Pendet is a traditional Balinese dance, in which an offering in theform of a ritual dance. As a religious dance, Pendet is usually performed during temple ceremonies.
Pendet is typically performed by young girls, carry in their right hand a small offering of incense, cakes, water vessels, or flower formations set in palm leaf with these they dance from shrine to shrine within the temple. Pendet, thus, may be performed as a serial and continue intermittently throughoin, the day and late into the night during temple feasts.
The original Pendet dance is performed by 4-5 young girls in temple yards. Pendet dancers bring flower in small bokor, they spread the flowers around the temple. This dance is a symbol of welcoming God in some ritual ceremonies in Bali. Pendet actually has simple dance movements. These movements are the basic dance movements of Balinese dance. Pendet has undergone later development with variations and now is not only performed in ritual ceremonies but also in some social events. Pendet since has been known as a welcoming dance.
Showing posts with label Indonesian Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indonesian Culture. Show all posts
Balinese
The Balinese population of 3 million (1.5% of Indonesia's population) live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 89% of the island's population. There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok, and in the eastern-most regions of Java (eg. the Municipality of Banyuwangi).
The origins of the Balinese came from three periods: The first waves of immigrants came from Java and Kalimantan in the prehistoric times of the proto-Malay stock; the second wave of Balinese came slowly over the years from Java during the Hindu period; the third and final period came from Java, between the 15th and 16th centuries, at the time of the conversion of Islam in Java, aristocrats fled to Bali from the Javanese Majapahit Empire to escape Islamic conversion, reshaping the Balinese culture into a syncretic form of classical Javanese culture with many Balinese elements. The Balinese people generally got a large proportion of their ancestry from there.
Balinese culture is perhaps most known for dance, drama and sculpture. The culture is noted for its use of the gamelan in music. The island is also known for its form of wayang kulit or shadow puppet theater. It also has several unique aspects related to their religions and traditions. Balinese culture is a mix of Balinese Hindu religion and Balinese custom.
The origins of the Balinese came from three periods: The first waves of immigrants came from Java and Kalimantan in the prehistoric times of the proto-Malay stock; the second wave of Balinese came slowly over the years from Java during the Hindu period; the third and final period came from Java, between the 15th and 16th centuries, at the time of the conversion of Islam in Java, aristocrats fled to Bali from the Javanese Majapahit Empire to escape Islamic conversion, reshaping the Balinese culture into a syncretic form of classical Javanese culture with many Balinese elements. The Balinese people generally got a large proportion of their ancestry from there.
Balinese culture is perhaps most known for dance, drama and sculpture. The culture is noted for its use of the gamelan in music. The island is also known for its form of wayang kulit or shadow puppet theater. It also has several unique aspects related to their religions and traditions. Balinese culture is a mix of Balinese Hindu religion and Balinese custom.
Ngaben
Ngaben, or Cremation Ceremony, is the ritual performed in Bali to send the deceased to the next life. The body of the deceased will be placed as if sleeping, and the family will continue to treat the deceases as sleeping. No tears are shed, because the deceased is only temporarily not present and will reincarnate or find his final rest in Moksha (freeing from the reincarnation and death cycle).
The proper day of the ceremony is always a matter of consulting a specialist on ceremony days. On the day of the ceremony, the body of the deceased is placed inside a coffin. This coffin is placed inside a sarcophagus resembling a buffalo (Lembu) or in a temple structure (Wadah) made of paper and wood. The buffalo or temple structure will be carried to the cremation site in a procession. The procession is not walking in a straight line. This is to confuse bad spirits and keep them away from the deceased.
The climax of Ngaben is the burning of the whole structure, together with the body of the deceased. The fire is necessary to free the spirit from the body and enable reincarnation.
Ngaben is not always immediately performed. For higher caste members it is normal to perform the ritual within 3 days. For lower caste members the deceased are buried first and later, often in a group ceremony for the whole village, cremated.
