Klastic

These old and cheap-looking cameras belong to the members of KLASTIC, Indonesia's plastic and toy camera community. The desk exhibit was part of the workshop that Klastic was giving to introduce its community to the rest of Bandung's photographic and creative communities and the interested public in general at Braga Fest last December.

Klastic is a unique photographic community in that (1) most of its members are young people (teenagers and those in the early 20s), (2) they use film/analog plastic and toy cameras, many of which are cheap and salvaged from flea markets, (3) their approach to photography (photo-making) is what may be called as "don't think, just shoot" (there are no rules there, just follow your gut feeling). The practices in (2) and (3) are also what lomographers (the practitioners of lomography) do. Although lomography itself was initially associated with a certain brand of cameras and accessories, i.e. those produced by LOMO PLC of Russia, it has now become the proper name for this kind of photographic practices.

Klastic, by the way, was established on December 7, 2008. So, it's a pretty young community.

Sketching

A girl was having her face sketched by a professional sketcher/painter at Braga Festival 2009 that took place from December 17th to 30th last year.

Nasi Tetenong

The annual Braga Festival is taking place now. It was opened on the 27 and will be ongoing till tomorrow (12/30). I went there on the first day and was a bit disappointed to see that the flow of events and performances didn't seem to be as well organized as the previous years'. The food stands still look good and very tempting though. I tried Nasi Tetenong.



Nasi is the Indonesian word for cooked rice, and tetenong is the Sundanese word for the bamboo basket/container like the one in the photo below. So nasi tetenong means rice with a variety of side dish choices offered/contained in the bamboo container. This Nasi Tetenong, however, is the name of a restaurant. Did you see what I had? See the top photo. It's delicious and inexpensive.

My World: The Indonesian Music of Keroncong

Acculturized from the Portuguese folk music of fado, keroncong began to develop in some parts of the Indonesian archipelago, especially in the Tugu area of what is now Jakarta and Maluku (the Moluccas), in the 19th century. It has since acquired a distinctively Indonesian flavor and hence been considered as an Indonesian musical heritage.

The root of keroncong is said to have been introduced into the Indonesian archipelago by the Portuguese sailors and officers in the 16th century. The earliest form of keroncong is called Moresco, which is characterized by - among others - the dominant use of chordophonic-percussion musical instruments. In its development, various local musical instruments and elements, such as some instruments of the gamelan, seruling bambu (Javanese and Sundanese bamboo flutes), and musical notes, were introduced into the ensemble, thus giving it a distinctively local flavor.

For your information, a keroncong ensemble typically consists of cordophonic musical instruments such as the violin, the guitar, cello, contra bass, three and four strings ukuleles, plus a flute, and some gamelan instruments.

Keroncong became very popular throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its popularity began to fade only with the introduction of The Beatles' style of music in the 1960s. The music still survives and has its own fans, however, as is shown by this group of young keroncong musicians performing at the Braga Festival last December. I was happy to see that this performance did not only attract audience from the older generations, but also a lot of young people who seemed to enjoy it as much as their parents and grandparents did.

To see what the performance was like and listen to a sample of what this music is like, please enjoy the following 1 minute 52 seconds video clip which I recorded from their performance. (This video can also with viewed at my other blog BANDUNG DAILY PHOTO'S sister site BANDUNG DAILY VIDEO.)



This post is BANDUNG DAILY PHOTO'S participation in MY WORLD Tuesday meme. To see other participants' posts from around the world, please follow the link.

"Komunitas Kalangan Atas" Art Community

This sculpture is one of the art works exhibited at Braga Festival last December. It is crafted from the whole root of bamboo by Tedy K., the artist and craftsman and the copyrights holder of this piece of art work. Tedy K. is a naturally talented artist and a member of the "Komunitas Kalangan Atas" Art Community.

The "Komunitas Kalangan Atas" Art Community works and permanent exhibits can be found at their workshop at Dago Tea House on Jalan Dago Selatan 53A, Bandung.

Classic Vintage Motorbikes at Braga Fest

Classic vintage motorbike show and parade have always been part of Braga Festival. These motorbikes are parked on the road side for the visitors and spectators to admire and be curious about. They can even ask the owners for a ride.

There are quite a large number of classic vintage motorbikes in Indonesia. The proud owners of these motorbikes are organized in clubs and even have their own specialized repair shops.

