Keeping ‘Pat Im’ Music Alive

For Surip, pat im, an art that is more than a century old, is more important. Pat im, he believes, is a noble piece of art that voices the value of diversity.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Surip

Surip, 29, is determined to preserve pat im (traditional Chinese music), even though he is not of Chinese descent. A resident of Cirebon, West Java, Surip pays no heed to people\'s scorn and the economic burdens that impede his life. For him, pat im, an art that is more than a century old, is more important. Pat im, he believes, is a noble piece of art that voices the value of diversity.

On Monday (8/2/2021), in a corner of Dukuhwidara village, Pabedilan subdistrict, Cirebon, Surip and four of his friends were enjoying the tunes of pat im they were playing. A trumpet was blowing. There were also strings of kong ayan and yan tea (fiddle-like musical instruments). The music further pulsated, amplified with the beats of a xylophone and drums.