Spread The Love For The Homeland Through The Sabang Merauke Performance

Kapanlagi.com - Indonesia has a diverse range of art and culture, including songs, dances, traditional clothing, and other cultural heritage that are priceless.

As a way to preserve Indonesian art and culture and spread the spirit of love for the homeland, PT iForte Solusi Infontek, also known as iForte, with the help of Megapro Communications as the event organizer, held a performance titled 'Sabang Merauke Performance - Premiere With Live Performance' which was held on June 3-5, 2022 at Djakarta Theater, Central Jakarta.

1. The Excitement of the Gala Premiere

KapanLagi.com/Muhammad Akrom Sukarya

KapanLagi.com along with several other media colleagues attended the Gala Premiere of the Sabang Merauke Performance on Thursday (2/6). Before entering the performance area, we were entertained with the typical Betawi tradition of palang pintu. We saw a father and a young boy exchanging pantun (traditional poem). As we walked to the performance area, we were also entertained by several regional dances.

Indra Bekti was also present on stage as the event host. Before the performance began, all guests sang the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya. Shortly after, Kikan Namara appeared on stage, looking elegant in a gown and a crown, singing the song Tanah Airku. In this performance, Kikan not only served as a singer but also as a music director.

2. 21 Regional Songs and 135 Professional Dancers

KapanLagi.com/Muhammad Akrom Sukarya

In addition to Kikan Namara, there were also Mirabeth Sonia, Christine Tambunan, Taufan Purbo, and Alsant Nababan who took turns singing 21 regional songs that night.

The first regional song performed was Bungong Jeumpa from Aceh accompanied by the saman dance. Not only songs and dances, but this performance also showcased the history of the region. One of them is Laksamana Keumalahayati who was the first woman in the world. She lived in the 1600s. The conqueror of the Aceh colonizers who was admired by friends and foes.

After that, the stage continued with performances of other regional songs starting from Sik Sik Sibatumanikam from North Sumatra, Kampuang Nan Jauh di Mato from West Sumatra, Injit injit Semut from Jambi, to Soleram from Riau. Their performances also became more magnificent with the involvement of 46 traditional and modern musicians and 135 professional dancers.

3. The Atmosphere Gets Merrier

KapanLagi.com/Muhammad Akrom Sukarya

After enjoying the Sumatran culture, we were entertained by excellent performances from Java Island. Starting from the songs Manuk Dadali and Tokecang from West Java, Ondel-Ondel from Jakarta to Rek Ayo Rek from East Java.

The atmosphere became even more festive with the presence of ondel-ondel on the stage, a little ludruk performance, and jaipong dancers who invited some of the audience to join in the dance.

The Sabang Merauke show became even more exciting when songs from the eastern part of Indonesia were sung, starting from Gemu Fa Mi Re, Si Patokaan, Rasa Sayange, to Yamko Rambe Yamko. As the closing song, Kikan Namara also sang the song Bendera which she previously popularized with the band Cokelat.

4. Like Being Taken Around Indonesia

Through this performance, we were all taken around Indonesia through the melodies of songs and dances from every region. So that we can get to know more about Indonesia's diverse culture. That's what Kikan Namara said after the gala premiere.

"For me, why this show is important is simple. When I hear songs from Aceh to Papua and then to my friends' regions, there will be a feeling of 'oh, this is my region's traditional song'. Each song has a different taste, a different atmosphere, but the great thing is that they are all from Indonesia. What matters is how we can feel that we are very diverse but still one nation, which is Indonesia," said Kikan Namara.

The Sabang Merauke performance is directed by Rusmedi Agus. He also hopes that this performance can inspire people to love Indonesian art and culture even more. Not only can it be enjoyed live at the Djakarta Theater, but the Sabang Merauke performance can also be watched on iForte Solusi Infotek's YouTube channel starting Monday, June 6, 2022.

(kpl/rhm/sry)