The proper day of the ceremony is always a matter of consulting a specialist on ceremony days. On the day of the ceremony, the body of the deceased is placed inside a coffin. This coffin is placed inside a sarcophagus resembling a buffalo (Lembu) or in a temple structure (Wadah) made of paper and wood. The buffalo or temple structure will be carried to the cremation site in a procession. The procession is not walking in a straight line. This is to confuse bad spirits and keep them away from the deceased.
The climax of Ngaben is the burning of the whole structure, together with the body of the deceased. The fire is necessary to free the spirit from the body and enable reincarnation.
Ngaben is not always immediately performed. For higher caste members it is normal to perform the ritual within 3 days. For lower caste members the deceased are buried first and later, often in a group ceremony for the whole village, cremated.
Kecak Dance
Kecak a form of Balinese music drama, originated in the 1930s and is performed primarily by men. Also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant, the piece, performed by a circle of 100 or more performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and throwing up their arms. Taken from the Hindu epic Ramayana, the dance tells the story of Prince Rama and his rescue of Princess Sinta, who has been kidnapped by the evil King of Lanka, "Ravana".
Tenggerese
The Tenggerese are the descendants of the Majapahit princes. Their population of roughly 600.000 is centered in thirty villages in the isolated Tengger mountains (Mount Bromo) within the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru national park in East-Central Java. They are traditionally believed to be the descendants of Roro Anteng and Joko Seger.
The Tenggerese generally profess Hinduism as their religion, although they have incorporated many Buddhist and Animist elements.
Their priest are called Dukun or Resi Pujjangga, who play a middle role in their religious worship. They are believed to possess spiritual knowledge called Ilmu of the gods and the spirits, which they carefully guard from ordinary Tenggers. Membership of the priesthood is hereditary and generally passes down from father to son. Each village has only one of these three priest, together with three assistants, namely Legen, Sepuh, and Dandan.
Both Muslim and Christian missionaries have attempted to convert the Tenggere. However, the Christians have met with hardly any success; they only managed to convert a few hundred to Christianity. Even so, due to the negligible number of them, most of them either reverted back to Hinduism or converted to Islam. The Tenggere Muslim have a more successful conversion, though they frequently mix original Hindu-Buddhist ideas and spirits to their Islam and celebrate Tenggerese festivals at the same time.
Festivals
The main festival of the Tenggerese is the Yadnya Kasada, which lasts about a month. On the fourteenth day of the Kasada, the Tenggerese go to Poten Bromo and ask for blessing from the main deity Hyang Widi Wasa and the God of the Mountain by presenting annual offerings of rice, fruit, vegetables, flowers, livestock and other local produce. They will also see the examination of the medicine men memorizing prayers. The medicine man who passes the exam is decided to be spiritual leader of Tengger tribe.
The Tenggerese generally profess Hinduism as their religion, although they have incorporated many Buddhist and Animist elements.
Their priest are called Dukun or Resi Pujjangga, who play a middle role in their religious worship. They are believed to possess spiritual knowledge called Ilmu of the gods and the spirits, which they carefully guard from ordinary Tenggers. Membership of the priesthood is hereditary and generally passes down from father to son. Each village has only one of these three priest, together with three assistants, namely Legen, Sepuh, and Dandan.
Both Muslim and Christian missionaries have attempted to convert the Tenggere. However, the Christians have met with hardly any success; they only managed to convert a few hundred to Christianity. Even so, due to the negligible number of them, most of them either reverted back to Hinduism or converted to Islam. The Tenggere Muslim have a more successful conversion, though they frequently mix original Hindu-Buddhist ideas and spirits to their Islam and celebrate Tenggerese festivals at the same time.
Festivals
The main festival of the Tenggerese is the Yadnya Kasada, which lasts about a month. On the fourteenth day of the Kasada, the Tenggerese go to Poten Bromo and ask for blessing from the main deity Hyang Widi Wasa and the God of the Mountain by presenting annual offerings of rice, fruit, vegetables, flowers, livestock and other local produce. They will also see the examination of the medicine men memorizing prayers. The medicine man who passes the exam is decided to be spiritual leader of Tengger tribe.
