Page 25 - JaKita 05 th Edition 2021

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ART & CULTURE 25

Sohibul
Hikayat

Betawi oral literature originating from
Middle East.

in education, unity, love for the environment and also Sohibul Hikayat derived from Arabic,
entertainment. “Sohibul Hikayat is usually delivered means “the owner of the story”
in casual, intimate, simple but interesting way, with Brought in prose with several stanzas.
languange style that is easy to comprehend,” Yahya
told JaKita. Usually narrates Persian stories including
A Tale of 1001 Nights, Nurul Laila and Alfu
Oftentimes, Sohibul Hikayat is brought with proses Lail wal Lail.
and stanzas. The storyteller will also put comedic Person who brings Sohibul hikayat is
tone in the dialog, which suits to the characters in called storyteller or Hikayat teller.
the story. “To watch Sohibul Hikayat is like watching
a film; instead of the visual imagery, we will be
seeing the imagination created by the storytellers,”
explained Yahya.

Hence, it is a must for a storyteller to be able to create Infographic: Tommy K.R.
imagination for the audiences. That includes details
like describing how beautiful the character of Laila is,
or to create real tension when there are conflicts in only performed on stages but also digitally: the show
the story. According to Yahya, the goal is to manage is often aired through Youtube and podcast. It was an
the audience’s emotion in every show. attempt to introduce the show, which became rare
today, to the millennial generation.
In the middle of the show, the Hikayat teller will have
several minutes to go offstage to have some rest. The same thing is done by Fandhi Baskara, a
“When it’s time to go offstage, the storyteller and the Betawi artist. He perform Sohibul Hikayat digitally
audiences will usually enjoy the meal provided by the through podcast. Oftentimes, the stories he brought
host,” said Yahya. is not merely the old ones. “It needs a little bit of
improvisation in delivering Sohibul Hikayat. Don’t just
Sohibul Hikayat is often performed in many special bring it for the older adults, but also for the younger
events including wedding parties. The show will lasts generations,” said Fandhi.
for hours. Thus, the storyteller has to possess great
physical toughness, since they have to be sitting Today, Fandhi claimed there are many people who
cross-legged throughout the show. are interested in becoming the storyteller—a good
sign for preserving Sohibul Hikayat. He hoped many
Going Digital Betawi sanggar (art studios) will serve as a home for
those willing to learn about this literature.
Yahya was grateful that today, Sohibul Hikayat is not gro

5th EDITION 2021
5th EDITION 2021
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