Love Island Travel

King Balun Palace

South Solok, located along mountain ranges of Sumatra, has a cool climate. While taking a trip to Padang city in this region, travelers can enjoy the beautiful hilltop villages with a wide range of plants of the rainforest. Things become more interesting because they also pass through the rivers margin.

South Solok regency entry, travelers will be greeted by a beautiful king Balun Palace, which is one of the palace of the Kings of four ( Raja Empat nan ) in Surambi Alam, Sungai Pagi subdistrict, Daulat Tuanku yang Dipertuan Bagindo Rajo Adat Raja Alam Surambi Sungai Pagu. He had the power to manage aboriginal affairs and economic and excelled in Tambo (historical). In the palace, visitors can not only find heritage objects relating to the origin of those Sungai Pagu, but they can also see elephant skeletons believed to have originated in ancient times.

The lineage house ( rumah gadang ) turns 0 years and was burned in the Dutch period. During the Japanese occupation, his rangkiangs (small hut to store the harvested rice) has never been burned. The house still has many ancient texts and well maintained equipment for the coronation of the king. Equally interesting, it has 24 pillars representing his clan names, Kampai Nan Duo Puluah Ampek (Kampai of Twenty Four). Four of which are still original, wrapped in a yellow cloth.

Going further, visitors will arrive at Rumah Gadang Nagari 1000 (One Thousand Village Rumah Gadang). It is a traditional village located in the village of Koto Baru, Sungai Pagu Subdistrict, Solok Selatan regency, 141 km from the city of Padang. Almost the whole premise of the housing in the region lineage houses. The natural beauty of the village was once used as film set of Tenggelamnya Kapal Van der Wijck (The Sinking of Van der Wijck), an adaptation of a late 1930s Indonesian novel of the same title written by Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah, who is better known as Hamka.

Nagari 1000 Rumah Gadang

The village name "Mille Rumah Gadang 'is given by Meutia Hatta, women's empowerment minister in the first Cabinet Yudhoyono from 04 to 09, during his trip to the village. The name behind the village suggests various types of lineage houses based on clan names in the village such as Gajah Maharam, Bodi Chaniago, koto and Piliang Surambi Aceh. While their original buildings remain to this day, the houses have their own unique character with or without stunning sculptures on the walls. Regular maintenance is entrusted to the younger children of each clan to stay in the village.

Most houses of the lineage in the village are estimated to have been 0 years and still work well for a variety of cultural festivities. It is important to note that all customs-related activities must be performed rumah gadang . Consequently, the home of the line plays a vital role in strengthening the clan members links involving mamak (brothers' mothers), nephews, and Urang Sumando (husbands by marrying). Some houses in the area are used as guest houses for tourists, so they can enjoy the thrill of sleeping inside houses. Given its distinctive character, the government of West Sumatra province proposes that the 1000 Nagari Koto Baru Rumah Gadang to be a cultural heritage in the World Heritage of UNESCO. In 2013, thanks to Tour de Singkarak (SDT) in West Sumatra, the local government of South Solok allocated as Rp.4.8 billion to renovate traditional houses. The budget, for example, was used to reorganize the toilet that can be adapted to the habits of foreign tourists.

In particular Solok South and West Sumatra in general rumah gadang remains in existence to this day, but more as a symbol of tradition. Very few live in Minangkabau rumah gadang. Men have developed the tradition of merantau (move) to support their mothers, sisters and wives away from the scarcity of land in their hometowns. Many Minangkabau women do the same for similar reasons, or simply because there are more opportunities in other provinces. They exceeded the modesty and simplicity of the big house.

