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Spanish orchestra group holds concert in Toba Samosir
In addition to music, the group also entertained guests with a flamenco dance performance from Seville.
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Lake Toba, North Sumatra, when it was seen from coffee field. Starbucks held their Starbucks Original Experience program at Hutaginjang village, North Tapanuli district, North Sumatra. the coffee chain’s employees visited the village to gain experience about coffee and interact with the locals, especially coffee farmers. (Shutterstock/File)
S
panish orchestra group Vinculos took the stage at the amphitheater of Del Technology Institute in Toba Samosir regency, North Sumatra, on July 30.
The group consisting of 50 musicians has been visiting Lake Toba region since July 27 following an invitation from the Education and Cultural Ministry.
The ministry initiated the event to encourage cultural, social and educational exchange between the two countries.
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“Playing music here reminds us of our hometown; the cold temperature in Lake Toba feels like we’re in Spain. Spain has a lake, but it’s not as big as [Lake Toba]. This is a very beautiful lake,” said Vinculos director Manuel Paz.
“Indonesia is really special, especially the Batak culture and Lake Toba. Both the locals and us love music and parties; what a beautiful experience,” he added.
During the show, Vinculos performed five Spanish classic songs and seven Indonesian songs. The group also collaborated with local musician Mataniari in performing a few traditional songs, such as Batak’s “Si Doli Natihal”.
In addition to music, the group also entertained guests with a flamenco dance performance from Seville.
Prior to the concert, Vinculos visited Panti Karya Hepata in Laguboti, Tobasa regency, to entertain the disabled people there and held a concert at Tugu DI Pandjaitan.
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This year, the ministry is targeting to promote Indonesian culture to 50 countries through social media, cultural interaction and virtual communication.
Lake Toba was chosen because it is included in the tourism ministry’s 10 priority destinations list.
Tourism Ministry's head of Development Acceleration for Priority Tourist Destinations, Hiramsyah S. Thaib, said Vinculos’ visit to Lake Toba brings a lot of benefits, apart from being a diplomatic initiative between Indonesia and Spain.
“It’s more than just a collaboration between Indonesia and Spain; the group also educates schoolchildren, promotes Lake Toba and brings humanitarian values by visiting students at the school for the disabled [SLB]. This visitation brings a lot of benefits and is special for Lake Toba and its people,” said Hiramsyah. (kes)
