At first it looked like it might rain. But then the mood lightened and it was a bright and crisp day. As I walked down the path to Cristina’s house, it hit me. I will never walk this path again. I entered the archway where her helpers, Ibu Ketut and Pak Made had decorated with coconut fronds. Two big “offerings” of fruit and flowers flanked her doorway.

Rio had printed up a lovely photo of Cristina by a river holding her favorite mask, Dalem the king and hung it on the outside door. She was looking up at us. I walked into her living space and there was another photo of her looking out to the actual river and the view outside, in profile with the mask side by side with her, in profile As well.

The kitchen was filled with coffee, tea and Balinese cakes that Asri had organized. I started Working on a “buku kenangan” or memorial book (thank you, Tom Hunter for that idea!), filling it with photos from Cristina’s albums. Everyone who came signed it, saying good bye to Cristina for The last time.

The Gambuh troupe filtered in, we could see them coming down the path carrying their instruments, all the Men in long blue t-shirts and kain (sarongs). They set up the instruments and were given coffee and cakes.

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On Wednesday, 7/30/08, a memorial ceremony to commemorate the late Cristina Wistari Formaggia, 62, a great dancer and key person behind the Gambuh Preservation Project in Batuan, at her home behind the Ibah Hotel in Campuhan, Ubud. This memorial was not just attended by Cristina’s friends but also by The Pura Desa Gambuh troupe of Batuan, which present a gambuh performance to honor Cristina’s great contribution in preserving classical performance in Bali, especially in Batuan village.

The memorial ceremony was opened with speeches from family, friends, and representative Pura Desa Gambuh troupe of Batuan, but the highlight of this memorial was the performance of Pura Desa Gambuh troupe of Batuan, which came right after the speeches.

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Cristina Wistari Formaggia, 62, died peacefully of cancer in her hometown of Milano, Italy on 19 July 2008. She will always be known in Bali as the woman behind the Gambuh Preservation Project in Batuan village. Her dedication to the classical performing arts of Bali knew no bounds.

A memorial will be held for Cristina on Wednesday, 30 July 2008 from 3 – 6 p.m. at Cristina’s home behind the Ibah Hotel in Campuhan, Ubud. The Pura Desa Gambuh troupe will hold a short rehearsal in her honor. Please feel free to bring a flower or piece of fruit.

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This month has seen the loss of two great figures in the world of Gambuh here in Bali. First I Ketut Kantor (I Nyoman Kakul’s son) passed away from a stroke earlier this month and on July 19th, Cristina Formaggia passed away in Europe from lung, brain and liver cancer (all undiagnosed until just before she passed on). She was 62 years young.

Cristina was one of the forces behind the Gambuh Preservation Project and worked diligently and tirelessly to ensure that this form did not disappear.
Thanks to her, we have the wonderful two volume book on Gambuh (in Indonesian) that she edited and a DVD of the Pura Desa Gambuh troupe.

I am currently trying to put some of her life into words for a short article so if any of you have words or photographs to share, please send to me at rucina@indo.net.id. I will then post this article on the list. There is a tribute to her at the URL below.
http://www.themagdalenaproject.org/archive/cristina_wistari.htm

We are all in shock at the loss of this vibrant, dedicated and amazing artist.

Rucina

The west has Aesop fable, which deals with the numerous fables and the Balinese answer for this series of the fables, is Tantri story. The Tantri story is the name of Javanese version on the Hindu Pancatantra, a collection of stories originated from India. The Tantri story is a mixture of Aesop fables and Thousands and One night story. The story began to be introduced in Bali after Bali was subjugated by Majapahit Kingdom of East Java.

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I walked into the compound of the griya (Brahmin household) in the midst of much activity. Their family gods were getting new shrines and every post and pavilion was wrapped in gold-painted cloth; the neighbors were there in droves making offerings, sorting through rice and busying themselves with the myriad tasks any large temple ceremony entails. And this is two weeks before the ceremony even begins.

This compound is where Ida Bagus Oka Wirjana, or Gus Aji Blangsinga as he is more affectionately known (named after his village of Blangsinga) lives with only a few of his l7 children (with Ida Ayu Putu Muter), 27 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. An incredibly handsome and fit man of 73, Gus Aji is one of the living repositories of the famed Kebyar Duduk dance, which was created in the 1930s by I Ketut Mario and has become one of the standards seen in both sacred and secular venues.

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