Traveling southward, visitors will pass through Sangir subdistrict Padang Aro as its capital. Visitors will see tea gardens Mitra Kerinci the foot of Mount Kerinci three kilometers before Padang Aro. Looking to the west side of the tea garden, they see how Mt. Kerinci stands firmly that the highest mountain in Sumatra. In addition, the South Solok is also blessed with several waterfalls, as Ampek Tansi and Timbulun and attractive river Air Malanca.

tea garden with Mount Kerinci in the background

another interesting tourist attraction in South Solok, counted as a historic site, is the Office of emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (IRDP) in Bidar Alam. There are some historic sites yet to be identified and listed and are subject to future development. As for natural attractions, South Solok has potential for tourism should be seriously handled, including Lake Bontak the foot of Mount Kerinci, hot springs in various places, including Sapan hot spring near Pangkuo river, caves or caves, rafting and camping in Batang Sangir river, river Batang Bangko and many others.

the tourism potential of South Solok can become an important sector in improving the community's economy and increasing local government revenue (PAD). The development of the region calls for essential participation of all parties in government, Perantau (wanderers), investors and the private sector as tours and travel agencies.

The local government of South Solok is right behind promoting Nagari 1000 Rumah Gadang. Tourists can get there by renting a car at Padang airport and there are several hotels in the regions of South Solok.

Y
Jakarta to Padang Daily flights are available with Garuda. Indonesia, Sriwijaya Air and Lion

Where to sleep

Hotels
Zamzam and Sulit Indah. Both are in Jl Kampung Parak No. 66

Homestays .
Hilmalaya in Jl Imam Bonjol No.34 A. Panjang
Wisma Zambians. zam Desa Melati in Pasar Muara Sungai Pagu Labuh
Irwan Desa Jaya Aro Kec CEO. Sangir
Wisma Umi Kalsum in Jl. Bt. Laweh No. 21 Muara Labuh

When I grew up in suburban Surrey all these years, I knew little of the East beyond the usual clichés like "magic" and "tropical". I knew of Borneo. For me, Borneo was a land of mystery, jungle stunning and amazing wildlife. OK, so I'm showing my age. Today, when people think of Borneo they think of deforestation, climate change and flora and endangered fauna. I know what image I prefer!

Balikpapan is the main point on the island known in Indonesia Kalimantan input and is home to more than half a million people, including a large expatriate population attracted to work in AC energy and education.

At first glance, the city has little interest people with time on their hands. The main road runs along the coast of the port still Airport coastal landscapes remain hidden behind drab shophouses, government buildings, hotels, shopping centers and others. It certainly lacks the architectural potential of Jakarta or Surabaya, missing their history or heritage dating back centuries. Indeed, Balikpapan, before the discovery of oil and gas to the end of the 19 ^e century was little more than a fishing village.

Despite his wealth and modern feel, Balikpapan is a quiet town. Traffic, for example, continues to move! I asked a former expatriate shriveled with experience of Jakarta and Balikpapan if the city suffered chronic congestion, the city did. "Yeah, I got stuck once on the road to the airport after a crane 50 tons turned turtle," he said before returning to his beer.

So what do people do for fun? Well, there are the grizzled old hands, of course, who love nothing better than to get to their favorite beach bar north of the airport and shot the breeze with their friends.

For those who have a bent sportier there are a number of activities to participate in, including the ubiquitous Hash that run on different days of the week - see BIWA website for more details

Australian football is well represented with the Borneo Bears (www .. borneobears.com list). Some of their players have recently participated in an international event in the home of the AFL, Melbourne, and despite not winning any games themselves pretty well acknowledged by all accounts. They also organize an annual event that attracts AFL teams from around the region. There is also a rugby team called the Bears Balikpapan (http://balikpapan.bears.over-blog.com) that gets to travel a fair bit.

For the golfer there are a couple of lessons. The Karang Joang Golf Course and Country Club is out of town along the road to Samarinda, while Sepinggan Country Club is perhaps more central. There is also a social golf club called Best Bunch Balikpapan which meets every Saturday at Sepinggan and I'm sure they would be happy to out-of-towners.

For something a little less hectic, the International Association of Balikpapan woman is a social and charitable group based in the city. Their goal is to organize activities of interest to women in the city to promote fellowship, to welcome new members and promote Indonesian cultural activities. Among their regular activities are a round of nine holes of golf and a bike ride every week take them to new and interesting places near the city.

Biwa also set up a handy directory to Balikpapan, the list of useful shops and retailers, but perhaps the best feature of this book are the maps in the back.

