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.