ASEAN Life Vol: 2 March - May 2014 | Page 18
culture
and East and Central Java is called “gamelan.”
language lesson
Popular during political campaigns is
“dangdut.” “Keroncong” is Portugueseinspired music while West Timor has its
President Soeharto officially overhauling the
“sasando.” Bamboo instruments are used
spelling system, which changed CH to KH,
in West Java to produce “angklung” and
TJ to C, DJ to J, NJ to NY, J to Y and SJ to SY.
“degung” music.
If you intend to live in Indonesia, it
is imperative that you learn the language
Dance and Drama
although it is possible to manage living in
Indonesian Culture:
Intertwined with Age-old Traditions, Religion, and Art
T
the national language. But then again you
are depriving yourself of the chance to
and Ramayana, which are of Indian origin.
integrate into mainstream society or deal
Traditional dances from Java and Bali include
“legong,” “kecak” or the Ramayana Monkey
Chant, the “barong” and the trance dance
called “kuda kepang” or “jatilan.”
Indonesia is famous for its shadow
puppet theatre called “wayang kulit”
that also showcases events culled from
mythology. The folk theater of West
BAHASA INDONESIA
Uniting More than 237 Million Indonesians
T
© filipemfrazao- Fotolia
Colourful Batik
the city, at least in Jakarta, without learning
usually depicting scenes from Mahabharata
© Brad Pic- Fotolia
Most of the dances in Indonesia are
based on mythology, with traditional dances
with other Indonesians who do not speak
your language. Moreover, you will miss out
on fully experiencing Indonesia’s rich cultural
heritage and improving your personal
relationships with the locals. For most people,
here is some misconception
them also speaking Javanese and Sudanese.
Bahasa Indonesia is an easy language to learn
when it comes to Bahasa Indo
Bahasa Indonesia is likewise spoken in
since the words are pronounced in