Baduy People and Their Forbidden Territory
The Baduy, who call themselves Kanekes, are a traditional community living in the western part of the Indonesian province of Banten. Their population of between 5,000 and 8,000 is centered in the Kendeng mountains. Their homeland in Banten, Java is contained in just 5000 ha of hilly forest area 120 km from Jakarta.
The Baduy are divided into two sub group; the Baduy Dalam (Inner Baduy) and the Baduy Luar (Outer Baduy). No foreigners were allowed to meet the Inner Baduy, though the Outer Baduy do foster some limited contacs with the outside world. The community of villages in which they live are considered mandalas, derived from the Hindu/Buddhist concept but referring in the Indonesian context to places where religion is the central aspect of life.
The Baduy observe many mytical taboos. They are forbidden to kill, steal, lie, commit adultery, get drunk, eat food at night, take any form of conveyance, wear flowers or perfumes, accept gold or silver, touch money, or cut their hair. Other taboos relate to defending Baduy lands against invasion: they may not grow sawah (wet rice), use fertilizers, raise cash crops, use modern tools for working ladang soil, or keep large domestic animals.
There is evidence that they were originally Hindu, and adopted this many centuries before foreign influence including Arab (Islam), European (Christianity), etc.
The population of about 400 Baduy Dalam consists of 40 families Kajeroan who live in the three villages of Cibeo, Cikertawana, and Cikeusik in Tanah Larangan (forbidden territory) where no stranger is permitted to spend the night. They are probably the purest Baduy stock. The Dalam follow the rigid buyut taboo system very strictly and thus they have made very few contacts with the outside world as they are considered as "People of the sacred inner circle". The Dalam are the only one of these two major clans that have the Pu'un, the spiritual priest of the Baduy. The Pu'un are the only people that visit the most hallowed and sacred ground of the Baduy which lies on Gunung Kendeng, in a place called Area Domas. Unlike the Luar, the Dalams are hardly influenced by Islam.
The Baduy Luar make up the remainder of the Baduy population, living in 22 villages and acting as a barrier to stop visitors from entering the Sacred Inner circle. They do follow the rigid taboo system but not as strictly as the Dalam, and they are more willing to accept modern influence into their daily lives.
The Baduy are divided into two sub group; the Baduy Dalam (Inner Baduy) and the Baduy Luar (Outer Baduy). No foreigners were allowed to meet the Inner Baduy, though the Outer Baduy do foster some limited contacs with the outside world. The community of villages in which they live are considered mandalas, derived from the Hindu/Buddhist concept but referring in the Indonesian context to places where religion is the central aspect of life.
The Baduy observe many mytical taboos. They are forbidden to kill, steal, lie, commit adultery, get drunk, eat food at night, take any form of conveyance, wear flowers or perfumes, accept gold or silver, touch money, or cut their hair. Other taboos relate to defending Baduy lands against invasion: they may not grow sawah (wet rice), use fertilizers, raise cash crops, use modern tools for working ladang soil, or keep large domestic animals.
There is evidence that they were originally Hindu, and adopted this many centuries before foreign influence including Arab (Islam), European (Christianity), etc.
The population of about 400 Baduy Dalam consists of 40 families Kajeroan who live in the three villages of Cibeo, Cikertawana, and Cikeusik in Tanah Larangan (forbidden territory) where no stranger is permitted to spend the night. They are probably the purest Baduy stock. The Dalam follow the rigid buyut taboo system very strictly and thus they have made very few contacts with the outside world as they are considered as "People of the sacred inner circle". The Dalam are the only one of these two major clans that have the Pu'un, the spiritual priest of the Baduy. The Pu'un are the only people that visit the most hallowed and sacred ground of the Baduy which lies on Gunung Kendeng, in a place called Area Domas. Unlike the Luar, the Dalams are hardly influenced by Islam.
The Baduy Luar make up the remainder of the Baduy population, living in 22 villages and acting as a barrier to stop visitors from entering the Sacred Inner circle. They do follow the rigid taboo system but not as strictly as the Dalam, and they are more willing to accept modern influence into their daily lives.
