Kentrung Jatimenok: When the Tradition of Storytelling Quietly Fades

The cultural landscape of Indonesia is rich with unique and diverse traditions, one of which is Kentrung Jatimenok, a musical storytelling art form from Jombang, East Java. Despite being regarded as a valuable cultural treasure, this arts tradition is on the brink of extinction due to a lack of support. Researchers highlight this phenomenon in the dissertation Kentrung Jatimenok Lakon Ajisaka: An Ethnosemiotic Study, describing it not only as a performance but a living cultural text vital for maintaining local identity. Kentrung’s artistic expression serves as a medium to transmit cultural values and resist the erosive effects of globalization that threaten to dismantle the foundational aspects of traditional society.