Asia Society Presents Ki Purbo Asmoro, 3/16

Javanese wayang kulit, or traditional shadow-puppet theater, is one of the world's great theatrical traditions. With a heritage which goes back several centuries, it has evolved and changed in response to what have often been radical political and social upheavals, and young Indonesians make it no less a part of modern life than action films, Coca Cola, or rock music. Masters have harnessed shadows to intensely study current events and human nature, and they are able to manipulate the movements of their puppets with such sharp dexterity as to make audience members notice actual expressions on the faces of these characters, ranging from surprise to rage to confusion to cheer. Asmoro, the preeminent stylist of his generation, continues this tradition by using exquisitely ornamental puppets, rhythmic music, and his evocative voice to shed light on the landscape of today's world. 

 

The three-hour performance will include an informal atmosphere, allowing the audience to move around and see the show from both sides of the kelir or shadow screen, which will create an even more absorbing masterpiece of mood. 

 

"WAYANG KULIT": Javanese Shadow-Puppet Theater will take place at Asia Society's Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium on Saturday, March 16 at 8:00 p.m. Asia Society is located at 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street, New York City). Tickets are $22 for members, $26 for seniors/students, and $30 for non members. The concert will be preceded by 20 minutes of welcoming music.  For tickets and details, please visit http://asiasociety.org/arts/creative-voices-islam-asia or call 212-517-ASIA. 

 

This event is presented as part of "Creative Voices of Muslim Asia," an ongoing multidisciplinary series that celebrates the many and diverse ways in which Muslims express their creative voices at the beginning of the 21^st century.  Launched in 2008, the series aims to put art at the center of bridging the cultural divide between Americans and Asian Muslims, one that has too often been misrepresented in the mainstream media. In doing so, it highlights the artistry of individuals while exploring the cultural richness of the Muslim world.

 

Co-sponsored with the Consulate General of Indonesia, New York; Cakra, Inc.; and Gamelan Kusuma Laras

 

This program is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

 

 

Ki Purbo Asmoro is simultaneously one of the most popular superstar performing personalities, and one of the most intellectually revered innovators in Indonesia today. He is considered to be at the forefront of the modern, classical interpretative treatment in shadow-puppet theater. Currently a professor at The Institute of Indonesian Arts in Solo), Asmoro divides his time between teaching and an active performing career. He has both a dedicated, academic following and a broad-based, enthusiastic community of fans across Java.  Asmoro is particularly well-known for his ability to be innovative and yet highly respectful of and well-versed in classical tradition at the same time. He is steadfast in his adherence to his art as philosophy, oral literature, and food for thought, presented in a dramatic and entertaining style, respecting both tradition and innovation. He is in constant demand internationally, and has conducted highly successful tours throughout the US, UK, Japan, Bolivia, Singapore, Austria, Thailand, and Greece.

 

Gamelan Kusuma Laras is a classical Javanese gamelan orchestra based in New York City that performs music, dance, and theatre from the classical repertoire of the courts of Central Java. Gamelan Kusuma Laras is comprised of American and Indonesian players. The orchestra was formed 27 years ago to study and present Indonesian performing arts to American audiences. Kusuma Laras has entranced music and dance lovers in the Northeast and other parts of the U.S. and in Indonesia with their authentic performances on instruments created especially for the Indonesia Pavilion at the World's Fair of 1964-65 in New York.

 

Also as part of "Creative Voices of Muslim Asia":

 

Asia Society's Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium

$22 members; $26 seniors/students with ID; $30 non-members

 

One of Pakistan's music stars, Arif Lohar comes from a small village in the province of Punjab and followed the footsteps of his father, the famous Pakistani folk singer, Alam Lohar. In 2010, his album Jugni Coke Studio became a smash hit in Pakistan, leading him to be hailed as a top Punjabi folk and pop artists. Lohar captures the sights and sounds of modern Pakistani culture through contemporized versions of traditional Punjabi songs which mix pop and folk styles. For his NY performance he will perform on his beloved chimia (a traditional percussion instrument resembling tongs) and be backed by an ensemble of talented Pakistani musicians. 

 

Major support for "Creative Voices of Muslim Asia" has been provided from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, with additional support from the Malaysian Government, Sapura, and Sime Darby.

 

Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonprofit nonpartisan educational institution. Through exhibitions and public programs, Asia Society provides a forum for the issues and viewpoints reflected in the work of Asian and Asian American artists, and in both traditional and contemporary Asian art and in Asia today. Asia Society is located at 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), New York City. www.AsiaSociety.org