During Jogja International Street Performance 2010, 2 – 5 October 2010, there will be daily performance at Taman Budaya Yogyakarta with free entrance. The performances schedule are as follows:
Sunday, 3 October 2010
will perform Angela Lopez (Spain), Josef Gasdag (Hungary), Didik Nini Thowok (Indonesia), Poodja (India) at Taman Budaya Yogyakarta starting at 19.30.

Monday, 4 October 2010
Will perform Yuri Ozawa (Japan), Alejandro Pino (Chile), Miho Konai (Japan) at Taman Budaya starting 19.00.

Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Will perform Jun Amanto (Japan), Tembi Dance Co (Indonesia), Mao Arata & Genjindan (Japan), starting 19.30.

Banda Sea is a unique sea in Indonesia, because it is the place where three straight meet. In addition, the under water fishes in the Banda Marine park are amazing and very rich, a worthy place for diving in Indonesia. So, just be ready on July to august 2010 to witness Sail Banda 2010 as the most interesting tourism event in Indonesia.

Bali will host the Asian Belly Dance Festival 2010. The festival will be held on February 25 to 28, 2010. Ayodya Resort at Nusa Dua is chosen as the venue for the event. Asian belly dancers will gather to conduct workshop, dance attraction, dance competition, talk show, and bazaar.

The world’s belly dance maestro fro the United States, Jiliana, is invited to give a workshop and to be the jury for the dance competition. She will perform colossal theatrical belly dance which the first time shown in Indonesia. Her presence will make this international event more important to join.
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Participants from 15 countries are confirmed to attend this festival. The countries are Singapore, Philippine, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Africa, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Thailand, China, and South Korea.

Raja Ampat, a district in Papua – Indonesia gives serious attention for its tourism. It has strength in the maritime and is supported by  natural richness, cultural interest, and the unique of its art.  For its 7th anniversary, the local government via tourism information center announces the Maritime Festival (Festival Bahari) on May 2 to 9, 2010. Waisai is the town chosen to carry out the festival.

In this event, some activities performed such as underwater photo contest, paddle boat race, diving, beach volley ball tournament, and cultural attraction from the local people and participants from other regency like Wakatobi.
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Raja Ampat Tourist Information Center explains that the local people will perform its traditional boat which is used to sail the ocean. Furthermore, they will show their custom to consume mangrove fruits. Many attraction that had not been performed will be shown for the first time to surprise the tourists.

Raja Ampat photo from www.gorajaampat.com

Waisai, that is about 3 hours boating from Sorong, has no accommodation for tourists yet. But, the government will provide live aboard as floating hotels to accommodate the visitors.

Raja Ampat photo from www.gorajaampat.com

Raja Ampat Maritime Festival is planned to be annual event to increase visitors. Currently,there are some festivals in Papua such as Festival Lembah Baliem in Wamena – Jayawijaya, Festival Asmat, Festival Kamoro in Timika, and Festival Danau Sentani (Sentani Lake Festival) in Jayapura.

Djarum Super Jakarta International Blues Festival 2009 will be held at Istora Senayan Jakarta on Saturday, September 7, 2009. The theme taken for this year is “Back To The Roots of All Music”.

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The Indonesian musicians that will perform are Gugun & Blues Shelter, Blues Train, Kiboud Maulana, Gigi, The Dance Company, The Changchuters. special performance from senior blues artist Yopie Item and two of his children Audy and Stevie Item, Bondan Prakoso and his father who is also a musician, Sisco, Abdee Slank, John Paul Ivan, and Rif’s vocalist, Andi.

International Stars from UK, USA, Australia, Dutch, Ireland, Thailand and Singapura are invited to perform on stages. Artists loke Jan Akkerman and Mike Wilgar will surely give great atmosphere on the show.

There will be four stages on the festival. The ticket costs IDR 100.000 or about US$10. It’s an affordable price to witness the world class blues festival in Indonesia.
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Pesta Danau Toba 2009 festival will be held at Lake Toba, Parapat, Simalungun District, North Sumatra, beginning Wednesday October, 7 2009 until Sunday October, 11 2009. This event is expected to boost the tourism of North Sumatra. Furthermore, this festival will show local traditions and culture that are worth to witness.

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“Our main target is to boost tourism image of North Sumatra in the eyes of the world, that our area is safe and comfortable place to visit,” said Head of Culture and Tourism of North Sumatra, Ginting Nurlisa.

Lake Toba photo by vikhers

Lake Toba party will feature a variety of cultural attractions, in addition will also hold a variety of traditional sports event. In this scene will perform, among others, performances of traditional dance and costumes, special dance performances of Batak dance Tor-tor and a number of races, such as swimming competitions in Lake Toba, and also fishing competition.There will also choir competition singing folk songs.