Dayak People
The Dayak or Dyak are indigenous to Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroup, located principally in the interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, although common distinguishing traits are readily identifiable. Dayak languages are categorised as part of the Austronesian languages in Asia. The Dayak were animist in belief; however many converted to Christianity, and some to Islam more recently. Estimates for the Dayak population range from 2 to 4 million.
History
The consensus interpretation in modern anthropology is that nearly all indigenous peoples of South East Asia, including the Dayaks, are descendants of a larger Austronesian migration from Asia, thought to have settled in the South East Asian Archipelago some 3,000 years ago. The first population spoke closely-related Austronesian language, from which Dayak language are traced. About 2,450 years ago, metallurgy was introduced; it later became widespread.
The Dayak people of Borneo posses an indigenous account of their history, partly in writing and partly in common cultural customary practices. In addition, colonial accounts and reports of Dayak activity in Borneo detail carefully-cultivated economic and political relationships with other communities as well as an ample body of research and study considering historical Dayak migrations. In particular, the Iban or the Sea Dayak exploits in the South China Seas are documented, owing to their ferocity and aggressive culture of war against sea dwelling groups and emerging Western trade interests in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Coastal population in Borneo are largely Muslim in belief, however these groups (Ilanun, Melanau, Kadayan, Bakumpai, Bisayah) are generally considered to be Islamized Dayaks, native to Borneo, and heavily influenced by the Javanese Majapahit Kingdoms and Islamic Malay Sultanates.
History
The consensus interpretation in modern anthropology is that nearly all indigenous peoples of South East Asia, including the Dayaks, are descendants of a larger Austronesian migration from Asia, thought to have settled in the South East Asian Archipelago some 3,000 years ago. The first population spoke closely-related Austronesian language, from which Dayak language are traced. About 2,450 years ago, metallurgy was introduced; it later became widespread.
The Dayak people of Borneo posses an indigenous account of their history, partly in writing and partly in common cultural customary practices. In addition, colonial accounts and reports of Dayak activity in Borneo detail carefully-cultivated economic and political relationships with other communities as well as an ample body of research and study considering historical Dayak migrations. In particular, the Iban or the Sea Dayak exploits in the South China Seas are documented, owing to their ferocity and aggressive culture of war against sea dwelling groups and emerging Western trade interests in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Coastal population in Borneo are largely Muslim in belief, however these groups (Ilanun, Melanau, Kadayan, Bakumpai, Bisayah) are generally considered to be Islamized Dayaks, native to Borneo, and heavily influenced by the Javanese Majapahit Kingdoms and Islamic Malay Sultanates.
6 Things About Dayaks
1. The Dayak people represent a group of Proto-Malayans inhabiting the inner part of Borneo. They are related with the Batak of Northern Sumatra, Toraja of South Sulawesi, and various tribes Timor, Celebes, Sumatra and Moluccas. During their history, the Dayaks experienced many external influences, especially of Hinduism, a religion that many ethic groups of Borneo converted to. Still, Dayaks are highly conservative, and each village is organized in clans composed of various families that admit the authority of a sole chief; this structure allows a tight collaboration in field labor and other collective works. During the harvesting period, festivities accompanied by dances are kept.
2. Dayaks usually make their villages on the banks of the rivers and lakes. They make branch huts. The large houses are destined to host a whole clan. Sometimes, these houses can be 200 m (660 ft) long. The whole clan works to make these houses built from trunks, bamboo, branches and leaves. Their interior is divided in compartments destined for the life in common of the men, workshop for crafts and shelters for each family.
3. Dayaks worship a superhuman power, called semangat, that rules the lives of humans, animals and plants. This invisible life force dwells many places: all the human body parts, cut hair, shadows, names, the water in which a human or animal bathed, traces imprinted in the mud.... Semangat can enter any body, and it is somehow like a soul that can be destroyed by other more powerful souls. The soul of any man is inherited from a forebear, that's why the cult for the forebears is crucial. Wooden earvings are supposed to host the souls of the dead. All the souls submit to divine powers: the sky, whose image is the hornbill bird, and the land with water, symbolized by the infernal snake.
