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)