Cempaka Culture and Tourism: Traditional Chinese musicians go with the flow

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Traditional Chinese musicians go with the flow

Soeryo Winoto, Contributor The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

What do most people associate Chinese New Year festivities with? If you asked, the answer would almost certainly be the lion dance or barongsai performance. Very few think about traditional Chinese music.

Unlike the lion dance, which is usually performed outdoors, traditional Chinese music is mostly played indoors. This is largely due to a government ban on Chinese art and cultural performances following the alleged Indonesian Communist Party (PKI)'s abortive coup d'etat in 1965.

The Indonesian government's acknowledgement of Chinese culture has been a long and complicated story as a result of the paranoia that followed the coup, which inspired then president Soeharto to introduce discriminatory anti-Chinese legislation.

Members of the Li Sen Chinese music group (from right) Arman Chandra on er hu (a two-stringed Chinese violin), A Tek on di zhi or flute, Willy on yang qin (a Chinese sitar) and A Siak on bass. The group performed at the Plaza Senayan shopping complex in South Jakarta to celebrate Chinese New Year. (JP/Soeryo Winoto)

In 1967, article No. 14 on Chinese religion, beliefs and traditions was issued, which effectively banned Chinese literature and the practice of Chinese culture in Indonesia.

More than 30 years on, millions of Chinese-Indonesians welcomed president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's 2000 decree that annulled the previous decree issued by Soeharto.

Since that day, millions of Chinese-Indonesians have enjoyed the freedom to express their love for Chinese art and culture.

Gus Dur's successor, Megawati Soekarnoputri, issued a supporting decree in 2002 that acknowledged Chinese New Year, also known as Imlek, as a national holiday on the Indonesian calendar.

Amran Chandra, owner of a pipe shop on Jl. Pinangsia in downtown Jakarta, is an ethnic Chinese-Indonesian who coordinates a traditional Chinese music group, named Li Sen.

"The group was established in the 1970s. However, it was not possible for us to perform in public, so we met `clandestinely' to play traditional Chinese music.

"We played mostly at traditional gatherings or events relating to religion at temples," said Chandra, who was born on China's mainland.

"It is nice to have leisure time to share and chat with friends of the same age and who enjoy the same hobbies. It's good for my health," the 71-year-old said of the musical group.

Sharing Chandra's joy, A Siak, the group's 73-year-old leader, said members played music for nothing other than the sheer enjoyment it provided.

"We are busy with our own lives everyday ... we meet and play music once or twice a week. What else are people of our age seeking, other than enjoyment," said A Siak, whose wife is also a member of the band.

Chandra and A Siak said Li Sen was managed through friendships and the united spirit of brotherhood.

"We never promote our performances nor set a special tariff for those who wish to hire us," Chandra said.

He added that when performing for religious events at temples, for example, the group never asked for money. However, the band is often asked to play at weddings and usually gets paid around Rp 2 million.

"Those interested in hiring the band can just call A Siak or myself, as the band has no secretariat."

Chinese New Year is always a busy time for the group, with various requests for performances at malls or shopping centers, Chandra said, declining to reveal how much the band earned from such shows.

Unlike A Siak, who started playing traditional Chinese music when he was a child in North Sumatra's capital of Medan, Chandra claims to have no musical background.

Chandra migrated to Indonesia when he was 13-years-old and fell in love with music when he was about 30. His interest in playing the er hu (a two-stringed instrument which is played like a violin) emerged after watching live performances on stage.

Li Sen's eight members have not been able to persuade their children to learn to play and love traditional Chinese music.

Chandra said none of his four children were interested in learning traditional Chinese music.

"They like the business sector. As for music, they prefer pop. But my only grandchild is showing some interest in playing traditional Chinese music," he said.

A Siak, who masters the zhong ruan (similar to a guitar) laughed when asked about his children's interests in traditional music, saying only one of his children loved to play the guitar.

"I have done nothing to preserve traditional Chinese music."

He felt optimistic, however, that traditional Chinese music would later bloom, given the fact his band's audiences were not only made up of people over 60 but also teenagers who enjoyed both Indonesian and Chinese songs.

"I'm told there are private traditional Chinese music schools in Jakarta. I know they hire instructors and teachers from China, which is good for the quality of the teaching and the originality of the music itself. So, I think there is no need to worry that the art will be lost."