1 

 

IDEOLOGY OF MABARUNG (COMPETITION) OF PERFORMING ART  
IN BULELENG REGENCY 

 
I Nyoman Chaya 

Faculty of Performing Arts 
Indonesia Institute of Arts, Surakarta 

email: nym_chaya@yahoo.com  
 

ABSTRACT 
Mabarung (competition) of performing art is a cultural heritage in North Bali and 

has highly contributed to the development of the Balinese art and culture. The tradition 
of mabarung of performing art which was created in Buleleng Regency constitutes the 
competitive arena of life in which every pebarung (the player who is involved) does his 
best to perform the best by optimally presenting the quality of his performance. Based on 
what was described above, it was necessary to reveal the tradition of mabarung of 
performing art in Buleleng Regency. The present study focused on the meaningfulness 
of the implied ideology of the mabarung of performing art in Buleleng Regency.  

The result of the study showed that the cultural representation, which was 
actualized into the mabarung of performing art appeared from the ideas of the grass-
root. The government interfered in the mabarung of performing art and a change took 
place; the mabarung of performing art which used to be freely performed was then 
performed as a festival/competition, causing the ideology it contained to change. The 
phenomenon of the mabarung of performing art reflected a self image; the players felt 
embarrassed if they lost ‘majengah-jengahan’, performed differently from others, and felt 
too proud of themselves ‘ajum’. In relation to that, it could be identified that the cultural 
representation which created the tradition of mabarung of performing art in Buleleng 
Regency was inspired by the ideology of freedom and self existence.  

 
Keywords: mabarung, performing art, ideology. 
 

 

INTRODUCTION 

 The mabarung of performing art is one of the cultural heritages in North Bali, 

which has highly contributed to the development of the Balinese arts and culture. The 

tradition of the mabarung of performing art, which was created in North Bali, constitutes 

a competitive arena of life of being embarrassed if those who are involved in it lose the 

competition ‘majengah-jengahan’. Every player ‘pembarung’ does his best to perform the 

best by optimally representing the quality of their performance. The creation of the 

mabarung of performing art in Buleleng Regency was indicated by an art event in which 

two groups of gong players (sekaa-gong) competed. They did their best to perform new 

compositions, which were then referred to as Mabarung Gong Kebyar (MGK). Such an 

event took place in the beginning of the 20th century (McPee, 1966: 328; Goris, t.th: 150, 

Simpen AB, 1979: 1).  

mailto:nym_chaya@yahoo.com


2 

 

 Mabarung then grew rapidly as the hobby of the Buleleng community; as a result, 

it was able to form a cultural tradition as part of the ethnical identity of the North Bali 

community. The Regent of Buleleng Regency expressly stated that the tradition of 

mabarung in the life of cultural art (MGK) was one of specific characteristics of the 

culture in North Bali which should be placed as part of the cultural identity of (local 

genius) of Buleleng Regency. He mentioned this in his speech delivered in the opening 

ceremony of “Konferensi dan Festival Internasional Budaya Bali 2009” (International 

Conference and Festival of the Balinese Culture 2009).  

 With a highly competitive nuisance, every event of the mabarung of performing 

art was always evaluated to make progress. Therefore, such an event played a highly 

important and strategic role as it proved to be able to motivate the Buleleng community 

to be creative and innovative. 

 The growth and development of the tradition of mabarung of performing art in 

Buleleng Regency were inspired by the ideas coming from the grass-root community, 

meaning that the cultural representation which was actualized into the activity of the 

mabarung of performing art reflected an implied ideology in the mind of the Northern Bali 

community. The reason was that ideology is a system of belief and a system of values, 

which were represented in various media and social actions which were regarded as 

being reasonable to complete the achievement of such an objective. Ideology refers to 

everything which is already implanted in individuals while they are living, covers all 

practices of life, minor and great actions, common and scientific views, and the 

conversations about the weather and political climate of a country (Althusser, 2005: 39-

42).  

 

RESEARCH METHOD 

 This present study focused on the meaningfulness of the ideological framework 

of the mabarung of performing art in Buleleng Regency. The data were collected through 

observation and in-depth interview to excavate the primary data and through library 

research to obtain the secondary data. The data were analyzed descriptively, 

qualitatively and interpretatively and the technique of data analysis, as proposed by 

Sudikan (2001: 105) was done following the stages as follows: open coding, axial coding 

and selective coding.  



3 

 

 The theory used in the present study was the theory of ideology proposed by 

Louis Althusser. According to Althusser (2005), ideology is something which is 

profoundly unconscious and not recognized in-depth. According to him, ideology refers 

to everything which has been implanted in individuals during their lives. The rules which 

have become a belief are not recognized. From the hammock to the grave, man exists 

with ideology (Takwin in Althusser, 2005: xvi-xx).  

