Mabissu Dance

The word “mabissu” is derived from “bissu” with a prefix addition of “ma“ that means “to perform bissu dance.” “Bissu” in “Bissu Dance” can be meant as clean and pure from menstruation, and invulnerable to any dagger. Likewise, amongst the Bugis people, “bissu” is the name of people performing Mabissu Dance.

Mabissu Dance, some call it Magirri Dance, is commonly performed by six male of bissus who are led by a bissu chair. Bissus performing the dance are dressed in female dresses.

Frequent beatings of tambourine are the dance`s overture. Soon after that, mystical mantras are recited in To Rilangi language (ancient language of the Bugis people) and just keep reciting them during the performance. The bissus begin to dance unconsciously; they start moving around Arajangnge, a sacred thing in which the spirits of deceased Bugis`s ancestors are taking a rest within. In addition, Arajangnge is also the space to put ritual offerings such as Bugis traditional cakes, fruits, and buffalo`s head.

Mabissu or Maggiri dance, as well as other Indonesia`s traditional dances, bears mystical values as well. When tambourine`s beatings gradually played faster, the bissus decelerate their movements to perform Maggiri.

Maggiri is a stage when bissus perform their invulnerabilities to any daggers. It seems out of normal sense but all are real. Bissus perform those all unconsciously since the spirits of deceased Bugis`s ancestors unite in their bodies. Daggers that are slipped on bissus` waists are stuck into other bissus` bodies, especially on their hands, bellies, and mouths.

Such an action is aimed at examining whether the bissus are suit to the spirits of deceased Bugis`s ancestors obsessing their bodies. Supposing the bissus and the spirits are suit each other, the Bugis believe it gives a blessing to all people.

The pinnacle of Mabissu Dance is nagiri`i. It is a stage when bissus point locally traditional weapons to their bodies. You will be amazed watching this invulnerability show. You will not see blood spouting from their bodies even though weapons point human bodies frequently.

To some extent, some people ask for blessing from the spirits of deceased Bugis ancestors obsessing the bissus` bodies. For you believing in such a mystical belief, you may expect favour from the bissus. For Muslims, however, expecting favour from another Allah is forbidden.

Mabissu Dance Location

Mabissu Dance is commonly held in Assaurajang Village, Segeri Sub-district, Pengkajene Islands District, South Sulawesi Province. You can take public transport from Makassar City leading to Sigeri Sub-district in approximately two to three hours. You have to succeed the trip to watch Mabissu dance by taking public vehicles for about 20 minutes.

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Reog Ponorogo

Once upon a time, the King of Bantar Angin Kingdom named Kelana Swadana was going to propose for marriage to a beautiful girl, the daughter of Kediri King. Unfortunately, Kelana Swadana`s journey to Kediri was stopped because of the cruel blockade done by a group of wild animals namely Singobarong which guarded the area of Lodaya forest, in which Kelana Swadana had to pass it to reach Kediri. A fierce combat between Singobarong and the entourage of Kelana Swadana could not be avoided anymore at the time.

Commemorating the story above, a traditional performing art namely Reog ponorogo is held. The order of a Reog performance follows the order of the story about the fierce combat between Kelana Swadana and Singobarong. A Reog performance is usually begun by six or eight men – dancers – in black clothes and wearing red masks. Those dancers perform a lively dance representing the angered Singobarong in the story of Kelana Swadana. The next order in a Reog performance is a stately dance performed by around six to eight girls – in some other performance my also be performed by men in women`s dress – presenting kuda kepang (a plaited bamboo sheet shaping out like a horse) dance.

The second fragment of a Reog performance is the core which is greatly influenced by a situation wherein the Reog performance is taking place. A Reog performance is dominated by love story when someone holding marriage celebration invites a Reog performance group. Otherwise, a Reog performance will be dominated by bravery and heroic story when it is held to commemorate Indonesia Independence Day.

The end of a Reog performance is signed by the appearance of Singobarong performed by a man wearing a big mask representing Singobarong in the story of Kelana Swadana. The Singobarong mask is usually weighting around 50 to 60 kilograms but few people know that Singobarong mask is worn by a man only by biting a branch of wood installed behind the mask. The only special man with magical and supernatural powers can perform the figure of Singobarong in a Reog performance.

For you who want to see directly a Reog performance, just come to Ponorogo District, East Java, on August 17th, along the Indonesia Independence Day. Not only Reog performance, but also cultural festival and parade are usually organized at the time.

A Reog performance is usually organized in a special occasion such as an Independence Day or a marriage ceremony. A Reog performance needs vast space since in the middle of the performance, they – the dancers – are inserted the spirit of dead people hence the performance seems so liar. Warok – the Reog group leader – recites some mantras asking for successful performance, prior to the performance begins.

There is no strict story order within a Reog performance. The dancers commonly follow the scenario arranged by a warok, however. The interaction between the dancers and the warok should be intensified well during a Reog performance. By that way, a Reog performance seems so attractive enough since sometimes, there is a good interaction happening between Reog dancers with the audiences coming to watch the performance.

Reog Ponorogo Location

In almost sub-districts in Ponorogo District, East Java Province, you can easily find Reog performances that are organized by individual – in a marriage ceremonies – or institution – public cultural parade. For the routine performance organized monthly or annually, you can find them in the heart of Ponorogo City.

You can reach Ponorogo District by route from Surabaya, the capital of East Java Province, for about 200 km. You can take any public transport to reach the location. You can easily find some hotels ranging from the cheapest to most expensive quality around Ponorogo District.

