BANDA ACEH | – Ratoh Jaroe’s mass dance, which was assembled with the appearance of Saman Gayo, will enliven the opening of the Saman Festival in Gayo Lues Regency, Aceh Province on Monday night (8/19/2019).
The Saman Festival itself is one of the events listed as Indonesia’s Top 100 Event and becomes Aceh’s 3 Top Event. The plan will be opened by the Acting Governor of Aceh, Nova Iriansyah and attended by a number of local officials, and the Head of the Aceh Kadisbudpar, Jamaluddin.
Kadisbudpar Aceh, Jamaluddin invited all people of the world who are lovers of culture and exotic natural nuances to attend the Saman Festival in the Gayo Lues Plateau.
According to Jamaluddin, Saman dance is not just art, but it implies a philosophical culture. While Outside Gayo Lues, Saman tends to be known as a type of dance.
For this reason, said Jamal, the Aceh Government, in this case the Aceh Tourism Boards, presented the Saman group outside of Gayo Lues as a contestant who would later experience and witness how Saman interacted socio-culturally with the Gayo Lues community, so that it could become part of the social structure of the community.
“Saman in Gayo Lues is common. However, how do other Saman groups come to the village of champions to become champions. This is what’s interesting, “said Jamaluddin who was accompanied by Acting Secretary, Suburhan.
The Saman Festival, which will be held on 18 to 21 August, has the theme “Radiating the Light of Aceh through Cultural Arts”. The festival is supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, as well as the Gayo Lues Regency Tourism Office which takes place in the Thousand Hills Square of Bebesen sub-district, Blangkejeren City.
“The Saman Festival will be opened by the Acting Governor of Aceh, Nova Iriansyah on Monday night, August 19, 2019,” said Jamal.
Acting Secretary, Suburhan, added, at the opening of the event later, Ratoh Jaroe’s mass dance would be performed which was coupled with Saman’s appearance. This was aimed at not only adding dramatic events but also having the aim of rectifying the false paradigm of Ratoh Jaroe as Saman.
“Ratoh Jaroe is an art of creation while Saman, which is recognized as an intangible Cultural Heritage of the World by UNESCO, is not only a traditional art, but for the Gayo Lues community, Saman is Culture,” Suburhan said.
In addition to the Saman dance competition, the Saman Festival event is also part of a series of social events, which are also filled with educational activities in its implementation to get to know the culture of Gayo Lues.
“One of them is the launch of the Saman seminar initiated by BPNB (the Preservation of Values and Culture) of Aceh and North Sumatra. In addition, several regional artists Gayo Lues performed their performances, “he said again.
The Light of Aceh Festival
Meanwhile, separately in Banda Aceh, Monday morning (8/19/2019), Head of Marketing, Rahmadhani said, the Saman Festival in Gayo Lues also featured music performances enlivened by several local Acehnese singers, and closed with Rialdoni performance on August 21, 2019.
“Acehnese local singers will join in entertaining visitors to the 2019 Saman Festival with Acehnese and Gayo songs that are hits in the community. This performance will be present at The Light of Aceh Music Festival in order to enliven the 2019 Saman Festival, “said Rahmadhani.
In addition to The Light of Aceh Music Festival which also enlivened the 2019 Saman Festival, the Aceh Museum also took part in enlivening the festival which was included in the Top 100 Indonesian Tourism Event Calendar and the Top 3 Aceh Event Calendar with an Aceh historical exhibition.
