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Didik Nini Thowok’s #lathichallenge becomes trending topic on Twitter
Didik Nini Thowok dances to upbeat song "Lathi" in his #lathichallenge video.
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Dance maestro Didik Nini Thowok in his 'Lathi Challenge' video. The challenge was popularized by a beauty vlogger on TikTok. (instagram.com/didikninithowok/File)
D
ance maestro Didik Nini Thowok became a trending topic on Indonesian Twitter on Wednesday with over 11,800 tweets after his #lathichallenge video circulated on the platform.
The video, which is also available on Didik’s YouTube, shows the maestro dancing to an upbeat track identified as “Lathi” (tongue) by trio Weird Genius. Didik also wears various forms of make-up, costumes and masks, which quickly transform his appearance from beautiful to scary.
In the caption, Didik wrote a congratulatory note to Weird Genius for inspiring people, including him. “Moral message, be careful with an angry woman,” wrote Didik.
On Instagram, the maestro shared his views on the song. “People have said that ‘Lathi’ is a song to worship the devil. Please learn. If you don’t understand Javanese, please learn [the language] to avoid misunderstanding,” Didik wrote. “Remember that culture is the identity of a nation.”
Read also: The many sides of Didik Nini Thowok
Released in February, “Lathi” is the latest song from Weird Genius, which consists of musicians Reza Oktovian, Eka Gustiwana and Gerald Liu. Collaborating with singer-rapper Sara Fajira from Surabaya, East Java, the trio combines electronic dance music with traditional elements, especially Javanese instruments, in the song.
“Lathi” narrates the dark side of a relationship and how a person can have the courage to deal with it. The song features English lyrics as well as Javanese inspired from ancient Javanese proverbs.
#Lathichallenge became popular on video-sharing platform TikTok in May. According to kompas.com, the challenge was popularized by young Indonesia-based beauty vlogger Jharna Bhagwani who transforms her makeup look from beautiful to scary. Her video on TikTok has been liked by over 446,000 users. (wir/wng)
