Articles tagged ‘Arts’
Sriwijaya Festival: Palembang, Sumatra
By Barrie | June 19th, 2008 |
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The principal city of South Sumatra is Palembang and is a large metropolis of nearly two million people. But don’t let that deter you. It is a vibrant old city steeped in culture and tradition. Although it started a few days ago, there is still plenty of time to visit the Sriwijaya Festival held each [...]
Indonesians in Focus: Ki Purbo Asmoro
By Barrie | June 11th, 2008 | Add a Comment »
The warrior Bima circles his enemy. With a resounding bang of the gamelan, the fighter of ancient Javanese folklore spreads his arms and deals a final blow, vanquishing his opponent to death. On the spread of white cloth, the shadow of only one figure remains. The intensity of this shadow puppet, or wayang, scene being [...]
Java Rock Parade: Jakarta , West Java
By Barrie | June 6th, 2008 | Add a Comment »
The Java Jazz Festival has gained its foothold as the biggest musical event in the capital. Now rockers will get the chance to “regain” their glory with the Jakarta Rock Parade, a three-day rock festival that will gather rock stars from different generations. The festival, which, like the Java Jazz, will involve multiple stages, will [...]
Cultural Week: Tolitoli, Central Sulawesi
By Barrie | June 6th, 2008 | Add a Comment »
Tolitoli district in Central Sulawesi province will host a province-wide cultural and tourism week on June 15-21, an official said. “Ten districts and municipalities from throughout Central Sulawesi will take part in the cultural week. As a host, we are in the process of making a performance arena,” Head of the Tolitoli District Culture and [...]
Dina Oktaviani: The Lost Biography
By Barrie | May 30th, 2008 | Add a Comment »
City lights picked me up/and we tried to forget all the things/that had shredded the solitude back in that room//we may never understand/why old calendars/could change history/as easily and quickly as a highway rush
How do you feel after reading the lines above? How would you feel if you were told that the verse, an excerpt [...]
Batik – an Intangible Heritage Wonder
By Barrie | May 26th, 2008 | Add a Comment »
Batik is a popular decorated textile but for Javanese, it means much more — it embodies a philosophy that holds importance from the cradle to the grave. It is still a common practice to wrap newborns in batik cloth, and a piece of batik selendang (scarf) is regularly used to carry the baby around. When [...]
Indonesians in Focus: Didik Nini Thowok
By Barrie | May 23rd, 2008 | Add a Comment »
People usually look down on buskers or roadside performers, assuming they are too lazy to work and are content earning a few pennies on the street. But not Didik Nini Thowok, who believes busking can actually serve as a way to preserve cultural traditions and even attract tourists. Born in Temanggung, Central Java, the 54-year-old [...]
Upcoming Events in Indonesia
By Barrie | May 15th, 2008 | Add a Comment »
Along with the endorsement of 2008 as Visit Indonesia Year, a line-up of programs has been arranged to give visitors a closer encounter with the country’s magnificent culture. Here are some of the highlights to come in the next few months:
Indonesians in Focus: Sofiah Peni Carito
By Barrie | May 15th, 2008 | Add a Comment »
These days, women can take on roles that were once thought to be the domain of men — be it as the country’s president, a political head, a minister or the leader of a musical group. But in the art of shadow puppetry, women still usually only feature only as a pesinden; a singer who [...]
Craftsmen of Bejijong: Trowulan, East Java
By Barrie | May 7th, 2008 | Add a Comment »
Trowulan, located some 12 kilometers south of Mojokerto regency in East Java, has long been known as a historical site. The Hindu and Buddhist-influenced temples that dot the area are evidence of a rich cultural heritage, which also includes ceramic pieces, bronze and silver art and stone carvings. But the few craftsmen still engaged in [...]
