Music from the Outskirts of Jakarta at 72-13

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18 August 2006, Fri, 8pm, 72-13
Screening of Dragons Beget Dragons
Conversation with film maker Ariani Darmawan
Free admission. Call (65) 67377213 to reserve a seat.

It all began at the end of 2001 when Ariani Darmawan, stumbled upon a CD of Music from The Outskirts of Jakarta. It was something she had never heard before, strange and altogether fascinating.

Her curiosity grew deeper as she discovered the history to the music. To this day, Gambang Kromong is known as the only adaptive-culture of the Chinese-Indonesians, or “Tionghoa Peranakan”, as they are popularly referred to, literally meaning Indonesian-bred Chinese. Aside from Darmawan’s own personal interest as a Tionghoa Peranakan herself, she felt obliged to share whatever information she had with the public about the existence of this hybrid-culture, complete with its rich historical background. She poses: How much does one know about one’s culture, and moreover, one’s self?