There are two major classic motorbike clubs in Bandung: MACI Bandung and Bikers Brotherhood MC (motor club). Unlike HDCI (Harley-Davidson Club Indonesia) whose members are exclusively limited to the owners of Harley-Davidson motorbikes, MACI and Bikers Brotherhood MC are more open in their membership. Anybody who has a classic vintage motorbike can become their member.



What kind of motorbikes do the members of these clubs have?

They are quite varied. Some are American made, some Japanese made, but many of them are European made. Among these, the German made DKW motorbikes are - in my observation - the most numerous.

DKW (Dampf Kraft Wagen or steam-driven car) was once (in the 1930s) the world's largest motorbike manufacturer. The company was founded by the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen in Saxony, Germany, in 1916. It initially manufactured steam fittings. Later on it also produced another DKW ( Des Knaben Wunsch or "a boy's desire"), a prototype engine which was later modified to become its first motorbike, also called DKW (Das Kleine Wunder — "a little marvel"). The company was famous not only for its motorbikes, but also automobiles. As a result of a series of mergers, the DKW brand ceased to exist in 1966. The last automobile bearing its brand was F102.

Today's post is BANDUNG DAILY PHOTO's participation in the Monochrome Monday. To see other black and white photographs of the participants of this meme please follow the link.

Pattern and Colors of Batik Cirebon (Cirebonese Batik)

Here is a close up look at Batik Cirebon's patterns and colors. These batik clothes and sarongs are displayed at the Cirebon Municipality stand at the Braga Festival last week.

I have previously posted the history of the Indonesian batik and the characteristics of Batik Cirebon (Cirebonese Batik) here.

Cirebon , by the way, is a city and regency in the northern coast of Java, about 135 kilometers to the north east of Bandung. As a coastal trading city, Cirebon has received various influences from its visitors throughout its long history (the city was officially established in 1369). These influences have created an interesting cultural melting pot, which, among others, are reflected in the designs of its batik. Its bright colors, for example, are said to have come from the Chinese influence.

Batik Cirebon is mostly produced by home industries in Trusmi, a village some 7 kilometers from its city center. That is why sometimes batik Cirebon is also called batik Trusmi.

In addition to Trusmi, there are actually two other villages that also become the centers of batik production in Cirebon. They are Karang Tengah and Kunduran. The latter has a predominantly Chinese population and, therefore, produces mostly Chinese-Indonesian style batik.

How Much Inspiration is Barack Obama?

How much inspiration is the US President elect Barack Obama here?

These two paintings displayed at the Taman Sari Artist Community stand at Braga Fest last week can probably become a testimony to how inspirational and popular he is here.

Back in October last year when he was a presidential candidate, six senior painters/artists at Bandung's Taman Sari Artist Community began working on their paintings of Obama. Each of these artists pictured Obama in different styles, such as realist, caricatural, abstract, and expressionist.

When asked of the reason for their project, Basuki Bawono, one of the artists, said that they were inspired to paint Obama because he was currently a popular figure and one that had a very close relationship with Indonesia. Obama, as many of us know, lived and went to elementary school in Indonesia from 1967 (when he was six years old) up until 1971. Bawono also said their paintings were meant to show support to the presidential candidate.

With his inauguration only a few days away, we really hope that Obama can deliver what he promised in his campaign: Change! We really have a lot of hope in him not only to bring about change for the better for the American people, but also for the people of the world, especially those who are currently living under oppression, fear, and poverty.

My Wordl Tuesday Post: Braga Fest 2008 (Part One) - Bihari, Kiwari, Baringsupagi

First, my apology for the misinformation about the beginning of 2008 Braga Fest I posted earlier. My sources had somehow misinformed me that it started on the 28, whereas it officially began today, December 30th.

The 2008 Braga Festival's theme is "Bihari, Kiwari, Baringsupagi" - the Sundanese words for yesterday, today, [and] tomorrow. According to the organizer, the theme was chosen to reflect on the historical development of Jalan Braga (Braga Street) as the very street that had earned Bandung the nick name of "Parijs van Java" (the Paris of Java) and to mark the beginning of the efforts to revitalize businesses and the famous beauty of the street.

The theme is reflected in the zoning of the festival. There are three stages set along the street with the stage at the southern end of the street being set for performances that reflect Braga's past, that in the middle for Braga of today, and that at the northern end of the street for Braga of tomorrow. In between these stages were tents/stalls that showcased art works produced by Bandung's artists and creativity groups, different kinds of West Javanese culinary heritage, and fashions (for which the city is famous for).

