Cultural diplomacy makes a bid in Bangkok

Cultural diplomacy makes a bid in Bangkok

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok

We, Indonesians, may have taken for granted the fact that we have very diverse cultural backgrounds, nonetheless "outsiders" tend to consider us as a single, monolithic cultural group.

There is perhaps nothing better to demonstrate Indonesia's cultural diversity than to stage a cultural show. And that's exactly what the Indonesian Embassy here in Bangkok did to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Indonesian independence.

The embassy staged an episode of the Ramayana epic as part of a cultural show last week on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20, featuring the Padepokan Seni Bagong Kussudiardja troupe.

The first show took place at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University, Thailand's first university. Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon attended the first show along with the university's president Khunying Suchada Kiranandana.

The second show was held at Srinakharinwirot University.

The show opened with the Smiling Indonesia dance, a medley of several Indonesian dances performed by 10 dancers. It starts with Malay steps, then moves on to the Acehnese Saman dance with its complicated linear configuration.

It then moved to the island of Java with movements and compositions from Betawi, Javanese and Balinese dances. Dayak and Makassar cultures then followed with the Angin Mamiri song, and then a tribal dance from Papua. At the end of the first composition was a Sundanese dance using the music Manuk Dadali.

Unfortunately, the 10 dancers all came in together and wore eclectic uniforms combining all kinds of traditional costumes making it difficult to know who came from where.

I wished the dancers had rather came out in pairs for each dance and wore different costumes to make our diversity mire apparent.

But a friend, Aditya, said that perhaps it would have been more expensive to match each costume with each dance and more crowded visually. Maybe he's got a point.

Another example of Indonesian diversity was in the second number when the traditional musicians, led by Djaduk Ferianto, performed a medley of Indonesian compositions.

With Djaduk on board, one might expect that it would not be classical traditional compositions but rather something contemporary instead.

A traditional ensemble does not usually have keyboards, violins, Western cymbals and chimes as part of its lineup.

"Well, that's Djaduk's signature style with Kua Etnika group. Besides, we also want to give a different flavor of Indonesian traditional musical compositions," troupe leader Butet Kartaredjasa told The Jakarta Post.

The group did a great job delivering those compositions, whether you are a purist or a contemporary.

The next numbers, Klana Topeng and Wira Pertiwi, were classical Javanese dances in the Yogyakarta style.

Klana Topeng mask dance symbolized Prabu Klana Surawasesa of the Bantar Angin kingdom who was fell in love with Dewi Sekartaji of the Jenggala kingdom in Kediri, East Java.

Meanwhile, the Wira Pertiwi told the story of Bhayangkari female soldiers in the ancient Majapahit Kingdom exercising their sharp-shooting skills with bows and arrows.

The second musical composition had rich humorous nuances led by Djaduk at his kendang (a small drum covered with leather at each end) while other musicians played rebana (a tambourine-like instrument) trying to follow Djaduk's beat.

As the act became funnier, suddenly they were surrounded by a number of mask-wearing dancers -- albeit flashing machetes -- ready for the next number, Reyog.

No, it was not that colossal Reog Ponorogo performance where a dancer wears a tiger mask decorated with a peacock feather fan as heavy as 50 kilograms.

"It's not the Reog Ponorogo show although the dance number was inspired by the Reog performance," said Butet grinning.

"Here we want to describe villagers' happiness during harvest time."

The third musical composition included a catchy tune for the Thais as they played Tom Yam Kung, a composition written by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindorn.

It prepared the audience for the grand finale, the Ramayana Ballet. In Thailand this Indian epic is known as Ramakien.

The ballet was created in 1961 and is typically divided into four acts: Hilangnya Dewi Shinta (The Abduction of Shinta), Anoman Sang Duta (Anoman the Envoy), Gugurnya Sang Patriot (The Death of a Patriot) and Api Suci Dewi Shinta (Holy Fire of Dewi Shinta).

This time the group focused on the second act -- also called Anoman Obong (Anoman on Fire) -- although of course it started from the beginning when Ramawijaya and Dewi Sinta went hunting and were lured by a kijang (deer).

It also showed the fight between Rahwana of Alengkadiraja -- who abducted Dewi Sinta -- with Jatayu, a mythical Garuda bird who tried to save Sinta.

"The fight is so realistic compared to the Thai style. We only use symbolism. But I enjoyed it," said Kavi Chongkittavorn, The Nation's assistant group editor who watched the show at Srinakharinwirot University.

"Another difference was the dancers lifted their feet quite high while in Thailand dancers would never do so. We believe feet are unclean," he added.

Kavi said the Indonesian Embassy should stage more cultural shows to Thai public, saying the students loved the show, especially the humorous parts.

The foreign minister agreed, hailing the cultural show as part of people-to-people relations which would strengthen diplomatic relations as a whole.