Dongkrek is held to have been created by the late R. Bei Lo Prawirodipuro while he was serving as the palang of Mejayan (Caruban). during the colonial era, a palang was an individual responsible for 4-5 village chiefs, or lurah; as the "head lurah, the palang was directly accountable to the wedana. R. Bei
Lo Prawirodipuro was the last palang of
the region, serving until his death
c. 1915/1916. At the time, the office of
palang had already been disbanded; however, R. Bei Lo Prawirodipuro received
special treatment. This is attributed to his
personal leadership abilities and authority, which led to him being respected as a
decision-maker.
The story of dongkrek’s invention can
also be tracked through a song in gambuh
verse. According to a book written by the
Office of Education and Culture, Madiun, the name dongkrek is derived from
onomatopoeia of the two instruments
used in performances: bedug (drums)
and korek (a kind of percussion instrument). Drums produced the sound
dhung, while korek produced the sound
krek; as such, played alternatively the instruments produced the sounds dhungkrek-dhung-krek. It is from this sound
that the name dongkrek was taken. Dongkrek is a form of performance
art. In its performance, it conveys specific
messages, including amar ma’ruf nahi
munkar (that evil will be vanquished by
good).
In the current information era, dakwah has continued to innovate. This includes, for example, through the use of
dongkrek and its strongly Islamic messages. Dongkrek is a traditional performance
art that has developed in and around Mejayan Village. Its use in dakwah is an adaptation of the methods used by the Wali.
The connection between dakwah and
dongkrek is mutually beneficial, promoting innovative dakwah as well as cultural conservation.
