Wayang Hip Hop: Java']Java's Oldest Performance Tradition Meets Global Youth Culture

Wayang Hip Hop is a group led by dalang Ki Catur "Benyek" Kuncoro that combines Javanese wayang kulit conventions and hip hop music. This article traces the history of the group in relation to key developments in wayang kontemporer, while exploring controversies in its reception. Wayang Hip Hop is analyzed as an important new version of wayang that has garnered substantial attention from young spectators. Five reasons for the appeal of the performance are identified: (1) its complex musical intersections, (2) the radical adaptation of classical wayang stories to address contemporary problems, (3) the extension of the conventions of the gara-gara comic interlude into a full performance, (4) the adaption of Javanese wisdom to new settings, and (5) the adaptability of the production, which can has been presented in very diverse contexts. Miguel Escobar is interested in the intersections among art, digital media, and intercultural communication. He has explored these intersections as a translator, web developer, video editor, teacher, and performer while living in Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Indonesia. He holds a BA in drama and theatre from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and an MA in cultural policy from Maastricht University. He has studied wayang kulit since 2008 and is currently developing an online wayang video archive and working on a PhD dissertation on the ethics and aesthetics of wayang kontemporer (contemporary wayang) at the National University of Singapore.