SUMATRA BARAT PADANG -METAWAI -JAMBI

BUKIT TINGGI

bukittinggi (sumatera barat) tempo dulu 

The central landmark in Bukittinggi (West Sumatera) is the Jam Gadang/clock tower , with its stylized roof, standing in the town square. source: Zul Umar video

Bukittinggi - Fort De Kock 

The city was known as Fort de Kock during colonial times in reference to the Dutch outpost established here in 1825 during the Padri War. The fort was founded by Captain Bauer at the top of Jirek hill and later named after the then Lieutenant Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies,
Hendrik Merkus de Kock.
The first road connecting the region with the west coast was built between 1833 and 1841 via the Anai Gorge, easing troop movements, cutting the costs of transportation and providing an economic stimulus for the agricultural economy.
A rail line connecting the city with Payakumbuh and Padang was constructed between 1891 and 1894.

During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia in World War II, the city was the headquarters for the Japanese 25th Army, the force which occupied Sumatra.
The headquarters was moved to the city in April 1943 from Singapore, and remained until the Japanese surrender in August 1945.

During the Indonesian National Revolution, the city was the headquarters for the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PDRI) from December 19,
1948 to July 13, 1949. During the second 'Police Action' Dutch forces invaded and occupied the city on December 22, 1948, having earlier bombed it in
preparation. The city was surrendered to Republican officials in December 1949 after the Dutch government recognized Indonesian sovereignty.

The city was officially renamed Bukittinggi in 1949, replacing its colonial name. From 1950 until 1957, Bukittinggi was the capital city of a province
called Central Sumatra, which encompassed West Sumatra, Riau and Jambi. In February 1958, during a revolt in Sumatra against the Indonesian government,
rebels proclaimed the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PRRI) in Bukittinggi. The Indonesian government had recaptured the town by
May the same year. 

A group of Muslim men had planned to bomb a cafe in the city frequented by foreign tourists in October 2007, but the plot was aborted due to the risk of
killing Muslim individuals in the vicinity.
Since 2008 the city administration has banned Valentine's Day and New Year's celebrations as they consider

them not in line with Minangkabau traditions or Islam, and can lead to "immoral acts" such as young couples hugging and kissing.

Randai 1930s 

Old Movie from 1938 about Randai.
Randai is a folk theater tradition of the Minangkabau ethnic group which incorporates music, singing, dance, drama and the Silek or Galuik martial art. Randai is usually performed for traditional ceremonies and festivals.

The circle in the performing art of randai is an example of the Minangkabau cultural spirit that reflects a sense of belonging, equality and desire to create a communicative connection between the randai performers and the audience. In the Minangkabau randai performance, it is explicit that there is neither rank nor social status differentiation amongst the audience. They intermingle freely and can sit wherever they like to see the performance. The circle used as a standard pattern in the randai performance has created a communicative space, which is interactive and democratic.

Silek 1936

Old Movie from 1936 about Silek Galombang
This circular dance is called galombang. Feature martial arts movements took as well a rather amazing and totally unique type of pants-slapping percussion called tapuak. These tapuak patterns have become the signature feature of randai theatre; they are performed in a remarkably dynamic manner by slapping special pants while dancing.
Tari Galombang - (actually this is not a dance, this is a silek performance). Silek is the famous martial art from Minangkabau / Sumatra. It is usually performed before Tari Pasambahan( Welcome dance)

Silek Luncua from Solok area 

Silek Luncua or slide Silek from Sungai Pagu Solok region West Sumatra area.The grand master is: Pakieh Rabun / blind monk master.
Silek Luncua has 49 technics:
22 ground technics
22 uper technics
5 elimination technics

Old dance Tari Piriang 1930s (silent) 

Pencak Silat Minang 1937

Orang Mentawai 

Orang Mentawai adalah orang2x yang asli di pulau Siberut, Sumatera. Mereka tidak suku Dayak, tapi mereka seperti orang Dayak karena baju mereka.

Indonesia, Sumatra in 1940 before Japanese occupation

 A year before Indonesia was occupied by the Japanese during WW2 an American traveler took these colour pictures of the island.

Mentawai Tattoo Revival - the 1st Visit (FULL)

 

Wildest tribes - The Mentawai

An immense archipelago in the heart of Indonesia was once open to a great variety of cultural and religious influences. Sometime during the Stone Age, amazingly, one small island amidst this vast constellation separated from the rest of Indonesia to form its own, unique culture. The people who live here, the "Mentawaï," are part of a tribal society that has scarcely changed during the course of thousands of years. Teorosha is a "Sikerei," or shaman. He is one of the few able to communicate with the spiritual world of his ancestors. Deep in the jungles of Siberut, he is our guide, introducing us to the magic world of his timeless people.

A 45' minute documentary directed and produced by Christian Cascio. A World Life - Marathon coproduction.

Mentawai Project 

A crowning moment. A ritual undergone. This was documented while I was in Amsterdam. I connected with a man named Durga who is from Indonesia. He is one of few to be doing what he does. Currently he is researching and gathering knowledge to revive a vanishing artform. He is writting a book about the Mentawai tribe.

This titi Gagai is the name of a certain style of tattooing. It belong s to the Mentawai tribe in the Jungles of Sumatra. Durga says, my tattoo will be the only one running around thats not in the jungle. The first non Mentawai to wear this motif. he was lost for words after he did the tattoo as he is so amazed that has set this revival into motion.

It was a very painful thing to endure as it lasted about 8 hours. The significance of the patterns is for warding off evil spirits and also signifies the sacredness of the hand. patterns also represent the paths and cross roads of the jungle.

for me it signifies my return to the sacred. A reminder to never compromise my
Art and my vision for lesser motives.


To have this hand tapped is a dedication and commitment in itself as it is my art hand. The closest thing to tattooing your face would be your hands.Its raw its real its alive.

Geister der Simatalu Teil 1 

Orang Rimba Partie 

Film temoignage d'une famille orang rimba (ethnie nomade de sumatra) victime de la deforestation

Orang Rimba 

A very short visit to a tribe living in the Jungle of Sumatra. I love singing, and if singing makes people happy... I'll sing!

Our Land 

In June 2011 the forest people of Sako Tulang and the village of Tanah Garo asked our help to carry their voices and look for some help to fight the government, greed and corruption.
According to the traditional law in Indonesia, people who have lived on the same land since their ancestors, own the land and the trees that are on it. Even though officially Indonesian government accepts the traditional law, in the case of Tanah Garo village they turn a blind eye - roads and working houses are being built to collect profit from the lands of the people that are now living in fear to loose it all.

Struggle for the Forests - the Kubu, Sumatra

Die Biosprit-Lüge - Doku komplett