Local Arts

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Traditional Dances

To see (or to learn) traditional dances and music of Minahasa performances, and other regions within North Sulawesi province, you can visit Manado cultural center (see Places of Interest, on the left).

There are numbers of Minahasan traditional dances ("Tari"), listed below is a few of them.

Cakalele or Kabasaran

This traditional dance of Minahasa, as well as some other parts of Eastern Indonesia, is usually performed by 30 people or more. In the past, this dance performed before going for a war.

Dancers were performing, on the left, during Tohomon Flower Festival in Tomohon. See below for the flower festival details.

Watch Cakalele performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVaJwWS_53A

Lenso

A dance that describes Minahasan young people, particularly the young women in Minahasa when choosing their soul-mates in order to get a bright future.

Watch Lenso performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jgQYMl2srM

Maengket

Maengket is one of Minahasan traditional dances that is performed by about 20 couples during thanksgiving celeberation.

Watch Maengket performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg2L5BrtoHM

Tumetenden

A Minahasan traditional dance that based on a myth story of Minahasan legend. A nymph that is descended from the world of gods and got married to a local farmer.

Maramba

Similar to Maengket, Maramba is performed to celebrate something, such as house warming. Usually "half-drunk" people line-up together, sing traditional songs and dance around the new house.

Traditional Music

Kolintang

A traditional music from north Sulawesi, made of wood and usually performed by around six players.

Kolintang is one of the most common and famous traditional music of Minahasa, where probably you will hear or see more than the other traditional music of north Sulawesi.

Watch Kolintang performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI3G-6qtQC0

Bamboo Music

Also known as bamboo klarinet music, usually performed by a group of twenty to forty musicians, who also wear traditional clothes.

Tomohon Flower Festival (TFF)

The first festival was held last year, which was attended by 46 city representatives from all over Indonesia, and today Tomohon city is preparing to "greet the world with flowers" again in July 2009.

From 5 July 2009, during this TFF, there will be three occasions: Tournament of Flowers, Indonesia Queen of Flowers and National Religious Choir Festival.

Tomohon Flower Festival contact details:

Telephone/Fax: (+62 431) 351706
Email: [email protected]