Originating in the royal courts of 17th century Bali, gambuh combines dialogue, music and dance to enact romantic tales of courtly life, love and political intrigue based on the adventures of Panji, a historic Javanese prince.
Gambuh requires a large cast of dancer-actors and musicians and is distinctive and difficult to perform for various reasons, including its Kawi (an ancient form of the Javanese language) text, which few people understand today, and the unusual meter-long, end-blown bamboo flutes of its orchestra, which take years to master.
In gambuh, the dance-drama is accompanied by a small gamelan group consisting of about 17 musicians. The dancers can number anywhere from 15 to 25 depending on the lakon (story) and the availability of performers. Formerly, gambuh casts could number 60 to 70 performers and crew, made up of all levels of society. Contemporary performances typically last two to three or more hours; in the past they could last a few days.
The heart of the dramatic spectacle of a gambuh performance is not so much the plot unfolding as the continuous presentation of its illustrious dramatic personae, always preceded and accompanied by their attendants, who translate the ancient Javanese court language, Kawi, into Balinese for the audience.
Gambuh is performed in only a pocketful of villages today at Budakeling Karangasem
The origin of gambuh can be traced back to 1007 A.D. the first mention of gambuh appears in a lontar, palm leave manuscript, with a Candra Sengkala (a method of expressing time), in the year of 929 Caka or 1007 A.D. This lontar mentions that in 1007 A.D. King Udayana Warmadewa of Bali had married a Javanese princess from Daha, east Java, named Cri Gunapriya Dharmapatni. When the princess went to Bali, in her entourage she brought Javanese dancers and artist with her. According to the lontar, King Udayana was very fond of Javanese dancing and in this period developed the dance known as gambuh, here is an excerpt from the lontar:
“Sri Udayana suka angetoni wong jawa angigel iki marmane kinwang para aryeng Bali anunggalaken ring sasolahan Jawi, yata nimitani ring Bali ana Gambuh. Gambuh ngaran gabungan. Ing keratin Bali ketekang mangke ana bale pagambuhan.”
Translated into:
“Sri Udayana liked to see the Javanese to dance and that is why the aryas (the nobles) in Bali combined the Balinese and Javanese style of dancing into gambuh. Gambuh means combination. And from that time until now there was always been a bale pegambuhan (place where gambuh was performed) in the palace of Bali.”
In Besakih temple there is still a bale pegambuhan, and on certain occasion Gambuh companies from several district of Bali perform gambuh performances there.
Outside the palace or temple compound, gambuh is usually played in a large palm covered rectangular space with two umbrellas at the end where the dancers enter, and two lances at the opposite end, where they sit when not in action.
The cast of gambuh is the most complex and complete of all dance drama with the prabu manis (gentle king), prabu keras (coarse and proud king), the princes, the princess, prabangsa (brothers of king), arya (nobles), patih and temenggung (minister), kadyan-kadyan (knights), condong (lady in waiting), penasar (attendants and clowns). Each of these characters has its own dance technique, expressions and musical melody. Each of noble characters (range from king to minister) usually has its own attendants or heralds characters (two up to four attendants or heralds), this makes the gambuh the most lavish and pompous drama performance known in Balinese history.
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