Bamboo Music at Jakarta Expo

A bamboo music festival will be held at the Jakarta International Expo on Saturday and Sunday to preserve the traditional music for domestic and foreign tourists and to celebrate Independence Day, organizers said.

Festival spokesman Wawan Juanda said the festival would stage many activities, including world music performances, archipelagic seruling (flute) performances, a seminar on bamboo music and an exhibition on bamboo-made handcrafts.

“Our main mission is to conserve bamboo music instruments found across the archipelago,” Wawan said.

“We also want to show that 10 percent of world bamboo supply comes from Indonesia and that bamboo is part of the Indonesian culture.”

Wawan said further the festival was a preparation for a series of activities in 2008 which include the National Awakening Day centenary, Visit Indonesia Year and the World Culture Forum. – JP