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Martabak Terang Bulan Photo

Visiting Sekaten at Jogjakarta, I’m interested in the traditional Javanese food that are sold. There are so many food stalls at the fair, just like ants encircling a grain of sugar. They are in a row of the street’s edge, try to serve the best food they have. Sound of stoves is familiar to my ear. They just give me a sign that the stalls are very busy serving the buyers and adding the stocks.

Traditional Donut

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Food stalls are making the food directly on the location, so it is served hot and freshly.  They make the same kind of snacks every year. But, the buyers seem not bored to eat them. The name of the foods are martabak, terang bulan, ondhe-ondhe, donat, tahu goreng, galundeng, pisang molen and cak we.

Ondhe-ondhe

The taste is sweet for terang bulan, ondhe-ondhe, galundeng and pisang molen. The rest is salty. The foods are sold at affordable price, they are cheap. The price is about IDR 500 for a piece.

Martabak Photo by Deka

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Sekaten is a religious and cultural event, and a fair to be held at Kasultanan Ngayogyakarta (Yogyakarta) and Kasunanan Surakarta (Sala). This  event is held to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad, the foundedr of Islam. As we know Islam is the majority religion in Indonesia. In Yogyakarta, this event is full of spiritual ceremonies that should be done in a series. What are the processions from the start until the end?

Ziarah Pambuka
Ziarah Pambuka is a devotional visit to two tombs, Kotagede Burial and Imogiri Burial. The aim is to respect and to pray for the founder of Mataram (the former of Yogyakarta). At Kotagede, the pilgrims visit Panembahan Senopati’s grave. At Imogiri they visit the grave of former Kings of Yogyakarta. This year it take place on December 23, 2008.

Pasang Pathok
This is the ceremony to begin the preparation of the location of Sekaten. In Yogyakata, the location is always at Alun-alun Utara Kraton (North Square of Kraton Yogyakarta). On December 29, 2008.

Pambuka
It is the opening ceremony. In this ceremony, we can see various performances, the venue is on Alun-alun Utara or Pagelaran Kraton. Artists are performing their choreography, music arrangement and traditional singing. This is the most valuable time to be missed. The opening ceremony took place on January 30, 2009.

Miyos Gongso
This is the beginning event of sekaten when the sacred Gamelan Sekati that consists of Gamelan Kiai Nagawilaga and its replica Kiai Gunturmadu are taken out from the saving room at Bangsal Srimanganti to a prepared place at the Masjid Agung (Mosque) yard. The place for the gamelan is called ‘pagongan lor’ (north stage) and ‘pagongan kidul’ (south stage). The gamelan is played a week before the birthday of Prophet Muhammad at 12 Rabiul Awal or 12 Maulid. The date for this procession is on March 2, 2009.

Kondur Gongso
A night before 12 Mulid or before March 9, 2009, the gamelan will be taken back to its room at Bangsal Srimanganti. Before the ceremony, Sultan of Yogyakarta will attend at the porch of the Mosque to listen to the story of Prophet Muhammad. A chief of Kraton reads the story.

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Grebeg Maulud
This event is the peak of Sekaten when the Grebeg Maulud comes out. This is the birthday of Muhammad, on 12 Maulud (March 9, 2009). Grebeg comes from the word “garebeg”, a cultural rite of Sultan to thank God for the blessing by giving alms for ‘abdi dalem’ (Sultans’s staff/servants) and ‘kawula dalem’ (the people). Gunungan Putri and Gunungan Kakung are the focus of grebeg. Gunungan is pyramidal offerings consists of food, vegetables and fruit. The people will compete to get everything from gunungan as they believe they will get prosperity. This procession is the end of Sekaten and the fair at Alun-alun utara Krataon.

Ziarah Panutup
This is the closing devotional visit to Kotagede and Imogiri tombs. It will take place on April 6, 2009.

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Calung is usually played on special occasion like at the wedding anniversary, a boy’s circumcision celebration, and other anniversary. Dancers called Lengger (girl dancers) dancing along with the music of calung.

Lucky me, there is a calung festival (a competition actually) when I visit Baturaden. Groups of calung players are competing to perform the best. They show their best performance, uniform, music arrangement and choreography. Each group consists of several musicians who play calung, angklung, percussion, and bamboo flute. No electric music instrument is played on the competition, all we hear is acoustic sounds. Four or more dancers are dancing along with the music. The musicians are singing songs in Javanese language with Banyumas dialect.
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The instruments used are all hand made. Usually, each group has an expert who makes, tunes and repairs the instrument. Calung, angklung and flute are made from bamboo; it is from bamboo Wulung, the best kind of bamboo for music instrument. The percussion is made from big plastic barrel and tire for the membrane.

It is so merry. The music is inviting the audiences to dance or just nodding the head. I just wonder how popular those instruments at the past.

A Bakso and Mie Ayam festival will be held on Sunday, March 23, 2008 at Jogjakarta Expo Center, Jogjakarta. About 1000 thousand bakso and mie ayam sellers will participate on it. The festival provides twenty thousand bowls of those foods free for visitors.