Getting to Know the Cultural Wealth in Indonesia
Ditulis pada: July 07, 2021
Culture in Indonesia is a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation that has important meanings. It is likened to an ancestral heritage that must be preserved so that future generations will know and continue this culture for their children and grandchildren later.
Culture
The culture that exists in Indonesia itself consists of various types, including local culture, national culture, and also the foreign culture that has existed in Indonesia since ancient times and has become a habit of certain people.
In general, culture is divided into two parts, namely:
1. National Culture
That is the culture that is designated as the national identity of the State of Indonesia. It is a combination and is universal for the Indonesian people from cultures throughout the archipelago.
For example, making Pancasila the basis of the state, using Indonesian as the language of unity, and singing the anthem Indonesia Raya as the national anthem.
National culture is based on Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), although they are different, they are still one.
2. Regional Culture
That is the culture in a certain area and is a habit that is passed down from generation to generation from the ancestors of the region. Because Indonesia has a very diverse cultural diversity, automatically the culture in each region is different.
The culture includes a way of life, customs, and languages that differ from one region to another. That is what enriches the culture in Indonesia, but does not forget one word, namely unity as the Indonesian nation.
And here are some categories that are included in various cultures in Indonesia that are more specific.
1. Musical Instruments
Musical instruments in Indonesia are very diverse and many types. The average musical instrument in Indonesia is still fairly traditional because it is made of simple materials but produces a very beautiful sound when sung with other musical instruments, such as angklung, flute, drum, gamelan, and so on.
Our task at this time is to preserve these traditional musical instruments by learning and performing them on art performances so that the beauty of the tones produced from all musical instruments in Indonesia can be recognized by the world as Indonesia's original cultural wealth that is not lost despite its proliferation the influence of music from outside which is favored by young people.
2. Traditional Houses
Every region in Indonesia has a unique form of building different traditional houses. All aspects of the house have a deep philosophy by the culture of the local ancestors.
The names of each traditional house from all over Indonesia are also very unique and each has a meaning that you must understand. For example, Rumah Gadang from West Sumatra, Rumah Joglo from Yogyakarta and Rumah Honai from Papua.
3. Traditional Dances
Apart from music, it seems that the dances favored by young Indonesians have begun to be influenced by modern dances from outside. Traditional dances have beauty and diversity which is a shame if they are not preserved and cultured by all levels of society, especially young people who are the nation's successors.
Each tribe in Indonesia has a distinctive regional dance and has its regional values. For example, Jaipong Dance from West Java and Pendet Dance from Bali.
If you want to participate in inviting your children to get to know traditional dances in Indonesia, you can register your child in a dance studio to hone their skills.
4. Language
As previously explained, the cultural wealth in Indonesia consists of national culture and regional culture. The same goes for the languages in Indonesia. Each region has its regional language which is used daily in the region.
For example, Sundanese in West Java, Betawi in Jakarta and its surroundings, and Javanese in Central Java and East Java. However, many regional languages can be united with Indonesian as a unified language. This is what makes communication between all ethnic groups in Indonesia run smoothly and unified.
5. Regional Songs
Regional songs are songs that come from certain areas and are not only popularly sung by residents, but are also recognized by all people in Indonesia. Usually, folk songs have strains and lyrical meanings that describe the characteristics of the tribal character.
And folk songs generally use their respective regional languages, for example, the song Manuk Dadali from West Java which contains Sundanese language, and the song Rasa Sayange from Maluku whose lyrics use the local language.
6. Traditional Clothing
Traditional clothing is an item of distinctive clothing that becomes the identity of a regional tribe in Indonesia. As with dances and regional languages, traditional clothing between each region also has significant differences and characteristics from one another.
Every detail attached to the clothes has a meaning and tradition that must be understood so that the manufacture of traditional clothing still maintains the cultural heritage handed down from ancestors.
In addition, the additional accessories used from head to toe also have different philosophies. Currently, traditional clothing is usually used for weddings or local traditional events.
7. Traditional Fabrics
Adopted from traditional clothing areas in Indonesia, these traditional fabrics can now be used as clothing that is used daily in a more flexible and less formal style.
However, the use of traditional fabrics in clothing that is used daily can help preserve the authenticity of culture in Indonesia so that it is better known to the wider community from being unclaimed by other countries as has happened before.
Examples of fabrics that you can currently use for daily activities and official events include batik cloth, semi kebaya, woven cloth, and many more.
8. Culinary
Authentic food from an area has a taste that is not only liked by residents but also favored by various Indonesian people. Call it Padang cuisine and Sundanese cuisine which are often found in various places throughout Indonesia, as well as various types of cuisine from other regions.
Almost all Indonesian culinary specialties use very rich spice blends and are prepared with traditional techniques that must be maintained. In addition to food, traditional drinks such as bandrek, cendol, green banana ice, and others should also be preserved.
In addition to the categories mentioned above, there is still a culture of martial arts and other arts that have become important cultures that have been born in our beloved country for a long time.
With a strong awareness in every community living in Indonesia to preserve these cultures, automatically our culture will not be lost or even claimed by other countries.
All existing cultures in Indonesia, both national and regional cultures, can be maintained, recognized, and continued by the nation's successors as part of Indonesia's original identity. This proves that Indonesia is very rich in cultural values.
