BANYUWANGI – Ratusan patung gandrung dibangun di tengah perkebunan kopi dan areal sawah warga Desa Tamansari, Licin District, Banyuwangi Regency. An area managed by a mountain jazz entrepreneur and founder, Sigit Pramono, it will be used as a center to see gandrung dance in Banyuwangi.
Sigit named it the Terracotta Gandrung Park. Tourists who want to see gandrung dance, said Sigit, can come on schedule.
“Wisatawan bisa melihat tari gandrung yang jadwalnya jelas. So tourists can watch. There will be 40-70 like dancing, once a month, up to once a week. The concept is like in the Moonstone, Bali,” kata Sigit jelang peresmian Taman Gandrung Terakota, Saturday, (22/9/201).
In addition to the stage for cultural arts performances built with natural materials, there is also a casual hangout at the cafe. While the gandrung statues are built and placed separately in groups, has now reached 40 percent of target 1000 Gandrung statue. Gandrung, which is a dance icon in Banyuwangi, was deliberately chosen so that it can continue to be preserved.
“Dalam waktu dekat akan diselesaikan, because you don't do it arbitrarily, made of pottery, fragile nature as a symbol of grounded concepts,said Sigit.
Sigit explains, Gandrung City Park was built so that the Banyuwangi Regency Government could be helped to bring in tourist visits. Terracotta Loving Garden, built on an area of orchards and rice fields 3 hectare.
Over there, besides being able to watch the gandrung dance every week, Various cultural activities will also be centered at the Gandrung Terracotta Park.
“Ini bagian kami membantu Banyuwangi melakukan rebranding. So that tourists visiting Banyuwangi can feel more comfortable and want to come back,” katanya menjelaskan.
Terracotta Gandrung Park is located at the foot of Mount Ijen. hope, the tourists who will climb Mount Ijen can stop by to enjoy the art and culture of love there.
“Dulu dikenal sebagai santet dan bisa mengubah wajah Banyuwangi. I just helped by building this place,” kata Sigit yang juga pemilik Jiwa Jawa Resort dan Founder Jazz Gunung.
Meanwhile, Banyuwangi Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas expressed his gratitude for the support of the private sector which has helped bring tourist visits to Banyuwangi.
“Pengusaha yang berjiwa seni itu jarang sekali. I say thank you, has done for Banyuwangi,Said Anas. From here, Anas hopes that the private sector in Banyuwangi can imitate the efforts made by sigit.
“Mimpi saya, if later there is direct singapore, Australia and others, I wish it could stay like this. Natural like this,” he added.
Meanwhile, Curator of the Terracotta Love Garden, Suwarno explained, a gandrung statue made of a kind of pottery. “Sejenis gerabah yang panasnya dibakar maksimal 1000 degrees, it means the quality is below ceramic, become fragile,” kata Suwarno.
The concept of pottery that has a cavity in the statue as a sign that nothing lasts forever in this world. While the placement of the gandrung statue in the plantation and rice fields as a symbol of the fertility of Dewi Sri.
“Sangat ringkih karena diisyaratkan tidak ada yang abadi, not for eternity but temporary,he explained.
Meanwhile, Head of DKB Banyuwangi, Syamsudin Adlawi added, Gandrung is very closely related to the history of the Banyuwangi people's struggle against the Dutch colonial rule.
He exemplifies, during the Puputan Bayu war, when many Banyuwangi people died defending their homeland, Gandrung appears as a conduit for information for the guerrillas.
“Waktu perang puputan bayu, gandrung consolidated with the guerrillas, in order to continue to fight against the Dutch colonial,” ujar Syamsudin.
