Javanese opera opens at TIM

Javanese opera opens at TIM

JAKARTA (JP): Thirty groups of wayang orang, or traditional
Javanese opera, are taking part in the fourth national festival
that opened at the Taman Ismail Marzuki on Friday night.

The 15-day festival was opened by Coordinating Minister for
Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman and was attended
by numerous senior officials, including Minister of Education and
Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro and Minister of Tourism, Post and
Telecommunications Joop Ave.

Chairman of the festival committee Soerparmo said that the
event aims at helping preserve the performing art which is highly
popular, especially in Central Java, Antara reported.

The first and second festival were held in Surakarta, central
Java, in 1987 and 1991 while the third was in Surabaya in 1993.

The revelry is held in commemoration of the 50th anniversary
of Indonesia's independence that falls on Aug. 17.

Soesilo Soedarman, who also chairs the Senawangi Foundation
which oversees preservation of the famed Javanese shadow
puppetry, said the traditional opera will survive the
globalization era. (01)