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SBY launches month-long art festival
A street parade featuring cultural performances from all of Bali’s regencies and several Indonesian provinces marked the beginning of the Bali Art Festival on Saturday
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street parade featuring cultural performances from all of Bali’s regencies and several Indonesian provinces marked the beginning of the Bali Art Festival on Saturday.
The annual festival’s opening ceremony attracted thousands of tourists, who crowded along the parade route and blocked traffic in the area.
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika marked the beginning of the parade by stabbing a payonan to release its tirtha amerta (holy water) as a symbol of purification.
This festival’s themes this year are Sudhamala (searching for pure conscience) and Bhuanakerthi (purification of the universe).
The parade’s first artists were from the Indonesian Art Institute’s Denpasar branch and performed in Adhi Merdangga, a colossal Balinese marching gamelan.
The contemporary gamelan ensemble integrates musical ideas and techniques from the Baleganjur school of Balinese traditional music with western marching bands augmented with different musical instruments. The musicians performed while moving and dancing.
The next performers presented the Siwa Nata Raja. The dance depicts the god Siwa as a consummate dancer who creates the universe using the energy of his divine art.
The art festival has been a cultural landmark for Bali for 32 years, and has attracted both local and foreign artists and visitors. Balinese people also enjoy the festival, which often presents rare performances from across the archipelago.
International artists from Sweden, Japan, the US, France, Singapore and India have given this year’s festival a cross-cultural feel.
Pastika said the event would feature 335 art and cultural activities by 15,000 Balinese artists and the audience would come from 15 provinces. “This is an art fiesta for the Balinese, and also for other provinces and foreigners.”
Performers from Karangasem regency marched in the parade, dressed in traditional royal clothes called pusung leklek.
The performers staged the Baris tumbak. The dance is usually performed in the yadnya ceremony that symbolizes the victory of dharma (virtue) against adharma (vice). It was performed by 12 people armed with 3-meter-long tombak.
Artists from Badung regency staged the heroic Baris tumbak dance, which features simple movements performed with lances, followed by the Kembang Janger dance, which colorfully represented the cheerfulness of young people.
Musicians from Klungkung regency performed the ketug bumi, which is sacred music played by women to symbolize unity and protect Mother Earth from bad influences.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officiated at a night ceremony for the festival at the Art Center, Denpasar.
The President said the Bali Art Festival was the cultural event most anticipated by local and foreign tourists.
“We should make the most of this event to attract more tourists to Indonesia and improve our culture-based economy,” Yudhoyono said.
