ABSTRACT
The pragina arja is usually a specialist who exclusively performs one of the stock characters, stereotyped personalities that almost always appear in any story. The chief vocal form of arja is macapat, a type of poetry with a specific metric structure, typically presented in vocal rendition. Ni Nyoman Candri's suggestions show that singing macapat is a physical practice as well as a musical and verbal expression. In performance, the kendang musicians not only interlock with their counterparts, but also collaborate with all the musicians in the ensemble; a sense of musical oneness certainly extends to the whole geguntangan group. Kendang players always should be celang, paying cautious attention to the pragina's voice and body movements. Just as Candri selectively picked up the sounds that were meaningful for her, interpreting the music from the pragina's viewpoint, the penabuh also interpret the choreography from their own perspective.
