Indonesia is a country which varies in cultural diversity with many of different ethnic groups. Each group has its own uniqueness related to traditions or arts, which makes Indonesia a country of interest from a point of view of anthropology, ethnomusicology, theater, and traditional art.
People of Indonesia
Indonesia has the largest Moslem population than any other country in the world. Moreover, it is a country that is diverse in religion too. It contributes religion like Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic and Protestant communities. On other hand Kaharingan, the religion of the Dayak peoples of Kalimantan has gained official recognition as a religion here. These religions and their indigenous beliefs or their interrelationships and their syncretism provide fascinating study for students of religion
Resources available in Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the developing nations in the natural and human resources with promising economic potential, making it a country of interest to geographers, economists, international businessmen and development workers. It has moved through tremendous political change in recent years, as moving toward greater freedom and democracy for its citizens, with a view of making the nation intensely interest for political scientists.
Traditional performing arts
Music-Indonesian has a great tradition of music like ‘Kroncong’ which is a musical genre that uses guitars and ukuleles as the main musical instruments. This genre had its origin in Portugal and was introduced by Portuguese traders in the fifteenth century. With this there is a traditional of ‘Keroncong Tugu’ music group in North Jakarta and other traditional Keroncong music groups in Maluku, with strong Portuguese influences. The soft Sasando music from the province of East Nusa Tenggara is famous in Indonesia which is made from Sasando instrument made from a split leaf of the Lontar palm, which bears some resemblance to a harp.
Dance- There is a traditional dance depicting episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata from India, ranging through Thailand, all the way to Bali. It makes a difference, though it played between the highly stylized dances of the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta and their popular variations. While on the other hand the court dances of Indonesia are promoted and even performed internationally.
