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Musicians promote N. Sumatran tourism with concert
To help promote North Sumatran tourism to the global market, 80 Austrian musicians, in cooperation with the Indonesian Association of Tourism Employers (ASPPI) held an orchestral concert of Batak music at the Tiara Convention Centre in Medan on Wednesday evening
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o help promote North Sumatran tourism to the global market, 80 Austrian musicians, in cooperation with the Indonesian Association of Tourism Employers (ASPPI) held an orchestral concert of Batak music at the Tiara Convention Centre in Medan on Wednesday evening.
Named the Austrian Tobatak Orchestra, the group presented 25 popular old Batak songs such as Butet, Boasa Ma Sai Marsak and Poda.
Herman Delago, an Austrian composer who has been captivated by Batak music since 1998, said that as far as he knew it was the first concert of Batak music to feature a full orchestra.
The concert featured renowned Batak singers such as Viky Sianipar, Tongam Sirait, Retta Sitorus and Marsada. Austrian singers Tasha Kock and Eva Schatz also performed.
Delago, who initiated the event, led 80 Austrian musicians to take part in the concert.
'We are presenting a mixture of two cultures ' the Tyrol culture from Austria and Batak from Indonesia. This is a very interesting show to enjoy,' he said prior to the concert in Medan on Wednesday.
Delago said the two-hour concert aimed to take Batak music to the international stage.
'Batak music is easy to understand. That is why I am sure the music can go international in the future,' he said, adding that Batak songs, especially old ones, featured good harmonies and melodious compositions.
Singer Viky applauded the concert, saying that it would help to promote Batak music to the world.
'This is a very good program where two different cultures from two different continents are collaborating to perform on the same stage,' he said.
He said the concert should not merely be seen as entertainment but also as an effort to preserve Batak music.
The ASPPI's North Sumatra branch chairman, Maruli Damanik, said that the concert was a part of the association's efforts to revive the tourism industry in the province.
'We hope that North Sumatran tourism will improve in the future with the help of such a concert,' said Damanik, adding that a number of foreign businesspeople from Germany, Dubai and Australia would also attend the concert in Medan.
North Sumatra Community Participation Development Forum spokesman Anton Loisfical said he was inspired to help the event succeed because he was amazed by European people's great appreciation for Batak culture.
'It was [a surprise], so we were motivated to make the event a success,' he said.
Maruli said that after performing in Medan, the Austrian Tobatak Orchestra would also perform at the Tuk Tuk Open Stage venue on Samosir Island, Lake Toba, this weekend. The Samosir event is also set to include a Lake Toba cleanup drive.
