The first-ever Indonesia Cultural Day was held at New York University on Friday (Nov. 1).
Indonesian students at New York University and the Indonesian Consulate General in New York organized the “This is Indonesia” event.
Kagama Karawitan, who was directly brought in from Jakarta, Indonesia, also participated in the celebration, which was held at the Eisner & Lubin Auditorium at New York University.
A total of 13 performers, consisting of 9 gamelan players and four swarawati singers, entertained the audience by performing several songs, including Caping Gunung by Gesang, Prau Layar by Ki Narto Sabdo, Mars 45 by Ir. Soekarno, and Sesanti Gadjah Mada. National songs such as Tanah Air, Dari Sabang Sampai Merauke, Hallo-Halo Bandung, and Warung Pojok were also performed, culminating in Jogja Istimewa.
Kagama Karawitan emphasized love for and pride in being Indonesian during the event.
All the performers wore traditional clothing from various regions to represent Indonesia’s diversity.
This performance aligned with Kagama Karawitan’s cultural mission to introduce Indonesian culture, especially traditional Javanese Karawitan music, to Indonesian students currently studying at New York University, as well as academics and international audiences at the Indonesia Cultural Day.
“Of course, we want to preserve our culture and ignite the spirit of ‘Let’s Love Indonesian Culture,’” said Swasti Atika, Chairperson of Kagama Karawitan.
Atika shared that the enthusiasm from both international students and the diaspora was very high, as seen in the attendance of 700 people.
Many participants claimed it was their first time seeing and hearing gamelan live. They immersed themselves in the joy of the performance, even moving along with the rhythm as the songs were played.
“Thank you to the Indonesian Consulate General in New York, New York University, and all the performers who worked hard with great enthusiasm to prepare for this event,” said Atika.
She hopes that through this performance, the global community will become more familiar with Indonesia.
Indonesian Consul General in New York, Winanto Adi, gave positive feedback on the Kagama Karawitan performance.
He stated that the Indonesian Consulate General is very enthusiastic about the collaboration to introduce Indonesia to the international community through Karawitan arts.
“Through this festival, we hope to enhance the understanding and appreciation of Indonesian arts and culture on the world stage and improve Indonesia’s branding abroad,” he concluded.
Kagama Karawitan is an alumni community of Universitas Gadjah Mada, established on Sept. 7, 2019.
With a desire to preserve the nation’s cultural arts through traditional music, Kagama Karawitan has participated in various events in Yogyakarta, such as Munas Kagama 2019 in Bali, UGM’s Anniversary Celebrations in 2019, 2022, and 2023, Titik Nol 2019, and UMKM Days 2022.
They have also performed outside Yogyakarta, including the 2022 Semarang Old Town Festival, the 2023 Fun Walk & Food Festival KAFEGAMA in Jakarta, and the 2023 Reuni Akbar KATSAGAMA and KAFISPOLGAMA in Jakarta.
In 2023, Kagama Karawitan also participated in a performance in the Czech Republic to celebrate the Diplomatic Reception of the Indonesian Embassy in Prague.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Photo: Kagama Karawitan
Post-editor: Afif