Sitting on the coast, Balikpapan is "blessed" with a number of beaches. Kemala, for example, is quite central and kept quite clean but the location does not mean it gets popular, especially on weekends.

There are a number of other beaches further, including Manggar and Lamaru, and probably all along the coast towards the north the more adventurous might find their own coves given their own transport and time.

Balikpapan sits on one side of Balikpapan Bay and it is possible to pass to the other side by hiring an outboard port Semayang. Maybe not the most exciting sea voyages Kalimantan has to offer; you can see the industrial complex that provides much of the wealth of the city. And once you are on the other side, things become even more relaxed!

For those who like to get back to nature, there are still some left. The Margomulyo mangrove is close enough to the city center and a boardwalk that allows visitors the chance to try and spy some of the local wildlife. Another type of exposure fauna is the crocodile farm several kilometers past the airport.

An exhibition of more responsible pet is the Sun Education Bear Center, located at marker 23 km along the road to Samarinda, offering refuge to bears that were rescued around less safe. Balikpapan has a strong symbolic attachment to the bear with his image adorning the arms. There is a statue of one in the city center and the local football team are nicknamed the Beruang Madu, the local name of the animal.

In short

move

Taxis can be easily booked by calling ahead and drivers use their counters. Otherwise, you can take the plunge and try to use local mini bus or angkots . The blue number six is ​​a useful service that runs along the main street and can take you by Kemala or port. In the other direction, it goes as far as Damai where you can change the number seven and continue your journey north of the airport and the beaches of Manggar.

Read more

See www.balikpapanexpats.com . It does not seem like it has been updated for a while but is still perhaps one of the best online resources. The International Association of Balikpapan wife have a new website and also produce excellent Balikpapan Guide Book, a valuable asset for those looking to stay for a while. You can find the BIWA their new site http://b-iwa.com

Eat and drink

There are the usual frankness type places in Plaza Balikpapan in the center of the city. The king's head is a few kilometers past the airport and offers a typical menu with a western style grocery store upstairs. Other bars with names like Joy, Jack, Yuli, Martha and Sky Bar offer drinks customers and food at all price spectrum. There are also places to enjoy a bite to eat along the seafront so you can look past the veil of tankers while enjoying your seafood.

This cultural capital of the Lanna Kingdom charms visitors with ancient wonders while keeping pace with modern enthusiasm for adventure, all within the backdrop of scented flower annual City Festival.

It is said that in 1296, when King Mengrai saw a large mouse and four small scurry into a hole under a Bodhi tree saint, he established this city to present itself as the heart of his Lanna kingdom. A moat surrounds the old Chiang Mai, and bastions of defense angles remain, reminders of the early battles for control. After more than 700 years, the population of 0,000 on the Ping River still has the largest concentration of handicrafts in Thailand.

My husband and I chose Chiang Mai for its historical sites and warm hospitality. With an ethnically diverse population and treasures correspondent in Bangkok, this transportation hub offers a concentrated set, easy to use. The old town is a good base to reach local attractions on foot or by tuk tuk with excursions easy day on the mountains. Our timing coincided with the feast of annual flowers, set to mark the end of the cold season in early February. warm and cozy days of the month and cool nights on average only one day of rain, making it perfect for all outdoor activities.

We arrived two days before the festival, and a few minutes walk on the street, we passed through the door of our first wat , or monastery Buddhist. There are over 0 wats in the city limits, and two famous temples are only separate blocks. Wat Chedi Luang ruined massive chedi, , or memory, since the mid-1400s pointing to the sky. Wat Phra Singh Buddha Lion holds the most revered. In honor of the event, the grounds boasted festival adornment with flags flapping the altar of offerings that included heads of pigs and floral. wizened monks meditating in the chapel.