4. Like all Proto-Malayans, Dayak are a mix between Mongoloid and Asian Blacks, with the predominant genetic background being Mongoloid. Dayaks, both men and women, are famous for their heavy metal rings worn as earrings, that deform their ear lobes.
5. Men are assigned to four classes: children, teenagers, young men and old men. Each class has specific tasks. Young men are before all warriors that have to defend the village against neighboring tribes. When defeating the enemy, Dayaks beheaded them and preserved their heads as trophies in the communal houses. That's why they inspired dread amongst other people, being famous as "head-hunters".
6. Dayaks use machetes during their journeys through the jungle. They use blowpipes and envenomed darts for hunting small game and birds. Only Proto-Malayan, and some tribes of Amazonia are known to use this weapon.
Dayaks collect rubber from the rubber fig tree (Ficus elastica). They exchanged rubber on the coastal areas for tools, farm equipment, seeds and western products.
Dayak fishermen used canoes made of wood boards, joined by resins or rubber for a total impermeability. These people used reds, fishing baskets or wood barrels with a funnel-shaped orifice.
2. Dayaks usually make their villages on the banks of the rivers and lakes. They make branch huts. The large houses are destined to host a whole clan. Sometimes, these houses can be 200 m (660 ft) long. The whole clan works to make these houses built from trunks, bamboo, branches and leaves. Their interior is divided in compartments destined for the life in common of the men, workshop for crafts and shelters for each family.
3. Dayaks worship a superhuman power, called semangat, that rules the lives of humans, animals and plants. This invisible life force dwells many places: all the human body parts, cut hair, shadows, names, the water in which a human or animal bathed, traces imprinted in the mud.... Semangat can enter any body, and it is somehow like a soul that can be destroyed by other more powerful souls. The soul of any man is inherited from a forebear, that's why the cult for the forebears is crucial. Wooden earvings are supposed to host the souls of the dead. All the souls submit to divine powers: the sky, whose image is the hornbill bird, and the land with water, symbolized by the infernal snake.
4. Like all Proto-Malayans, Dayak are a mix between Mongoloid and Asian Blacks, with the predominant genetic background being Mongoloid. Dayaks, both men and women, are famous for their heavy metal rings worn as earrings, that deform their ear lobes.
5. Men are assigned to four classes: children, teenagers, young men and old men. Each class has specific tasks. Young men are before all warriors that have to defend the village against neighboring tribes. When defeating the enemy, Dayaks beheaded them and preserved their heads as trophies in the communal houses. That's why they inspired dread amongst other people, being famous as "head-hunters".
6. Dayaks use machetes during their journeys through the jungle. They use blowpipes and envenomed darts for hunting small game and birds. Only Proto-Malayan, and some tribes of Amazonia are known to use this weapon.
Dayaks collect rubber from the rubber fig tree (Ficus elastica). They exchanged rubber on the coastal areas for tools, farm equipment, seeds and western products.
Dayak fishermen used canoes made of wood boards, joined by resins or rubber for a total impermeability. These people used reds, fishing baskets or wood barrels with a funnel-shaped orifice.
Wayang Kulit
Wayang kulit, shadow puppets prevalent in Java and Bali in Indonesia, are without a doubt the best known of the Indonesian wayang. Kulit means skin, and refers to the lether construction of the puppets that are carefully chiseled with very fine tools and supported with carefully shaped buffalo horn handles and control rods.
The stories are usually drawn from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata or the Serat Menak. The island of Lombok has developed its own-style of Serat Menak called "kazangiloonga".
There is a family of characters in Javanese wayang called Punakawan; they are sometimes referred to as "clown-servants" because they normally are associated with the story's hero, and provide humorous and philosophical interludes. Semar is the father of Gareng (oldest son), Petruk and Bagong (youngsent son). These characters did not originate in the Hindu epics, but were added later, possibly to introduce mystical aspects of Islam into the Hindu-Javanese stories. They provide something akin to a political cabaret, dealing with gossip and contemporary affairs.
