Preserving Dogdog Lojor, Baduy's Timeless Traditional Art

LEBAK — The Baduy indigenous community, alongside cultural activists, held a performance and cultural forum featuring the traditional art of Dogdog Lojor in Kanekes Village, Leuwidamar District, Lebak Regency, Banten. This preservation initiative is conducted periodically in customary settlements to ensure that the traditional percussion instrument endures among the younger generation amidst the relentless wave of modernization, particularly in accompanying the rice planting and harvest ritual cycles of this agrarian community.

The art of Dogdog Lojor is an ancestral heritage steeped in spiritual values and communal unity. This elongated, cylindrical wooden percussion instrument topped with an animal hide membrane is typically played in unison by drummers using interlocking rhythmic techniques, often paired with the resonant melodies of the ancient angklung buhun. The cohesive rhythm is not merely audiovisual entertainment, but a medium of expressing gratitude to the Creator for the earth's bountiful harvest.

Banten cultural activist Ki Asep Jayakarta emphasized that regenerating the ranks of Dogdog Lojor players is the primary key to sustaining this traditional art form. "Dogdog Lojor is not merely wood and hide being struck; it embodies a philosophy of humble living and prayers for prosperity. We are striving to ensure that the youth, particularly in Outer Baduy and its surrounding areas, do not lose pride in their own cultural identity," Asep said on the sidelines of the event.

Through the self-driven reinforcement of tradition by the indigenous community and support from cultural observers, Dogdog Lojor is expected to continue echoing across generations without losing its sacred essence. This consistent effort also demonstrates that Baduy local wisdom possesses robust resilience in navigating an increasingly dynamic and changing world.