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Unesco Recognizes Saman Dance as Intangible World Heritage
November 24, 2011

Saman dancers seen here practicing for the recent 19th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali. (EPA Photo) Saman dancers seen here practicing for the recent 19th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali. (EPA Photo)
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DrDez
9:57am Nov 25, 2011

JPB....'everyone has a right to (voice) their own opinion, I think' You say.

Do you therfore support the removal of the Blasphemy Law JPB??? Because if you do not then your claim is null and void and at best hypocritical

I look forward to your answer.

I think Lauren sums what many people fear JPB and many people see. Indonesian culture and heritage is being swallowed by Arabic hate infused dogma from dress codes to behaviours. Luckily there are many who oppose it, but they are often targets of the religion of peace warriors -


DrDez
8:56am Nov 25, 2011

Just Passer By

So has Wayang theatre but that's under attack, so as Buddist and Hindu sacred sites but they are under attack... Your point is null

BTW - there is a mention of religion and romance !! wow Since Aceh is a Sharia Province I fear for it. I hope it is safeguarded


-Lauren-
8:44am Nov 25, 2011

Justpasserby: Of course Islam is implicated in this. It's probably not practiced much anymore because orthodox Islam of the type practiced in Aceh prohibits such activities as song and dance in costume that exhibits the human body as well as legitimising any wisdom like that found in such culturally unique oral traditions outside Islamic doctrine. The significance of the dance is probably being slowly and surely overcome by forced homeogeneity to dominant Islamic culture. This hegemony deprioritises other forms of culture as pagan, thus the dance is in need of protection from extinction because its actors, for reasons such as those above, no longer consider its messages and links to tradition as neccessary or relevant. Islam is probably very much involved in this either explicitly or implicitly in the general zeitgeist.

Serigala-Berbulu-Domba
7:03pm Nov 24, 2011

...that needs urgent protection from UNESCO...

A couple of curiosity questions for my edification : 1) what does such protection involve, and 2) what form is such protection (by UNESCO) supposed to take?

justapasserby
6:35pm Nov 24, 2011

anyway, I am not offended or anything, just pointing out my observation. everyone has a right to (voice) their own opinion, I think.

Denpasar. The Saman dance from Aceh has joined batik and wayang as Indonesian contributions to Unesco’s list of items of intangible world heritage, officials announced at a meeting in Bali on Thursday.
 
“The Saman dance from Gayo Lues and surrounding areas in Aceh has officially been included in the list of Intangible World Heritage that needs urgent protection from Unesco,” I Gusti Ngurah Putra, a spokesman for the Tourism Ministry, said following the decision by participants at the Sixth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
 
Agung Laksono, the coordinating minister for people’s welfare, said the effort to conserve the dance would not end with its inclusion in the list, stressing that this was just the first step toward nurturing and promoting the dance.
 
Earlier this week, the government pledged $10 million to promote the traditional dance should it be included on the list.
 
According to a government spokesman for cultural affairs, Suyud Winarno, one reason the dance is in need of protection is that it is increasingly rarely performed by men, despite being traditionally a performance exclusively by males. 

Mari Elka Pangestu, the tourism minister, said on Tuesday that world recognition of the dance would have far-reaching economic benefits for the country, mainly through increased tourism.
 
In addition to its value to the tourism industry, formal recognition of the dance could also foster a thriving traditional art industry in Indonesia, she said.
 
The Saman dance dates back to the 13th century, when it was conceived by Syeh Saman, a Gayo elder, to convey religious messages.
 
The dance features an odd number of performers, usually young men, sitting or kneeling in a row. They wear traditional costumes with Gayo embroidery depicting natural and moral symbols. A trainer stands in the middle singing songs with messages of development, religion, advice, culture, satire, humor and romance, while the dancers engage in a complex percussion rhythm by clapping various parts of their bodies.
 
The dance is usually performed to welcome a guest or as a celebration of national or religious holidays.

Antara, JG