The stories are usually drawn from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata or the Serat Menak. The island of Lombok has developed its own-style of Serat Menak called "kazangiloonga".
There is a family of characters in Javanese wayang called Punakawan; they are sometimes referred to as "clown-servants" because they normally are associated with the story's hero, and provide humorous and philosophical interludes. Semar is the father of Gareng (oldest son), Petruk and Bagong (youngsent son). These characters did not originate in the Hindu epics, but were added later, possibly to introduce mystical aspects of Islam into the Hindu-Javanese stories. They provide something akin to a political cabaret, dealing with gossip and contemporary affairs.
Banjar People
Banjar or Banjarnese is the name of an interior and coastal native ethnic group which settled in the Banjar region and in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, the fourth biggest city on the island of Borneo.
Sub-ethnicities
The division of Banjar People into 3 ethnicities is based on the location of the fusions between Malay, local Dayaks (Dayak Bukit, Dayak Maanyan, Dayak Lawangan, Dayak Ngaju, Dayak Barangas, Bakumpai), and Javanese.
1. Banjar Pahuluan, who lives in the valleys by the upriver of Meratus mountain ranges. They live on agriculture.
2. Banjar Batang Banyu, who lives in the valleys by the river of Negara. They take pride of their position as the people of the ancient capital. They are also prominent merchants.
3. Banjar Kuala, who lives in Banjarmasin and Martapura. These people are the people of the new capital.
Relation with Dayaks
The relationship betwee Banjar people and the neighboring Dayaks are always in good term. As some of the Dayaks who converted to Islam fuse themselves into the Banjar culture and call themselves Banjar. The surrounding Dayaks think of the Banjars as their brothers and sisters. This is further strengthened by the fact there are many inter-marriages between the Banjars and the Dayaks, even in the level of royalty. For example: Biang Lawai, a wife of a Banjar King was of Dayak Ngaju ethnicity. This means that the Banjarnese Kings and Queens have Dayaks lineage in their blood.
Sub-ethnicities
The division of Banjar People into 3 ethnicities is based on the location of the fusions between Malay, local Dayaks (Dayak Bukit, Dayak Maanyan, Dayak Lawangan, Dayak Ngaju, Dayak Barangas, Bakumpai), and Javanese.
1. Banjar Pahuluan, who lives in the valleys by the upriver of Meratus mountain ranges. They live on agriculture.
2. Banjar Batang Banyu, who lives in the valleys by the river of Negara. They take pride of their position as the people of the ancient capital. They are also prominent merchants.
3. Banjar Kuala, who lives in Banjarmasin and Martapura. These people are the people of the new capital.
Relation with Dayaks
The relationship betwee Banjar people and the neighboring Dayaks are always in good term. As some of the Dayaks who converted to Islam fuse themselves into the Banjar culture and call themselves Banjar. The surrounding Dayaks think of the Banjars as their brothers and sisters. This is further strengthened by the fact there are many inter-marriages between the Banjars and the Dayaks, even in the level of royalty. For example: Biang Lawai, a wife of a Banjar King was of Dayak Ngaju ethnicity. This means that the Banjarnese Kings and Queens have Dayaks lineage in their blood.
Music of Indonesia
Indonesia is culturally diverse and every one of the 17,508 islands has its own cultural and artistic history and character. This results hundreds of different forms of music, which often accompanies dance and theater. The musics of Java, Sumatra, Bali, Flores and other islands have been documented and recorded, and research by Indonesia and International scholar is ongoing.
Gamelan
The most popular and famous form of Indonesian music is gamelan, an ensemble of tuned percussion instruments that include metallophone drums, gongs and spike fiddles along with bamboo flutes. Similar ensembles are prevalent throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, but gamelan is from Java, Bali and Lombok. There are rivalries between different regions' variation of gamelan, espicially Java and Bali.
Central Java
Gamelan is intricate and meticulously laid out. The central melody is played on a metallophone in the center of the orchestra, while the front elaboration and ornamentation on the melody, and at the back, the gongs slowly punctuate the music. There are two tuning system. Each gamelan is tuned to itself, and the intervals between notes on the scale vary between ensembles.
