24 Hours of Music "Sounds of the Universe"

Department of Karawitan ISI Yogyakarta organized 24 Jam Menabuh with the theme of  "Sounds of the Universe". 24 Jam menabuh will be held on September 5 to 6, 2017, at the Concert Hall and Pendopo Pajangmas ISI Yogyakarta. On September 5, 24 Jam menabuh will be held at the Concert Hall ISI Yogyakarta at 19.30 WIB and opened by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, which previously began with the report of the Chairman of the Committee, remarks from the Dean of the Faculty of Performing Arts and remarks from the Rector of ISI Yogyakarta. While on September 6, 2017, this karawitan performance will be held at 06.00 to 21.00 WIB at Pendopo Pajangmas ISI Yogyakarta.

The karawitan groups involved in this event consisted of five professional karawitan groups, three children's karawitan groups, five women's karawitan groups, three high school karawitan groups and 13 student activity units from universities.

The celebration was held to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the launch of the Voyager II unmanned satellite that carried a recording of Gending Ketawang Puspa Warna in Slendro Pathet Manyura by Sri Paduka Mangkunegoro IV, recorded in 1971 at Kadipaten Pakualaman by Langen Praja Pakualaman under Pengageng Ki Cokro Warsito, which was then carried by the Voyager II unmanned satellite launched in America on September 5, 1977 orbiting in space.

In his opening speech, Drs. Siswadi, M.Sn., as the Chairman of the Committee, said that the Indonesian people should be proud that one of the nation's children's works has been selected as a good and beautiful music, namely gending Ketawang Puspa Warna Laras Slendro Pathet Manyura by Sri Paduka Mangkunegoro IV, which defacto the musical quality of karawitan has been recognized worldwide and has even been aligned with classical music compositions by world maestros.

Karawitan has been studied by the nations of the world and even western scholars have conducted research both in terms of musicology and karawitan, especially with various approaches as well, thus karawitan no longer belongs to the Indonesian nation, not to the Javanese community, but has become the property of the nations of the world. The 24-Hour Menabuh celebration is not merely to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the launch of the Voyager II satellite on September 5, 1977, but this momentum is taken to be a movement to re-fertilize karawitan in its homeland, lest it be fertile outside but arid inside.

(Heri Abi - Sarjiman)