In this cultural post, I talk about wayang kulit (shadow puppetry) and its relations to gamelan. The art of shadow puppetry spread to Java with the spread of Hinduism. Shadow puppetry consists of shadows thrown by puppets manipulated by rods against a translucent screen lit from behind. The puppet itself is made from ornately painted leather. The plays that use shadow puppetry are set in mythological times and dramatize episodes from the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. These performances usually occur from late at night until early in the morning. The person who manipulates the puppet is called the dalang (puppeteer).
Wayang Kulit appear on television and radio and recordings are available in stores. Most major dalang are descendants of the families of traditional performers; however, in the twentieth century there began to be performers who were not trained by their own elders.
Wayang plays are usually featured on important occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. In addition wayang kulit performances are usually accompanied by gamelan orchestras wherein dalang and the leader of the gamelan have to be in sync in order for the play to run correctly. The musicians sit behind the dalang. The performances are accompanied by female singers (pesinden) and male singers (wirasuara).
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/art/wayang
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