View source for Kecak

{{short description|Indonesian traditional dance}}
{{redirect|Monkey chant}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2008}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox dance
| name             = ''Kecak''
| native_name      = {{native name|ban|ᬓᬾᬘᬓ᭄}} <br /> {{native name|id|Tari Kecak}}
| native_name_lang = ban
| etymology        = 
| image            = Kecak dancers cliffside Uluwatu.jpg
| image_size       = 200px
| caption          =  ''Kecak'' dancers in [[Uluwatu]]
| genre            = [[Traditional dance]]
| signature        = 
| instruments      = {{lang|jv|[[Gamelan]]}}, {{lang|jv|[[Gong]]}}, {{lang|jv|[[Kendhang]]}}
| inventor         = 
| year             = 
| origin           = [[Indonesia]]
}}
{{Dance drama of Southeast Asia}}
'''''Kecak''''' (also spelled '''kécak''', '''ketjak''' and '''kechak'''; {{langx|ban|ᬓᬾᬘᬓ᭄}}) or {{lang|id|tari kecak}} ({{IPA|id|ˌt̪ari ˈket͡ʃak̚}}), is a form of [[Balinese dance|Balinese Hindu dance]] popularized in the 1930s. Since its creation, it has been performed primarily by men, with the first women's ''kecak'' group having started in 2006.<ref>[http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2006/12/03/cultural-liberty-under-spotlight-women-playwrights.html "Cultural Liberty Under Spotlight at Women Playwrights"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004143341/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2006/12/03/cultural-liberty-under-spotlight-women-playwrights.html |date=2012-10-04 }}, ''Jakarta Post'', 3 December 2006, accessed 13 August 2010</ref> The dance is based on the story of the ''[[Ramayana]]'' and is traditionally performed in [[Balinese temple|temples]] and villages across [[Bali]], Indonesia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kecak Dance - Indonesia Travel |url=https://www.indonesia.travel/kr/en/destinations/bali-nusa-tenggara/ubud/kecak-dance |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=www.indonesia.travel |language=en}}</ref>

Also known as the '''Ramayana monkey chant''', the dance is performed by a circle of as many as 150 performers wearing checked cloths around their waists, percussively chanting "''chak''", and moving their hands and arms. The performance depicts a battle of the ''Ramayana'', in which the [[monkey]]-like [[Vanaras]], led by [[Hanuman]], help Prince [[Rama]] fight the evil King [[Ravana]]. ''Kecak'' has roots in ''[[sanghyang]],'' a trance-inducing [[exorcism]] dance.<ref name="Picard">{{cite journal | author = Michel Picard | title = 'Cultural Tourism' in Bali: Cultural Performances as Tourist Attraction, ''Indonesia'' | edition = Vol. 49 | date = April 1990 | pages = 37–74 | publisher = Southeast Asia Program Publications, Cornell University}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Kecak dancers, Uluwatu, Bali.JPG|left|thumb|A ''kecak'' dance being performed at [[Uluwatu]], in Bali]]
''Kecak'' was originally a [[trance]] ritual accompanied by a male chorus. 

In the 1930s, [[Walter Spies]], a [[German people|German]] painter and musician, became deeply interested in the ritual while living in [[Bali]]. He adapted it as a drama based on the Hindu ''[[Ramayana]]'' and including dance, intended for performance before Western tourist audiences.

Walter Spies worked with Indonesian dancer [[Wayan Limbak]], who popularized the dance by arranging internationally touring performances by Balinese groups. These tours helped make the ''kecak'' internationally known.

{{Music of Indonesia}}
[[Image:Kecak Kanisius.jpg|right|thumb|A ''kecak'' dance being performed at [[Kolese Kanisius]], [[Jakarta]]]]

This is an example of what [[James Clifford (historian)|James Clifford]] describes as part of the "modern art-culture system"<ref>[[James Clifford (historian)|James Clifford]], ''The Predicament of Culture: Twentieth-Century Ethnography, Literature, and Art'' (Cambridge and London: [[Harvard University Press]], 1988), p. 223. Cited in Yamashita (1999), p.178.</ref> in which "the West or the central power adopts, transforms, and consumes non-Western or peripheral cultural elements, while making 'art,' which was once embedded in the culture as a whole, into a separate entity".<ref>Shinji Yamashita. "Review: Michel Picard, ''Bali: Cultural Tourism and Touristic Culture''", ''Indonesia'', Vol. 67, (Apr., 1999), pp. 177–182. Southeast Asia Program Publications, Cornell University.</ref>  I Wayan Dibia, a performer, choreographer and scholar, suggests, by contrast, that the Balinese were already developing this form when Spies arrived on the island.<ref name="Hughes">David W. Hughes, "Review: ''Kecak: The Vocal Chant of Bali,'' by I Wayan Dibia", ''British Journal of Ethnomusicology,'' Vol. 6, (1997), pp. 195–195. British Forum for Ethnomusicology.</ref> For example, during the 1920s, Limbak had incorporated ''[[Baris (dance)|baris]]'' movements into the ''cak'' leader role. "Spies liked this innovation," and he suggested that Limbak "devise a spectacle based on the ''Ramayana''," accompanied by ''cak'' chorus rather than [[gamelan]], as would have been usual.<ref name="Picard"/>

