Indonesian Embassy in Bogotá Showcases 'Kalimantan' Culture at Colombia's Bambuco Festival

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Bogotá, Colombia, adopted a ‘Kalimantan’ theme, featuring hornbill motifs and Dayak carvings to decorate its carnival procession vehicle at the 65th Festival Nacional Bambuco en San Juan y San Pedro (Bambuco Festival). “The Kalimantan theme was deliberately chosen to show the Colombian public that Indonesia possesses a diversity and richness of culture, flora, and fauna that is very interesting to get to know further,” said Indonesian Ambassador to Colombia Tatang Budie Utama Razak in a press release received in Jakarta on Friday. He explained that the hornbill motif was selected because it is familiar to carnival visitors. Although from a different family, at a glance the physical appearance of the bird native to Kalimantan is very similar to the toucan which lives in Colombia. “We want to show that although Indonesia and Colombia are separated by a vast geographical distance, the two countries have many similarities. This is certainly interesting for the Colombian public to know, and many things can be explored further through cooperation in various fields,” said Tatang. The Bambuco Festival is rooted in the culture of the Andean Mountain communities, showcased through music, dance, gastronomy, and handicrafts. The Colombian Congress designated the festival as a National Cultural Heritage in 2006. This year’s festival took place from 12 to 29 June in the city of Neiva, the capital of Huila Department, Colombia. The KBRI Bogotá Arts Team, dressed in traditional Kalimantan attire, performed a number of traditional Indonesian dances accompanied by regional pop songs throughout the carnival, alongside 50 local children wearing kebaya and pencak silat uniforms. They also had the opportunity to perform a typical Dayak tribal dance and the Saman Dance on the festival stage. Indonesia was the only foreign country present at the cultural event as an invited country (pais invitado). In addition to promoting Indonesia’s cultural wealth, the KBRI Bogotá also used the visit to Neiva to establish cooperation in education and cultural exchange with the National Open and Distance University (Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia/UNAD) Southern Zone and the Huila University Network.