Panggung Maestro: A Dedicated Stage for Senior Artists
Presenting with honor and respect the stage to Indonesian Maestro Artists to perform their works, love, passion, dedication, and appreciation for arts and culture in traditional collaborative arts combining music, dance, and words. The event is called “Panggung Maestro” (Maestro Stage), a forum and a sustainable activity for senior artists to perform, organized by the Bali Purnati Foundation and the Directorate of Film, Music, and Media, the Directorate General of Culture, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia.
"Keeping Maestros going, moving forward. It is the journey of life of our teachers, who faithfully maintain the old traditions of arts and culture in the archipelago. They guard this legacy within the library of their bodies. It is from them that the musical rhythm of life's traditions still lives on today." Stage Artistic Council Maestro, Mrs. Restu Imansari Kusumaningrum, explained the importance of the event. “The Panggung Maestro is a tribute to the artists who have channelled cultural and artistic energy from their predecessors to the next generation. Energy is the life force, a soul that lives, a soul only exists if the body is awake. This statement is an intention, a promise, for us to become active heirs by nurturing and preserving that energy until it bears fruit. These seeds will equip the subsequent growth of the culture.” – Mr. Endo Suanda, Stage Artistic Council Maestro, added some statements.
Indonesia is an archipelago country with more than 17,000 islands, home to 38 provinces with diverse traditional performing arts in music and dance. Panggung Maestro is part of Indonesia’s arts and culture project to give high appreciation to Indonesia Maestro artists for their dedication to protecting, maintaining, and sharing knowledge and expertise with the next generation, as well as becoming the front line in preserving artistic heritage and the nation’s culture. Also creating awareness and enthusiasm for young generations to participate, dedicate, and preserve arts, culture, and history.
Despite their old age (around 60 to more than 90 years old), the artists who have dedicated most of their passionate lives to arts and culture are cordially invited to be on the stage and present their invaluable artistic works at Taman Ismail Marzuki (Ismail Marzuki Park), Jakarta, Indonesia. The 2-day performance in May 2024 presents Maestros from Southeast Sulawesi with the appearance of the Lariangi traditional dance. Some centuries ago, the dance was performed to welcome royal guests from various kingdoms across Indonesia—a tradition that continues to this day, when guests arrive in Southeast Sulawesi.
Another presentation from the same province was the Lumense dance, a sacred ritual dance to cleanse the country from disasters like disease outbreaks. Maestros from West Sumatra presented traditional dances, namely: Ulu Ambek, a form of performance that displays the fight aesthetically without physical contact between the two fighters, it’s a play of inner power. Piring Dance is performed by a group of women, men, or couples; each holds a plate in their hand and energetically rotates them in various formations and fast motions. This dance is usually exhibited in a ceremonial welcoming dance to honor the guests and elders at traditional events.
The last one was the Randai Dance, often shown during wedding ceremonies, circumcision, various coronation rituals, and inheritance of traditional titles, also performed to welcome guests of honor in formal events. There are at least 11 variations of movements in the Randai dance, which incorporates music, singing, dance, drama, and the Indonesian martial art called Silat.
"The Maestro never got old. His feet on Earth, his waves high up to the sky." Mr. Sulistyo Tirtokusumo, Maestro Stage Artistic Council, said.