 

RESULT AND DISCUSSION 

 The pattern of competition (mabarung) which was created through the mabarung 

(competition of Gong Kebyar (MGK) initiated the growth and development of the 

mabarung of performing art in Buleleng Regency. As an arena of an activity framed 

within the domain of the life of art, the problem of the mabarung of performing art 

touches the artistic and aesthetic world, meaning that the mabarung of performing art is 

within the arena of meaningfulness of the world of art, which involves the matters 

pertaining to how to perform and the nature of performing art. The panorama of 

performance is divided into two. First, the human behavior (performative behavior) 

referred to as the culture of performance. Second, cultural performance which covers 

performing art, sports, rituals, festivals, and the other forms of festivities (for further 

detail, see Murgiyanto, 1996: 155-167). In the context of what is discussed in the present 

study, art is under the second category. The mabarung of performing art as an 

expression of cultural art acts as a symbol of expression.  

 The mabarung of performing art, as what takes place at MGK, may certainly 

present new creations, especially the creations of gambelan orchestra kakebyaran. The 

creative artists will never feel satisfied if in the event of mabarung they do not present 

new creations. They always want to perform differently from what was performed before. 

In relation to that, Putu Sumiasa (77 years of age), the highly skilled player of kendang 

(small drum covered with leather) who were experienced in MGK, stated that “Pokoknya 

setiap akan mabarung, pasti membuat genting yang baru supaya tidak ada yang 

menduga dan mampu membikin kejutan” (Basically, every time he is involved in the 

event of mabarung, he certainly creates a new creation which cannot be expected by 

others and is able to make a surprise” (Interview held on 12th November 2008).  

 The thing which needs to be emphasized is that in the event of the mabarung of 

performing art (MGK), the opportunity of freedom is provided to the artists when they 



4 

 

express their ability artistically and non-artistically. Competitiveness encourages the 

artists to perform the best; they do their best to be highly popular. Such tricks show self 

image, as can be observed from the fact that they will feel embarrassed if they lose 

‘mejengah-jengahan’, the fact that they perform differently from others, and that the fact 

that they are proud of themselves ‘ajum’. 

 The phenomenon of mabarung should be treated as a cultural text in order to 

reveal the ideology leading to the creation of the mabarung of performing art in Buleleng 

Regency, meaning that the phenomenon of mabarung of performing art is based on the 

ability to interpret a social phenomenon of life through cultural approach, for example, by 

paying attention to the value, symbol and inter dependence among the cultural patterns 

of individual personality.  

 Socially and historically, it could be revealed that the growth and development of 

the tradition of performing art (MGK) in Buleleng Regency was directly related to the 

political situation in which Buleleng used to be the administrative center of the Dutch 

colonial government. It could be understood that the political pressure made by the 

colonial government strongly motivated the Buleleng community to dream of freedom. 

Apart from that, Buleleng had undergone the mobilization of socio-cultural life 

characterizing the openness of its citizens to acquire freedom. This was revealed by the 

Bali History (1980) in which it was stated that the Buleleng kingdom, as one of the 

kingdoms in Bali, was the first kingdom which intended to separate from the center of the 

power of the kings in Bali which was located in Klungkung. (Team Penyusun Naskah 

dan Pengadaan Buku Sejarah Bali, 1980” 68-85).  

 The existence of the mabarung of performing art in Buleleng had led to a 

discourse of the “Den Bukit” community (North Bali). In this relation, Balyson (1934) 

stated that the Buleleng people suffered from what is referred to “Caprise Bulelengais”, 

the community which was getting bored quickly. They always wanted something new 

and strange. Balyson stated “tiap-tiap waktoe selaloe berlainan, lekas bersalin 

kemaoean” (the Balinese people said: “djani kene njanan keto, toesing enteg, tjeliak-

tjelioek, ngelionang bikas” dsb. [“now they want this, later they want that, they always 

want something different, they change they wish quickly]. “Publiek di negero Boeleleng 

agak bersifat capricious; oleh karena karangan ini mengenai hal muziek, penoelis 

sebutkan djenis penjakit ini “caprise boelelengais, meaning caprice, dari, ataoe 

kepoenjaan negeri Boeleleng sebagai sindirian” (Balyson, 1934: 191).  