In addition to this, as a matter of tradition, Braga Fest also features Braga Photo Festival (BPF), which this year, as in the previous years, is marked with a photo exhibition, "Photo Speak" (a series of lectures and workshops on photography by prominent photographers), photography movie viewing, and a photo contest for the general public and amateur photographers.

All that being said, let me now take you on a visual tour of some of what happened today. (I took more than 200 photographs plus about an hour worth of video clips just today; not all of them, however, are reporting worthy. So I will post some here and others at my other blogs.)

Today's post is also BANDUNG DAILY PHOTO'S participation for My World Tuesday meme. To see photos from other participants of this meme, please follow the link.



Who says that pompom has to be performed by girls?

This was one of the performances that took place in the northern stage today: A group of masculine pompom boys performed like they were girls. It was hilarious.



And here are some of the spectators:



OK. I guess you have to wait for other photos. My internet connection is being very slow today. It's exasperating.

Braga Fest Images 03: Street Theater

This is another photo from Braga Festival. This one is from last year (2007).

Braga Fest Images 02: Capoeira

Braga Fest 2008 starts tomorrow. This Braga Fest Images series contains photos that I took from the 2006 and 2007 Braga Fest.

Braga Fest does not only feature traditional Sundanese and Indonesian art performances. It also features international art performances like Capoeira.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines martial art, dance, and games. The origin of capoeira is still debated. Some believe that it originated from Africa and was brought to Brazil by the African slaves. Others believe that it is a uniquely Brazilian art form that emerged from (or combined) various elements of Brazilian multicultural heritage. Whatever its origin is, it is a very dynamic dance and a very exciting performance to watch.

These Capoeira performers, by the way, are not Brazilians. They are members of a local Capoeira group based in Bandung.

Braga Fest Images 01: The Tatalu

Braga Fest 2008 is scheduled to start this Sunday, December 28, and will be on until Tuesday, December 30. As I said a few times before, Braga Festival is an annual cultural and tourism event held on Jalan Braga, Bandung. Different street performances, food bazaar, and different kinds of attractions and exhibitions are held in this fest.

To welcome the 2008 Braga Fest, starting today, I'm going to post photos from previous years' Braga Fest so that you will have some ideas what the fest is like.

Today's photos show the Tatalu Percussion Group street performance. Tatalu is a group of young people who are experimenting with different kinds of daily objects, such as the garbage barrels, iron/tin barrels, and bamboo to be used as musical instuements. Their performance in the 2006 Braga Fest was very dynamic and attracted a lot of audience.

Braga Festival: Street Dining and Hospitality

At Braga Fest, customers are given the chance to taste the special menus that the chefs of Bandung's heritage hotels have created and meet and talk to them personally.

I like the unrehearsed hospitality shown in this scene where one of the chefs came over to the customers and had a friendly conversation with them.

Bangbarongan - Parade of the Demons

In the mythologies of Indonesia's different ethnics, demons are not necessarily evil. Some of them are good and can be befriended and be useful to humans. They can be used to scare off and drive away evil spirits. Their symbolic representations like these Bangbarongan masked figures are often paraded in rituals to ward off evil spirits.

I took this photo at the Braga Festival last year. Braga Festival is coming up at the end of the month. You should probably plan to spend your end of year holiday in Bandung. We have this festival and huge Chirstmas and End of Year sales coming up soon.

Jajangkungan: The Tallest Kids in The World (?)

A three meter tall human being would certainly break the record of the tallest person in the world. (The confirmed world record for the tallest person in the world, according to the Guiness Book of Record, is 2.72 meter tall, and is held by Robert Pershing Wadlow [1918-1940] of Alton, Illinois.)

These boys are slightly more than 3 meters tall, but no they are not the tallest persons in the world. They walk on stilts (Indonesian: "egrang") and are part of the "jajangkungan" performing art troupe. They don't just walk on stilts, but also play football (soccer), dance, and even race on them.

"Jajangkungan" by the way is originally a Sundanese (West Javanese people) traditional chidren game.

I took this photo at 2006 Braga Festival. As I said before, Braga Festival is one of the many annual festivals held in Bandung. It's held at the last week of December.

This post is my participation for MY WORLD meme. To see pictures from other participants around the world, please follow the link.