==Performance==
[[File:Kecak in Pura Dalem Ubud 1.jpg|thumb|right|''Kecak'' dance at the [[Pura Dalem Temple]] in [[Ubud]], [[Bali]].]]
The ''kecak'' dance <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.todaystraveller.net/cultural-bali-the-epic-dance-kecak/ | title=Cultural Bali - marvel at the epic ritual dance forms of Kecak - Today's Traveller - Travel & Tourism News, Hotel & Holidays | date=20 May 2022 }}</ref> is typically performed by about fifty to one hundred men wearing only loincloths; their upper bodies are left bare. They form concentric circles, in the middle of which is a traditional Balinese coconut oil lamp. First they move their bodies rhythmically to the left and to the right, chanting the words "''chak ke-chak ke-chak ke-chak''" continuously in coordinated harmony and beat, in slow rhythm. Gradually the rhythm speeds up and by turns they lift their hands, trembling, into the air. The ''kecak'' sound can be classified as a "musical" performance with the use of the human voice purely with no musical instruments. The dance is performed for dance-dramas and the story presented is taken from the ''[[Ramayana]]'' Hindu epic. The bare-chested male ''kecak'' chanters play the role of [[Rama]]'s troops of [[Vanaras]] (apes) and [[Ravana]]'s troops of [[Rakshasa]]s (Demons).

The duration of the performance is around an hour. The story of the ''Ramayana'' is depicted, beginning with [[Sita]] and [[Rama]]'s exile in the jungle of [[Dandaka]]. The performance reenacts the appearance of the Golden Deer, the abduction of Sita by [[Ravana]], the battle between Ravana and [[Jatayu]], the search for Sita by [[Hanuman]], and ends with the battle between Rama and Ravana. The ''kecak'' chanters chant and sing in accordance with the mood and milieu of the story.

''Kecak'' dance performances in [[Bali]] usually take place daily in the evening (6 pm, Bali time) at [[Balinese temple|Balinese Hindu temples]] such as [[Uluwatu Temple]] and [[Tanah Lot]]. There are also dance stages used exclusively for ''kecak'' performances in [[Ubud]], [[Garuda Wisnu Kencana]], Batu Bulan, Pandawa beach and other places in Bali. ''Kecak'' performances also take place on other occasions, such as for cultural and entertainment displays. Dancers usually come from local villagers of the surrounding area of the performance; they usually have a main job other than dancing which they finish before performing the ''kecak'' dance. The dancers' income from the dance usually comes from tickets sold to the spectators. The most popular destination for ''kechak'' dance performances is [[Uluwatu Temple]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/mGIlkmQX-g0 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20201229125949/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGIlkmQX-g0 Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGIlkmQX-g0| title = バリ島ウルワツ寺院ケチャダンス | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 16 October 2012 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Dancers===
[[File:Sita captive.jpg|thumb|right|''Kecak'' dancers chant facing the dancer playing as [[Ravana]].]]
The dancers consist of two types: the ''kecak'' male-chanters and the main ''Ramayana'' dancers who play the roles of Sita, Rama, [[Lakshmana]], Ravana, Hanuman, Jatayu, etc. Some of the ''kecak'' male-chanters who chant ''chak-chak-chak'' have their own tasks during the performance. One individual is responsible for maintaining the beat of the chant by chanting "''po-po-po-po''". Another man serves as the leader of the chorus, instructing them to stop or start the chanting by yelling command vocals such as "''Diih!''", "''Chiaaat!''", etc. There is also a man whose job is to sing during the chanting; he sings in a melodious or rhythmic tone according to the situation of the dance with vocalizations such as "''Shiiir-yang-ngger-yang-nggur-yang-nggeer''". Another man, known as the ''dalang'', narrates [[Ramayana|the story]] during the dance, usually in [[Balinese language|Balinese]] and [[Sanskrit]]. The men chosen for these tasks are usually the senior male dancers. The remaining chanters chant "''chak-chak-chak''" continuously and simultaneously with harmony.

The dancers who represent the core ''Ramayana'' characters are considered an essential part of the dance. Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and the Golden Deer, whose movements are gentle and smooth, are sometimes played by female dancers who are trained in such styles of movement. Men play muscular characters such as [[Ravana|Ravan]], [[Hanuman]], [[Sugriv]], etc.

