Gibranic Days
July 29th: Indonesian Embassy
08.30 p.m. Indonesian Folklore Night
Location Mary Haskel Square - Gibran Museum
In the presence of his H. E. Mr. & Mrs.. Dimas Samodra Rum - Ambassador of Indonesia to Lebanon, Indonesian Embassy staff, President Dr. Tarek Chidiac and members of the Gibran National Committee, Ms. Roula Al-Bayea - Bcharreh District Commissioner, Mr. Antoine Khoury - President of Bcharreh Municipality among national and local figures and over one thousand attendees, the Indonesian and Lebanese National hymns were played live on stage at the opening the Indonesian Folklore festival.
In his speech, Dr, Tarek Chidiac has warmly welcomed the audience and avowed that thanks to the Indonesian Embassy, this year Summer Festival is very special as it is the first fruit of collaboration with embassies in Lebanon. He added, introducing cultures and arts of foreign countries through folklore festivals is an aspect of "dialogue among civilizations" and one of the GNC objectives".
Over fifty artists have formed the Indonesian folk band that presented Indonesian folk dances and songs from several islands introducing Indonesia diversity of ethnicities and cultures influenced by Asian and even western styles through colonization.
A group of Lebanese artists have joined the Indonesian band to sing traditional Lebanese songs played on Indonesian traditional music instruments. This joint work was described as exceptional and valuable. It has introduced a new style of combined Lebanese - Indonesian traditional art.
Nearly twenty Indonesian soldiers from the Indonesian battalion at the United Nations Interim Forces to Lebanon (UNIFIL) came from south Lebanon where they are based crossing 250 km to Bcharreh, merely to perform at the Indonesian festival Indonesian martial art.
Following the event, as recognition of the exerted efforts by the Indonesian embassy, President and members of the Gibran National Committee have called eminent figures that have attended the festival, to assist at a dinner held to honor H. E. the Indonesian Ambassador and his spouse, Indonesian Embassy staff, and artists at a luxury restaurant. Moreover, H. E. Mr. & Mrs. Dimas Samodra Rum and diplomatic staff of the Indonesian Embassy were invited by the GNC President and members also to spend a long weekend at Bcharreh.
The Indonesian Folklore Festival was exceptional; it reaped significant echoes that are still heard till present. Local and international media means wrote profusely about it.
