Sunday, January 15, 2012

Traditional Maluku dances to enliven Kuta carnival

Twotraditional Maluku dances are to be performed by the Bali-Maluku FamilyAssociation (Ikemabal) to enliven the Kuta Carnival in Bali on September 26,2009.

"The `lenso` and `gaba-gaba` dances are to be performed in the carnival,an annual parade of Indonesian arts and culture that usually draws manytourists," said Ikemabal chairman Samuel Uruilal here Sunday.

He said the event which will be held for the seventh time will be used byMaluku people staying in Bali to promote their exotic traditional arts andculture.

"Ikemabal has a moral responsibility to promote Maluku`s art and cultureto be known worldwide and not to be claimed by other countries like the"Sayange" song recently," said Samuel.

The lenso dance in combination with the "sawat" dance is usuallyperformed by Muslims in Maluku on religious holidays.

"We want to show a dance that reflects the communal harmony in ourpeople`s life nurtured based on our cultural value of `Pela-Gandong` so it willnot perish under the influence of globalisation," Samuel said.

Pela-Gandong is a traditional wisdom of the Maluku people underlining that allmen are related to each other and therefore they should always live in peace.If a group of people is building a house of worship, people belonging toanother group must help and support it.

He said that the world should know the Pela Gandong cultural value is stillvery much alive in Maluku and being practiced with greater fervour since theend of the communal conflict several years ago.

"The Kuta carnival is a strategic opportunity, because Bali is a worldtourism center.
Showing Maluku culture at the event will help put Maluku on the world tourismmap," he said.

The Ikemabal art team at the Kuta carnival was also ready to wear traditionalclothes, "Cele" (for men) and "Kebaya" (for women).

"A number of Maluku `Jujuro` (men) and `Mungare` (women) in Bali have beenrecruited and trained to make the traditional clothing," he said.

Meanwhile, Maluku Tourism and Culture Office chief Florence Sahusilawanecommended Ikemabal`s intention to help promote Maluku`s traditional arts andculture.

"Promoting Maluku`s art and culture is not only the government`sresponsibility, Ikemabal`s breakthrough is positively appreciated as a form ofmoral responsibility to conserve the heritage," she said.

Florence added that Maluku is to come into the international spotlight in the comingyears by at least three upcoming international events, namely a "WorldPeace Day" function in Ambon in November 2009, the `Sail Banda` event andthe 2010 International Peace Olympiad.

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