===Trance===
Trance rituals often accompany certain sections of the ''kecak'' dance, such as during the portrayal of the burning of Hanuman. Here, the dancer playing Hanuman is blessed by a priest and enters a [[trance]] state for the fire kicking dance which follows. The dancer does not feel any pain from the fire because he is in a state of trance.

==In popular culture==
{{more citations needed|section|date=July 2008}}
Excerpts of ''kecak'' can be heard on the soundtracks of the following movies:
* ''[[Oedipus Rex (1967 film)|Edipo Re]]'' by [[Pier Paolo Pasolini]] (1967)
* ''[[Fellini Satyricon]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Incontro d'amore]]'' (1970)
* The 1971 version of Kenneth Anger's ''[[Rabbit's Moon]]'' 
* ''[[I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (film)|I Never Promised You a Rose Garden]]'' (1977)
* The 1982 Japanese [[Metal Hero Series]] ''[[Space Sheriff Gavan]]'' episode 6: "The Geniuses of the Makuu School" 
* The soundtrack to the [[Coen Brothers]]' 1984 debut film ''[[Blood Simple]]'' includes a track entitled "Monkey Chant" which is based on ''kecak''.
* ''[[Dagger of Kamui]]'' (''Kamui no Ken'') (1985)
* ''[[Akira (1988 film)|Akira]]'' (1988), which also features the Indonesian [[gamelan]].
* The end credits and fight scenes of animated series ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' (2005)
* In the 2010 documentary [[SAS: The Search for Warriors]] Part 1, a recording of the ''kecak'' was used to wake up the recruits.
* In an part from [[List of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba characters|Mitsuri's]] theme in [[Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba]].

Scenes including ''kecak'' dance may be glimpsed in:
* [[David Attenborough]]'s 1969 [[BBC]] documentary ''[[The Miracle of Bali]],'' (episodes 1 and 3)
* The Italian movie ''[[Incontro d'amore]]'' (1970)
* The Indonesian movie ''Mama'' (1972)
* An extended ''kecak'' chant scene is featured at the end of ''[[Emmanuelle 2]]'' (1975).
* The Indonesian movie ''Noesa Penida'' (1988)
* [[Ron Fricke]]'s film ''[[Baraka (movie)|Baraka]]'' (1992)
* [[Tarsem Singh]]'s film ''[[The Fall (2006 film)|The Fall]]'' (2006)
* The Indonesian television station [[Bali TV]] uses audio of ''kecak'' chanting with the visuals of [[Rangda]] and [[Balinese Topeng|Topeng Tua]] mask dances in their program's opening theme sequence since 2011.

''Kecak'' is featured in several video games:
* Sounds of gamelan and ''kecak'' chants were incorporated into the soundtrack of the 1993 video game ''Secret of Mana'' / ''Seiken Densetsu II'', in a track titled "The Oracle".
* A sample of ''kecak'' chanting mixed with Balinese [[gamelan]] can be heard in the [[SNK]] [[Neo Geo]] arcade video game ''[[The King of Fighters '97]]'', when the gameplay shows a Bali arena scene. The arena also includes background animation of ''kecak'' chanters on the right side, [[Barong (mythology)|Barong]] dance in the center, and gamelan performers with a crowded audience on the left side.
* A visual representation of the dance can be seen in the Ritual Passion level of ''[[Tetris Effect]]'', beating in time to the player's actions.
* In Dota 2, ''kecak'' sounds make up sound effect for ultimate ability of Monkey King.

