Jarandut: Balinese Dance From the Island of Lombok
The traditional dances in Bali have been flourishing, and new generations of traditional dancers and gamelan musicians are continuously being born. The dignity of taking part in such cultural performances is very much alive in this digital age and intense technological era. The dances of Bali are not only learned and developed by the Balinese
Bali’s Nightly Kecak Dance
An evening of cultural appreciation should leave a memorable experience on your Bali travel diary. And doing so is like a picnic, for there are countless nightly traditional Balinese dance performances such as the Kecak Dance held on many corners of the island for you to come and watch. In Bali, a traditional dance is
Under the Rumbling Holy Mountain
While Bali’s holy mountain Gunung Agung rumbles threateningly, keeping everyone on their toes, life in the villages continues unabated. Here in a tiny hamlet, within shouting distance of Gunung Agung, the villagers celebrate their temple celebration or Odalan without turning a hair. Even though this little village of Yeh Poh – water of the heavenly
The Karsian Dance: Celebrating Water
One of dance competitions that is really interesting is Gong Kebyar Competition. I’ve been following the competition since seven years ago, it is amazing to witness how the young generation on the island grow their passion in continuing the culture, and also add some advanced touches of the modern culture to it. Some captivating new
Dance, Trance and the Bali Spirit
Balinese ceremonies will always provide a little something. Something visual, something surprising, something out of the ordinary. People come together at their village temple, primarily to pray to their gods, yet at the same time it keeps each community strong and connected. It is this regular procession of temple festivals or Odalan, which happen in
Tandjung Sari Part 1: The Old, Flamboyant Sanur
On an island that can now feel overrun with hotels and resorts, few can rival the history of Tandjung Sari hotel in Sanur. One of the first resorts in Sanur, Tandjung Sari was at the forefront of the influx of tourists to the island and has remained one of the ‘seminal boutique hotels of tropical
Why Are All Balinese Artists?
It is a truism to say that all Balinese are artists. Even though many are just villagers, it is a fact that almost all can carve, paint and play music. There are explanations to it. Most go back to the psychology days of anthropology, before World War Two. Such anthropology is criticised nowadays, but for
Baris Tamiang
It is amazing to find that this little island is the home of so many dances, we can lose count if we tried to include new choreography that seems to arise to the surface every day. The dances in Bali falls into several classification, just like taxonomy of trees or animals. Let’s look at Baris
Banten Jotan: An Offering for Good and Evil
The Balinese religion is dominated by “deeds” rather than thought, by orthopraxy rather than orthodoxy. In rituals thus performed, peculiar attention is paid to the offering of food to what are called the witnesses (saksi) of the world: the gods (dewasaksi); the humans (manusasaksi) and the demons (butasaksi). Most tourists have seen, conjured up by
Celuk Village, The Home of the Silversmiths
Bali is home to many artisanal vocations, from sculpting to engraving, painting and mask making. Amongst these many skills is the making of jewellery. This fine art of crafting elegant jewellery is best found in Celuk Village, the home to the masters of gold and silver in Bali. The artisanal skills of the Balinese stems from
Discovering Bali’s Traditional Musical Instruments
Music in Bali is extremely complex in nature, and there is no doubt that it is vital in Balinese culture. In addition to serving the art and culture, traditional instruments are used for religious activities. Some performances depend on these musical tools to create the magical effect of Balinese music. Balinese culture has a significant
Kastala Kapers: Journey to Another World
Anyone who thinks that Bali’s culture is dying just needs out head out of town. I am guessing that many of the southerners busy with business and the pursuits of pleasure care less but that doesn’t stop Bali’s vibrant culture being nurtured by their profits. It is surely a win win situation for everyone! Kastala,
The Wiranjaya Dance
Pesta Kesenian Bali, organized by the government of the province, started in 1979 and has taken place each year. The last event, that just finished in early July, charmed thousands of visitors on each day and caused a successful amount of traffic. Apart from performances by the groups of artist from the island, participation from
