Analogio International Festival

Nusantara Arts Forum singing “Si Jali-Jali”

Sanggar Lestari has had the joy of spreading the diversity of Indonesian culture through theatre and dance in Melbourne for 30 years now, and it’s always amazing to see other traditional Indonesian dance groups perform around the world. This week, our Lestari girl Deena had the chance to watch an incredible theatrical performance by Nusantara Arts Forum from Jakarta, live in Athens.

Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia handing over a set of Angklung instruments

Their performance was shown as part of the Analogio International Festival, which is a week-long theatrical festival held annually in Greece. This year the event was held at the Athens University History Museum located just under one of the most historical sights of Greece, The Acropolis. 

The night was welcomed by the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia in Greece and was shortly followed by an interactive angklung workshop by Nusantara Arts Forum. The angklung instruments were later gifted to the audience, which was a lovely surprise to everyone who attended. They quickly continued with a traditional Batavian folk song called “Si Jali Jali” accompanied by live gamelan, which leads into their theatrical piece named “The Legend of the White Crocodile”.

It was an amazing experience for Sanggar Lestari to be able to witness such a talented group, perform and spread the Indonesian culture in one of the most historical places in the world.

Deena with some of the performers from Nusantara Arts Forum