...and in popular music:
* 1974: A sample of ''kecak'' chanting is featured in the song "Money Chant" by [[Jade Warrior (band)|Jade Warrior]] on their album ''[[Floating World (Jade Warrior album)|Floating World]]''.
* 1978: A sample of ''kecak'' chanting can be heard in the song "[[Jocko Homo]]" by [[Devo]] from the album ''[[Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!]]''
* 1981: The Tokyo electronic trio [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] incorporated samples of ''kecak'' chanting on the song "Neue Tanz" from their album ''[[Technodelic]]''. This was achieved through the use of the custom-made [[Toshiba]] LMD-649, one of the first digital [[Sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]].
* 1982: A sample of ''kecak'' chanting can be heard in the [[Nurse With Wound]] track "I Cannot Feel You as the Dogs Are Laughing and I Am Blind" from the album ''[[Homotopy to Marie]].''
* 1983: A sample of ''kecak'' chanting can be heard in the song "Soldier of Fortune" from [[The Manhattan Transfer|Manhattan Transfer]]'s album ''[[Bodies and Souls]].''
* 1985: [[Todd Rundgren]] used an [[E-mu Emulator]] to sample his voice into a ''kecak'' chant on the song "Blue Orpheus" from his album ''[[A Cappella (Todd Rundgren album)|A Cappella]]''.
* 1987: A sample of ''kecak'' chanting is in "The Wind Chimes", from [[Mike Oldfield]]'s album ''[[Islands (Mike Oldfield album)|Islands]]''.
* 1987: The Indonesian song "Kembalikan Baliku", written by [[Guruh Sukarnoputra]] and performed by [[Yopie Latul]] for the [[World Popular Song Festival]] 1987 in Tokyo, Japan, incorporates ''kecak'' chanting in the interlude performed by backing vocals. The song received the Kawakami Audience Selection Award (ASA).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://users.telenet.be/wpsf/WPSF1987.htm | title=Wpsf1987 | access-date=2015-11-21 | archive-date=2009-03-23 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323085911/http://users.telenet.be/wpsf/WPSF1987.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.yamaha-mf.or.jp/history/e-history/wpsf/wpsf18.html|title = 第18回世界歌謡祭 World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo '87 - ヤマハ音楽振興会}}</ref>
* 1991: The San Francisco art rock band  [[Oxbow (band)|Oxbow]]'s songs "Daughter" and "Daughter Bent & Floating" from their album ''[[King of the Jews (album)|King of the Jews]]'' incorporates ''kecak''-inspired polyrhythmic chanting and clapping.
* 1992: A sample is prominently featured on "Magical Wave" from [[Kitarō]]'s album [[Dream (Kitarō album)|Dream]].
* 1995: The German electronic band [[RMB (band)|RMB]] used ''kecak'' chanting in their song "Chakka Chakka" on the album ''This World Is Yours''.
* 1999: [[Mike Patton]] performs a ''kecak''-like chant in the song "Goodbye Sober Day" on the [[Mr. Bungle]] album ''[[California (Mr. Bungle album)|California]]''. 

The sound of ''kecak'' has inspired other artists:
*John Adams' opera, ''A Flowering Tree'' (2006), features Kumudha and the beggar minstrels in Act II, which are based on the ''kecak''.<ref>[[Cincinnati Opera]] pre-performance interview with John Adams, 30 June 2011</ref>
*''Ketjak'' is a book-length poem by Ron Silliman published in 1978 and reprinted in ''The Age of Huts'' (2007), in which the author gives the title "Ketjak" to a vast ongoing cycle of works which includes ''Tjanting'' (1980) and ''The Alphabet'' (2008).
*Devaraalan aattam, a song composed by [[A. R. Rahman]] for [[Ponniyin Selvan: I|Ponniyin Selvan 1]], a 2022 [[Tamil language|Tamil]] film directed by [[Mani Ratnam]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Theatre|Indonesia}}
* [[Pendet]]
* [[Legong]]
* [[Balinese dance]]
* [[Dance of Indonesia]]

==Bibliography==
*''Kecak from Bali''. Produced by David Lewiston, 1990. One compact disc (duration 44:53) with notes and libretto by Fred B. Eiseman and David Lewiston.<ref>Review: [untitled]. Author(s): David Harnish. Reviewed work(s): Kecak from Bali by David Lewiston.''Ethnomusicology,'' Vol. 35, No. 2, (Spring – Summer, 1991), pp. 302–304. Published by: University of Illinois Press on behalf of Society for Ethnomusicology</ref>
*I Wayan Dibia, ''Kecak: the vocal chant of Bali''. Denpasar: Hartanto Art Books, 1996. vi + 83pp. {{ISBN|979-95045-4-6}}.

==Sources==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rch6bdh9qs Kecak dance in David Attenborough's 1969 BBC documentary, ''The Miracle of Bali'']
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0HY0oD84OM&t=165s Kecak dance being performed in Uluwatu temple]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLc2cS8JZx4&t Kecak dance]
{{commons category}}
*[https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/asiaTreasures/southeast_asia/Ketjak_dance.htm Treasures of the Asia Collections: The Ketjak Dance], Cornell University
*[http://www.edwebproject.org/bali/gallery/kecak.html Bali Honeymoon: A Photo Gallery – Bali's Kecak Dance] photo gallery
*[http://www.walterspies.com/ WalterSpies.com] – Describes Walter Spies' house in Bali and his Pita Maha artists' cooperative
*[http://www.ubu.com/ethno/soundings/ketjack.html UbuWeb Ethnopoetics: Ketjak: The Ramayana Monkey Chant]

{{Dance in Bali}}
{{Dance of Indonesia}}
{{Indonesian drama and theatre}}

[[Category:Culture of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Culture of Bali]]
[[Category:Dances of Bali]]
[[Category:Theatre of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Traditional drama and theatre of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Music of Bali]]
[[Category:Works based on the Ramayana]]
[[Category:Hindu traditions]]
[[Category:Hindu art]]
[[Category:Bali]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Bali]]