Art & Culture
Reog
It is not yet known definitely what is meant with the "Reog" term and from where as well as whoever the first time formed art "reog".
Is it only in the Priangan area or in the other area also is Reog Ponorogo Art exists? The answer is not yet received by clear information and not yet there are those that investigate the history of the this reog art.
However, the publics community know widely art reog when TVRI presented periodically Reog Art that was played by Republic of Indonesia State Police with its performers including "Mang Diman Cs" (Gup BKAK). Or around 1967 emerged the association Woman Reog with its leading figure Mr Emen and Ms Anah and the possibility in other area also sprang up art reog yet only not recorded clearly.
There is an opinion that said that the term ":reog" is the abbreviation from Reorganisation ogel (art ogel, the joke and the dance), there si also an opinion that reog comes from keseniak Reak, or the other opinion, that reog comes from ugal-igel (because of its player moves the body member to dance with the amusing dance or while joking). It was sid that since the time of the guardians of this art has been and is normally played by the students. Till 1953 emerged the group reog including the Group Reog Single Wargi headed by Pa Amen Mihardja and the Reog Ajendam Group headed by Pa Dase.
As any other arts, art reog is also liked by the community especially the community in rural areas and urban community because it contains entertainment elements and the attraction of the rhythm of the drum (dogdog: the Sundanese Language) that is stricken in a various manner as well as combined with the movement of the funny dance and the song lyrics that dense with social and religious message.
Although the art that is imported from the west increasingly abundant but in certain community reog art is still liked. Only the player and his or her organisation group increasingly difficult to be found and having them usually from the old generation group. Its performance has also been increasingly rare because of the shortage order. Even when in Independence birthday entertainment, there are not a lot of committee which schedule the performance of reog because the society prefer dangdut and western bands.
Art reog is usually played by four people with the structure; a mastermind, that controlled the game, a representative of the mastermind, and another two people as the servant. The mastermind held the drum or dogdog that measures around 20 cm that is called dogdog Tilingtingtit, the masterminds servant held the drum measuring 25 cm or called Panempas and the third player used dogdog with the measurement of 30-35 cm and is called Bangbrangserta the fourth player held dogdog with the measurement of 45 cm that is called Badublag. The third and fourth player usually plays a role as the comedian whereas the first player and the second control the plot scenario.
For a long time the show revolves between one to one half of the hour and for the complementary songs are the instrument players with their instruments are: two sarons, gendang, rebab, goong, gambang et cetera.
In the development at this time some that possibly the decline in the quality of art reog is because of its players too long to joke whereas dogdog player only plays it only for a moment, so as come up the hint in the Language Sundanese Cul dogdog remained igel, meaning that dogdog is left (is not played) igel (ibing and its joke) that is given priority.
Although beginning to be eliminated, there are still many community members that hope the media like; TVRI, and private enterprises Television Station presents artistic performance like this reog.
Finally the Government of the Bandung City held the Reog festival that was followed by approximately 32 groups and this indicated the existence of Reog art in the Sundanese community environment especially in the Bandung City. Certainly in other area it must be only because the nonexistence of coordination or non existence of such meeting festival causes them not to emerge or they only playing in the surrounding environment.