Majapahit Opera "Gayatri Sang Sri Rajapatni" Bringing Audiences to Indonesia in 13th Century

JAKARTADAILY.ID – The performance of the Majapahit Opera Gayatri Sang Sri Rajapatni will be present at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta on October 8, 2022.

This performance is an opera with a modern traditional style adapted from the book 'Kakawin Nagara Kertagama' about the story of the 13th century Princess Gayatri of the Singasari Kingdom.

"The audience will enjoy the richness and sacredness of the character of Putri Gayatri. The one who creates her own legacy," said the scriptwriter and director, Mia Johannes at a press conference, in Jakarta on Friday, September 30, 2022.

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Mia Johannes, who is familiarly called Mhyajo, said that this work is full of historical research by visiting historians and linguists and anthropologists for approximately 5 years.

This story tells of Princess Gayatri who came from the Singhasari Kingdom in the thirteenth century, who was trying to achieve the dream of her youth. And maintain and preserve the legacy of his late father, Kertanegara.

"With all her abilities and intelligence, she strives to ensure survival, while at the same time planning the glory of the Majapahit Kingdom. Truly a female leader with a strong character, who will give birth to the next generation of leaders," she said.

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This Opera of Majapahit Gayatri Sang Sri Rajapatni, she continued, will make the audience feel as if they are in a very different, yet familiar universe.

This opera presents an opera narrative format, which is presented with two narrators as narrators and carries the composition of contemporary ethnic music from Frank Raden.

The opera, which is supported by the Directorate of Film, Music and Media of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, received good reviews during its online performance, at the 2021 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. At that time, C ARTS UK was curating their online demand platform.

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Head of Working Group (Kapokja) for Appreciation and Music Literacy representing the Director of Film, Music and Media, Ministry of Education Edi Irawan, explained that Opera Majapahit was a work that received a grant from the 2022 Cultural Assistance Facilitation program.

"Opera Majapahit is an example of a work that can get a stimulus from the government, so that artists can work and realize their dreams in any form," explained Edi.