Kanjeng Mas Tumenggung (KMT) Projosuwasono. He started his cultural career as a soldier at the Yogyakarta Palace in 1971. He entered the army at the age of 21, 6 years before becoming a civil servant in Bantul Regency, who retired in 2006. As a soldier at the palace, he later became Abdi Dalem (since 1996) Kawedanan Hageng Punakawan Kridha Mardawa, still makes Projosuwasono continue to serve, not retire. Especially in tembang culture, tembang macapat, from practicing, teaching, to being active in the cultural movement, goes down to remote villages and is involved in various other cultural agendas. Not only teaching at Pamulangan Sekar KHP Kridha Mardawa, but teaching and mentoring for all people in various places and opportunities.
If the current conditions of life for the practice of macapat, a type of popular Javanese metrum song for communicating feelings, thoughts, ideas, history, and teachings, are looked at in society, the reality is clear: it is still alive and developing. In a way, the growth and proliferation of macapat associations in villages seems to be a cultural movement. Not only wanting to restore the romanticism of tembang in everyday life, but it is very possible to depart from the awareness that macapat is one of the riches of speech culture developed from the treasures of Javanese kapujanggan written culture. A speech culture covered in rhythm and tone, is expressed through a distinctive song in the metrum lagon and tetembang. That singing is an important part of the marker of human preferences which continues to be expressed by its supporters, is an undeniable social reality. The Javanese, among their characteristics and attitudes: like to sing songs in various patterns, such as ura-ura, rengeng-rengeng or even singing loudly under the pratonic power of the ageng songs, the alit songs, and the middle songs which contain the macapat metrum.
In the past, when carrying out the obligations of daily life, working in the fields, in the yard, or on the porch of the house, many Javanese people did this with chanting, although maybe it was just a whim. From the fields, many crane workers, field ploughmen, or other harvesters work while working on their feet, singing as best they can. Of course not all of them are in the form of macapat songs, even though this type of song is very popular. In fact, a number of lyrics in the fiber works of earlier poets are memorized by many among the people because of the services of macapat metrum and the habit of singing it. Recently, there have been many macapat associations growing up to remote villages which routinely hold rehearsals and all of them (simple performances) have never been able to perform. apart from the services of struggle and sacrifice, KMT Projosuwasono, who was light-hearted and gentle, went down to the grassroots. An actor who preserves macapat and at the same time promotes the traditional culture of singing in society. KMT Projosuwasono is classified as a cultural actor who completely treats macapat in the community's cultural ecosystem. Inviting back macapat culture as a tradition inherent in life.
There are many macapat maestros. But those who do: (1) consistently perform songs or sing songs as a living tradition, (2) compose and create song links to be expressed for various purposes, (3) compose notation guides, audio recordings and video recordings of songs, (4) teach and training in tembang, (5) guiding macapat associations or associations from various backgrounds and locations, (6) being involved in the design and implementation of tembang cultural events/agendas in various locations and forums, (7) reading and interpreting literary sources and ancient manuscripts, as well as oral sources in the community for the purposes of macapat songs, (8) being judges or assessors of macapat competitions, and (9) acting as resource persons in macapat studies and dissemination only a few people. One of the few was KMT Projosuwasono.
What KMT Projosuwasono did was more than his main duties and functions as a courtier of KHP Kridha Mardawa Kraton Yogyakarta, including being a teacher (pamucal) at Pamulangan Sekar, on Jalan Rotowijayan 3 Yogyakarta from 1991 until now. KMT Projosuwasono went down to the villages to meet with many people from among the people, cultural actors, officials and members of the Macapat arts. He got involved in social interaction for the need to fight for the existence of macapat as a cultural heritage that deserves to become a tradition of people's habits. KMT Projosuwasono, a person who seems to tirelessly share macapat knowledge and practices with anyone, of various ages and socio-cultural and educational backgrounds. In fact, he also broadcasts through macapat scouting through radio broadcasts on RRI Yogyakarta regularly once a week since 2004 and on a private radio since 2005.
KMT Projosuwasono is still not tired, because he also guides and is active in the Macapat Association in Sleman Regency (since 2002), Yogyakarta City (2004), and Bantul Regency (2005). In fact, he is a macapat activist at Pendapa Agung Ambarukmo from 1991. A macapat activist at Dalem Yudaningratan since 1995. All of them until now. Not to forget, he also fostered macapat activities in the village where he lives, Panggungharjo Village. In addition, KMT Projosuwasono provided training to villages according to invitations and requests. There were a number of big macapat agendas, even mass macapats in Sleman, Bantul!, DIY and Jakarta, KMT Projosuwasono played a role. He didn't even mind when he was asked to be involved in the transformation of macapat into performing arts.
In addition to guiding and inviting people to practice singing, KMT Projosuwasono also wrote lyrics or pupuh-pupuh macapat to be distributed and used by anyone. There was even an institution that compiled notation books and guidelines attached with audio and video recordings of macapat provided for the public and beginners. Besides often socializing books written by poets in the past in the events of his chanting, KMT Projosuwasono also wrote macapat on various topics. From song lyrics in the form of an anniversary story of a region, lyrics related to life cycle ceremonies, traditional ceremonies and traditions, song lyrics based on interpretations of the holy book, prayers in the lyrics of macapat songs, or macapat which describe major events such as the 2006 earthquake, natural disasters lava and hot clouds of Merapi, prayers for mBah Marijan, other major traditional events.
KMT Projosuwasono was born in Bantul on June 4, 1950. His last education was Junior High School Teacher Education (PGSLP). This father of 3 lives in Krapyak Kulon RT 12, Panggungharjo Village, Kapanewon Sewon, Bantul Regency. Time of his life was spent in service as courtiers and masters of the art of macapat. Javanese song art that excites cultural activities down to the grassroots. ***