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Art Festival

The 28th Annual Bali Arts Festival in Buleleng is held this year, coinciding with the 402nd Anniversary of the regency which was named by the first Radja of Bali-Pandji Sakti who named the original Capital of Bali, Singaraja.

May 19 sees the Grand Opening ceremony, which also is the start of a series of evening cultural shows held at the Sasana Budaya Singaraja.

On Saturday, May 20, Gamelan Semar Pegulingan (among the traditional Balinese music usually played in special events or temple festivals) is held, featuring the orchestra group from the Gobleg Banjar village. Another orchestra, Angklung Kebyar (normally used in cremation ceremonies), is featured from Busungbiu village.

Sunday, May 21, has a Joged Mebarung competition. The Joged Bumbung is one of the few exclusively secular dances of Bali, in which the brightly-dressed female dancer invites males from the audience to dance with her in pretence of seduction. The Music is made with bumbung (bamboo) instruments. This dance is very popular among tourists. The Music and the dancers are from Sari Mekar Village and from Petandakan Village. Performances commence at 8pm.

Monday, May 22, has the Women’s Gong Kebyar Gamelan orchestras competing between Gong Kebyar from Galungan Village and Gong Kebyar from Pancasari Village. Tuesday, May 23 sees the closing ceremony of the festival, featuring Men’s Gong Kebyar from Trippitaka Munduk and Ambengan Village. The “Wija Kusuma Art Awards” is also highlighted in the evening from 7.30pm. For additional information contact Damai Lovina Villas.

Damai Lovina Villas, Singaraja, North Bali - www.damai.com

Source: Bali and Beyond

Add comment May 22nd, 2006

Healing The World Once More

The Island plays host to a gathering of global leaders and citizens from over 20 countries for the second Quest For Global Healing: Inspiring Actions for World Renewal Conference, May 4-8 at ARMA Museum in Ubud.

Presenters this year include three Nobel Peace Prize Laureates: Desmond Tutu, Jody Williams and Betty Williams. Additionally, KH Abdurahman Wahid (Gus Dur)-head of the largest Muslim party in the world (40 million Muslims); Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering-Bhutan’s Minister of Labor and Human Resources; Fatima Gailani-head of the Red Crescent in Afghanistan; and numerous others will all be speaking and participating.

A Special Global Youth in Action program is being offered for youth ages 17-30. A major fundraising effort helped to bring more than 75 youth from around the world, representing such countries as, Peru, Tunisia, Indonesia, India, Norway, South Africa, Singapore, Australia, US, China, Thailand, and other places.

Other unique components include a first-ever Global Healing Film Festival produced by Damani Bake, named by Filmmaker Magazine as one of the “25 new faces in independent film”. There will also be an art exhibition of new works from local artists focused on their own interpretation on global healing, a poetry slam featuring a 16 year-old native American poetry winner and other writers, a special photography exhibition, and much more.

Quest for Global Healing has more than 75 organizations as partners and sponsors including United Nations, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Fetzer Institute, PeaceJam, RFS Foundation, The World Café, and numerous Balinese organizations and NGOs.

Source: Bali and Beyond

Add comment May 22nd, 2006