, in teaching the foreigner, he applied a detailed method step by step, not directly supplying the material in practice. “The person who basically possess the basics of tabuh can attach the song melody,” he said.
After the bomb-blast, the foreign student is become rare. “Now, less tourists are coming to Bali, so I don’t too often to come to Ubud,” said this musician who receives a lot of rewards and certificates of Balinese music training in foreign countries.
The arts exchange and common performance outside the country usually is followed by a workshop. Just like his trip to India for the KONARK FESTIVAL (1993), Japan “Numazu festival” (1996) that collaborated with foreign musicians, Japan and Bali. After that, he performed a tour to Japan for the series of ITO SUMMER FESTIVAL (2001). “I also teach Balinese art instruments in Ito City. I was surprised that many people there are able to play the Balinese gamelan,” he said. (BTN/015)