The Uniqueness of Cikahuripan Village in Lembang: Using Vocal Arts to Anticipate Natural Disasters
The local community calls this art form Engko, a vocal performance resembling tetembangan (a traditional Sundanese style of singing) that conveys disaster mitigation messages.
Vocal art is commonly associated with entertainment. Singers often use their melodious voices to attract listeners while expressing emotions through songs.
However, an intriguing phenomenon can be found in Lembang, West Bandung Regency, West Java. There, the locals use vocal art as a means to anticipate the impact of natural disasters.
The art form, known as Engko, is similar to Beluk, a type of vocal art that conveys life lessons. The messages are emphasized through raised vocal pitches, ensuring the audience grasps the underlying calls to action.
Similarly, Engko performances encourage spectators to take precautions against the dangers of natural disasters.
Engko Rooted in a Disaster-Prone Terrain
According to Napak Jagat Pasundan, Engko is an ancient art form passed down from ancestors that has existed for decades. It emerged from the geographical reality of West Bandung, which lies atop the Lembang Fault and Mount Tangkuban Perahu, making it prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Before understanding these hazards, residents were at risk due to a lack of awareness and preparedness for the potential impacts. The presence of Engko has helped foster awareness through the messages it conveys.
“Cikahuripan Village preserves Engko, one of Sundanese traditional arts. This art form has become an educational tool for disaster mitigation,” reads a statement on the Napak Jagat Pasundan website.
Conveying Evacuation and Disaster Preparedness Messages Through Singing
As mentioned earlier, this art form has been preserved and integrated into the daily lives of Cikahuripan residents in Lembang. For a long time, they have used it to encourage awareness of the natural environment and its risks.
Through Engko, messages about the dangers of natural disasters and self-rescue methods are delivered by the Engko performer, typically a male. During performances, audiences sit in front of the singer to listen.
Accompanied by Traditional Music, with Audience Participation
One unique aspect of this art is the interaction between the performer and the audience. Spectators are encouraged to join the stage and dance to the rhythm of the traditional music.
An Engko performance is accompanied by a set of Sundanese gamelan instruments, such as kendang rampak (percussion), kecrek (metal clappers), saron (metallophone), kacapi (zither), and gong.
The tempo of the music is adjusted to match the theme of the messages being conveyed. However, performances usually start with a slow melody before gradually increasing in tempo.
Engko A Part of Everyday Life
According to Gunung Puntang’s Instagram account, Engko is still preserved and remains part of the daily lives of the community. It is commonly performed during traditional harvest celebrations, cultural village events, circumcision ceremonies, and wedding receptions.
In essence, Engko resembles Beluk, another preserved Sundanese art form, which conveys messages about proper behavior, interaction with others, and maintaining harmony within the community.
Engko gained popularity in Lembang in the 1950s, though it may have existed much earlier. Fortunately, the people of Cikahuripan, Lembang, continue to sustain and preserve this tradition today.
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