5 

 

 This was interpreted as a discourse of the values of freedom, which were 

reflected when Balyson insulted the changeable characteristic of the Buleleng people, 

jani kene nyanan keto (now they want this, and then they want that), tusing enteg (they 

always change their mind), celiak-celiuk (turn here and there), ngeliungan bikas 

(behaving strangely). The cultural observers in Buleleng Regency and its artists had the 

same discourse of the characteristic of the Buleleng people; they were proud of 

themselves. Such a predicate was always attached to the Buleleng artists in the event of 

mabarung, as stated by I Made Toja (81 years of age) and I Made Teken (60 years of 

age) as follows: “kalau tidak punya rasa ajum, tidak akan bisa membangun atau 

menghidupkan kegiatan (keseniana) gong, apalagi akan digunakan untuk mabarung)”. 

[If not being proud of oneself, one cannot make the art of gong survive, especially when 

one takes part in the event of mabarung. “Kalau tampil sebagai peserta mabarung, 

harus habis-habisan menunjukan suatu kebanggaan diri atau ajum)” (If taking part in the 

event of mabarung, one should do his best to show such pride of oneself termed as 

ajum in Balinese)” (The interview was conducted on 25 July 2010 and 17 October 2008).  

 The innovative-creative activities which led to the kebyar art, which was then 

actualized in the activity of the mabarung of performing art (Gong Kebyar) could be 

interpreted as an expression which was used to express the values of “rebellion” for 

freedom, meaning that the ideological framework of the tradition of the mabarung of 

performing art in Buleleng Regency could not be separated from the attitude of the 

Buleleng people who intended to show their existence through the activity of cultural 

activity with the image of freedom as the reference.  

 

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 

 The cultural representation of the mabarung of performing art in Buleleng could 

be identified as a self image, as could be observed from the behaviors of being 

embarrassed if getting lost ‘mejengah-jengahan’, performing differently, and showing self 

pride. The ideology of the creation of the cultural tradition of the event of the mabarung 

of performing art in Buleleng Regency was the ideology of freedom and self existence. 

The ideology of freedom showed the opportunity the artists had to be free in 

representing themselves artistically and non-artistically. Such an ideology of self 

existence referred to the creativity represented into the behaviors of feeling embarrassed 

if getting lost, performing differently, and showing self pride.  



6 

 

 Several suggestions are recommended to continue this present study. First, the 

government should pay more serious attention to the policy which regulates the 

existence of cultural art. Second, the Buleleng community should motivate the creativity 

of Gong Kebyar Buleleng by doing what can be done to maintain the image of kebyar 

which has characterized the cultural art in North Bali. If a great idea such as a great 

system of competition appeared in the past, which then developed into the tradition of 

mabarung, from the result of the present study it is expected that a format of competition 

of art will appear as the format which is dynamic and adaptive to the current existence of 

the Balinese cultural art. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

 In this opportunity the writer would like to thank and highly appreciate Prof. Dr. I 

Wayan Dibia, SST.,M.A. for his full attention and supervision starting from when the 

proposal was prepared to the completion of this dissertation.  

 

BIBLIOLOGRAPHY 

Althusser, Louis. 2005. Tentang Ideologi, Marxisme Strukturalis, Psikoanalisis dan 

Cultural Studies (terjemahan Essay on Ideology). Yogyakarta: Jalasutra.  

Balyson. 1934. “Gong-Gede (Kebijar)” dalam Bhawanagara, Majalah bulanan No. 11-12, 

terbitan April-Mei.  

Chaya, I Nyoman. 2012. “Ideologi Mabarung Seni Pertunjukan di Kabupaten Buleleng”, 

disertasi, Program Studi Doktor Kajian Budaya, Program Pascasarjana, 

Universitas Udayana, Denpasar.  

Goris, R. t.t. Bali, Atlas Kebudayaan. Jakarta: Pemerintah Republik Indonesia. 

McPhee, Colin. 1966. Music in Bali, A Study of Form and Instrumental Organization in 

Balinese Orchestral Music. New Haven and London, Yale University Press. 

Murgiyanto, Sal. 1996. “Cakrawala Pertunjukan Budaya, Mengkaji Batas dan Arti 

Pertunjukan” dalam Seni Pertunjukan Indonesia, Jurnal Masyarakat Seni 

Pertunjukan Indonesia (MSPI), Yogyakarta: Yayasan Bentang Budaya. 

Simpen AB, I Wayan. 1979. “Sejarah Perkembangan Gong Gede”, stensilan. Denpasar, 

19 Desember. 

Sudikan, Setya Yuwana. 2001. Metode Penelitian Kebudayaan. Surabaya: Citra 

Wacana. 

Takwin, Bagus. 2003. Akar-akar Ideologi, Pengantar Kajian Konsep Ideologi dari Plato 

hingga Bourdieu. Yogyakarta: Jalasutra. 

Team Penyusun Naskah dan Pengadaan Buku Sejarah Bali, 1980. Sejarah Bali. 

Denpasar: Pemerintah Daerah Tk. I Bali.