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The Traditional Art of Didong in Nagroe Aceh Darussalam

Didong Gayo Aceh

Most of Gayo people in Central Aceh District live either in mountainous areas or in highlands. They tend to preserve their traditions like Didong. Didong is a very popular traditional art amongst Gayo people. The players of Didong are commonly called ceh-ceh didong. There are Ceh Lakiki, Ceh To`et, Ceh Daman, Ceh Ibrahim Kadir, Ceh Ujang Lakiki, Ceh Ucak, Ceh Tujuh, Ceh Idris Sidang Temas and Ceh Abd Rauf who are famous didong players in Nangroe Aceh Darussalam.

More often than not, it is usually performed in groups consisting of 15 men showing self-improvisation such as sitting, standing, while hitting their feet on the floor. This wonderful performance with beautiful dance come out from the combination of reciting magnificent Gayo poems, beating of traditional percussions, pillows and pans, and clapping hands.

Didong is the proudness of Gayo people that stays alive among the enormous influence of modern technology and western civilization. Gayo people never get bored with the play, watching every show that is performed on Saturday night starting after Isya (7 p.m.) until Subuh (4 a.m.).

The recited poems combined with dance, literature, and “hypnotizing” sound luring the viewers to keep watching the performance, offer the portrayal of social and religious messages and the relation between human and their nature. The performance also contains moral messages so that we can set a wise mindset towards human being.

The regeneration processes of didong are done well as there are many talented figures appear at every generation. Most of them learn from nature. They acquire the knowledge of nature cosmology as a part of microcosm awareness, wise and local awareness. It tends to show humanistic messages and people`s aspirations. A director, Garin Nugroho, states that Aceh is a warehouse of great artists.

Didong Traditional Art can be watched in Central Aceh District, Nagroe Aceh Darussalam Province, Indonesia.It will be easy to reach the location through Bireun City, Nagroe Aceh Darussalam Province. There is a small bus station where numbers of public transportation can be easily found there. It will carry you to Takengon with IDR 25.000 for its costs (per January 2008) for approximately five hours. You may also take alternative way to Central Aceh District by Blang Kejeren or Kutacane.There are some middle class hotels or luxurious hotels, restaurants and food stalls in Takengon, Central Aceh District. However, there is only little information stating that hotels or inns can be easily found in the hinterlands of Nangroe Aceh Darussalam Province.

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Cakalele Dance

Cakalele dance is a traditional dance from Maluku Province that is performed by 30 people either male or female. Male dancers wear war clothes dominated by red and yellow color. Not only that, they also hold parang (swords) on the right hand and salawaku (shields) on the left hand and don aluminium hats decorated with slipped feather on it.

Female dancers wear white dresses while holding handkerchiefs – in local language called lenso. During the performance, they play in groups consisting of two dancers while keeping dancing followed by the music of tifa (percussion), flute, and bia (flute made of big sea shell).

Tari Kebesaran, another name of Cakalele Dance is commonly performed to welcome honoured guests such as religious scholars, and government officials visiting Maluku. Tari Kebesaran means the pride dance.

Some of the distinctive features of the dance are the clothes, the swords, and the shield (salawaku). Each of them has its meaning such as red clothes symbolizing heroism, bravery and patriotism of Maluku people. Likewise, the swords symbolize the dignity of Maluku people that must be kept. The last one is the shield (salawaku), the symbol of protest againsts injustice government.

Cakalele Dance Location

Cakalele Dance can be watched in Haruku Island, Central Maluku District, Maluku Province, Indonesia.Accessing the island from Ambon City, you can take public transportation passing by Tulehu with IDR 7500 for its cost. Then the trip must be continued by taking speedboat wading across Tulehu Strait to Haruku Island for about 30 minutes with IDR 30000 per person for its cost.Around the location, in Haruku Island, you can surely find some hotels or guesthouses and food stalls offering local cuisine of Central Maluku District.

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Teluk Stabas Festival

Teluk Stabas Festival is commonly called Pesta Sekura (Sekura Party) or Pesta Topeng (Mask Party) by Lampung people. The festival is intentionally celebrated as an effort to reveal, to preserve, and to develop the heritage of Lampung people`s cultural civilization. It originally comes from Lampung society, especially West Lampung society that is visited by either local or foreign tourists. Moreover, the local government officials also include into the participants of the festival.

Sekura Dance is celebrated to express the happiness of Muslim people after a month of fasting. The celebration is held a day after Eid El-Fitr dated on Syawal 1st to 5th by turn from one village to another. Sekura means a mask intended to uniform the facial expression of people celebrating the happiness in a same way. The multifarious masks used during the celebration are the magnetic attraction for people coming to the Merdeka square in Liwa Limbar City.

There are two types of sekura dances, sekura betik and sekura kamak (dirty). It is called betik as the masks are beautifully decorated with long cloth. Otherwise, kamak is type of masks that are made of wood that look dirty with plant tassels as the decoration.

During the celebration, you may join the dance amongst the real dancers when you have put on the masks over your face. At the end of the celebration, panjat pinang (areca climbing) competition is conducted where many presents are put above the areca.  That is one of the cultural heritages of Lampung people with various cultural backgrounds.

Teluk Stabas Festival Location

Sekura Festival is held at public space area in Merdeka Square, Liwa-limbar City, West Lampung District, Lampung Province, Indonesia.

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