The metallophones cover four octaves and include types like the slenthem, demung, saron panerus and balungan. The soul of the gamelan is believed to beside in the large gong or gong ageng. Other gongs are tuned to each note of the scale and include ketuk, kenong and kempul. The front section of the orchestra is diverse and includes rebab, suling, siter, bonang and gambang. Male choruses (gerong) and female (pesindhen) solo vocalists are common.
West Java
West Java, or Sunda, has a diverse brand of gamelan. Gamelan degung, gamelan salendro and tembang sunda are three primary types.
Gamelan
The most popular and famous form of Indonesian music is gamelan, an ensemble of tuned percussion instruments that include metallophone drums, gongs and spike fiddles along with bamboo flutes. Similar ensembles are prevalent throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, but gamelan is from Java, Bali and Lombok. There are rivalries between different regions' variation of gamelan, espicially Java and Bali.
Central Java
Gamelan is intricate and meticulously laid out. The central melody is played on a metallophone in the center of the orchestra, while the front elaboration and ornamentation on the melody, and at the back, the gongs slowly punctuate the music. There are two tuning system. Each gamelan is tuned to itself, and the intervals between notes on the scale vary between ensembles.
The metallophones cover four octaves and include types like the slenthem, demung, saron panerus and balungan. The soul of the gamelan is believed to beside in the large gong or gong ageng. Other gongs are tuned to each note of the scale and include ketuk, kenong and kempul. The front section of the orchestra is diverse and includes rebab, suling, siter, bonang and gambang. Male choruses (gerong) and female (pesindhen) solo vocalists are common.
West Java
West Java, or Sunda, has a diverse brand of gamelan. Gamelan degung, gamelan salendro and tembang sunda are three primary types.
Silat
Silat is a collective word for a family of martial arts created by the Malay people from Southeast Asia. Originally developed what in now Indonesia, peninsular Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Singapore. Silat was also traditionally of Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Practitioners are called pesilat.
The movements of silat are often performed as a dance during festival such as weddings. These performances can be done either solo or with a partner and are often accompanied by music, notably the gong, kendang (drum) and suling (flute). As a result several traditional dances were influenced by silat, such as inai. In the Minangkabau area silat is one of the main components in the men's folk dance called randai, besides bakaba (storytelling) and saluang jo dendang (song-and-flute).
The movements of silat are often performed as a dance during festival such as weddings. These performances can be done either solo or with a partner and are often accompanied by music, notably the gong, kendang (drum) and suling (flute). As a result several traditional dances were influenced by silat, such as inai. In the Minangkabau area silat is one of the main components in the men's folk dance called randai, besides bakaba (storytelling) and saluang jo dendang (song-and-flute).
Culture: Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi - Land of The Heavenly Kings
The road from Makassar or Ujung Pandang to Toraja runs along the coast for about 130 km's and then hits the mountains at a distance after passing the market village of Mebali. They form a sharp contrast with the lovely green of the fertile, rain fed terraces and the rusty read of the tropical laterite soil. This is Tana Toraja, one of the most splendid areas in Indonesia.
Tana Toraja has a specific and unique funeral ceremony which is called Rambu Solo. In Tana Toraja, dead body is not buried, but it is put in Tongkonan for several time, even can be more than ten years until the family have enough money to held the ceremony. After ceremony, the dead body is brought to the cave or to the wall of the mountain. The skulls show us that the dead body is not buried but just put on stone or ground, or put in the hole The funeral festival season begins when the last nice has been harvested usually in late June or July and lasts through to September.
Source: www.My-Indonesia.info
Tana Toraja has a specific and unique funeral ceremony which is called Rambu Solo. In Tana Toraja, dead body is not buried, but it is put in Tongkonan for several time, even can be more than ten years until the family have enough money to held the ceremony. After ceremony, the dead body is brought to the cave or to the wall of the mountain. The skulls show us that the dead body is not buried but just put on stone or ground, or put in the hole The funeral festival season begins when the last nice has been harvested usually in late June or July and lasts through to September.
Source: www.My-Indonesia.info
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