Inul draws crowds on Jl. Jaksa

Inul draws crowds on Jl. Jaksa

Zakki Hakim and Rizky KD Ntoma, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The popularity of dangdut singer Inul Daratista, famous for her
hip gyrations, left traditional Betawi (native Jakarta) culture
firmly in the shade during the annual one-day Jl. Jaksa Fair on
Thursday.

Many overseas visitors seemed entranced by her energetic moves
on the stage erected at the end of Jl. Jaksa in Kebon Sirih
subdistrict, Central Jakarta, with her lusty performance causing
many male spectators to temporarily lose interest in deepening
their knowledge of traditional Betawi culture.

Fabien, a French tourist in his late 20s, said he was greatly
looking forward to seeing the fair, especially Inul.

"Jl. Jaksa is a very friendly place, and now I am very curious
to see this famous Inul dance," said the backpacker, who has been
traveling across the country for three months.

Fauziah, 22, brought her four-month-old twin boys to watch the
festivities. She and her extended family had been awaiting the
late afternoon performance from 11.30 a.m. They had brought along
enough food for the whole family as if they were on a picnic
outing, although in reality they live nearby.

However, not everyone was happy with the way the Jl. Jaksa
Fair was organized this year.

"In the past, the organizers always provided stalls for people
like me so that we could sell things to visitors," said Tina, a
local resident. "But now, the organizers are more interested in
spending lots of money for big-time performers like Inul."

Local reports say that Inul receives between Rp 25 million
(US$3,000) and Rp 35 million per show.

Jl. Jaksa has long been famous as a destination for foreign
backpackers.

The 500-meter street was brightly decorated for the festival
with ondel-ondel (huge dolls decked out in Betawi attire), and
giant paper flowers displayed along the street. Six horse-drawn
buggies carried locals and foreigners clad in Betawi attire up
and down the street.

The fair, in commemoration with the city's 476th anniversary,
was officially opened by Central Jakarta Mayor Lumbun Petra at
around 2 p.m. The mayor was accompanied by the municipality's
Abang and None Jakarta (Mr. and Miss Jakarta). To the residents'
disappointment, Governor Sutiyoso failed to show up as he was in
Ujung Menteng, East Jakarta, to participate in a teleconference
with President Megawati Soekarnoputri on the inauguration of the
East Flood Canal project.

After the opening ceremony, the mayor visited food stalls
offering traditional Betawi delicacies including kerak telor
(pancake made of glutinous rice, coconut and egg), lontong sayur
(steamed rice in banana leaves served with jackfruit curry and
egg cooked in soybean sauce), pletok (ginger beer) and cincau
(grass jelly).

Petra said in his opening remarks that the fair was an
opportunity to preserve and display traditional Betawi culture
and customs. Moreover, he said, it was also a good way of
attracting foreign tourists despite the difficulties caused by
last year's Bali blasts, the war in Iraq and the outbreaks of
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in a number of Asian
countries.