Hiring a taxi day has flexible travel and is cheaper than the standard tours. Negotiate with the drivers and plan a customized output. One day we took the winding road to Doi Suthep. Wat Phra That is on top of the mountain, above the congestion of the city, quiet projection. Pilgrims pray the gold plated shiny chedi, which enshrines a relic of Buddha. Pushing further down the road Bhubing Palace, we visited the royal winter residence with acres of rose, fern and gardens, offering picturesque promenade.

west of Chiang Mai, we enjoyed Maesa Elephant Camp, where chang , or an elephant, showed great strength and personality. Mahouts live and work with the chang in their forest homes, and trained animals entertain the audience by kicking a ball, painting a picture, and more. Nearby are the hill tribes, established in traditional villages, where customers can interact and buy vibrantly-hued DIY. Among them, the famous Karen people whose women are elongated neck with a long copper strip. On our return we stopped at Bai Orchid Farm to see bright, exotic flowers hanging in greenhouses in dense rows.

Sites City beckons, too. We hopped on the Scorpion-Tailed River Cruise for a historical and cultural lesson on the Ping River, visited the night markets and enjoyed the traditional Khantoke dinner and ceremonial dances at the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center.

Flower Festival events were scheduled Friday to Sunday night with music and food stalls in Suan Bak Hat, the city park. These included an outdoor exhibition of flowers and plants considered, a beauty contest, mini-concerts and endless food stalls hawking all delectable delicacies. We sampled sauteed, grilled pork, stews, coconut dumplings and spicy peanut lemongrass.

floral signing deal of the festival is the parade. He would start before Nawarat Bridge, drive to Tha Phae Gate and along the inner moat road to complete the park. Previously we had scored a parade of floats insight driven vehicles on the road, trundling the staging site. On Saturday afternoon, thirty-five floats adorned with flowers, seeds and beauty queens slowly made their way along the road, often stopping for photos of the dazzled crowd. Fanfares, some dressed in flashy gear, presented their horns. Masses lined the main roads, encouraging, sipping fruit shakes or snack satay.

As the Tourism Bureau of Thailand had promised "a wonderful tapestry of floral splendor covered" every main street, the bridge and the area. The streets pulsed with vibrant energy and perfume a million flowers permeated the air.

in the area of ​​Tha Phae Gate, discourse and narrative echoed through the crowd. Day gave way to dusk pinky, cuing fairy lit trees and shiny swans and snakes. the place of gathering organized a stage where dance teams performed later.

After traveling the length of the parade route, we were on Nawarat Bridge, surveying the last float as it sped along. earlier that day, the elephant on top had lost his trunk a few low son on the road. the men had stowed together, but already he had fallen the wrong way to down and laugh happy to enjoy our visit to Chiang Mai had occurred. On a terrace along the river, we had dinner and watched the fireworks shoot over the trees. many festivals in the city are the celebration of business

-

Country :. Thailand

Province: Chiang Mai

House: 510.80 km2

Highest Lift Elevation: Doi Inthanon 2,565 m

The largest city: Bangkok

population: 65 million

Directions:

No direct flights. Air Asia flies across Phuket and most major carriers like Thai Airways fly via Bangkok

What to bring: ..

shoes and a walking umbrella

Along blowpipe, traditional tattoo, controlling braiding, canoe building and the custom of wearing huge clusters of metal earrings to elongate earlobes, the longhouse is now beginning to disappear.

I hoped the boatman knew where he was going. Use of mangrove trees, mud banks, stumps, and other natural features such as markers, he sailed with the same confidence as I walk to the local supermarket on Bali. It was comforting because I could never find my way here

I had only one week -., From start to finish - to see a longhouse. Most people indigenous Dayak Kalimantan, almost half of the territory's population, still live inland along the banks of rivers and tributaries.

I took a longbot (of longboat) Samarinda Mahakam River in East Kalimantan with more than just the usual baggage. I am also overwhelmed by too many preconceptions.

Remember, there was not a lack of preparation, which turned to have been the fun part. I started my course of anti-malarial pills a week before. As there are no banks or moneychangers inside, I had gathered rupiah packets in small denominations. A traveler told me that the head of a longhouse appreciate gifts like sunglasses, western shirts, coffee, cigarettes, sugar, salt, and flashlight batteries. Pencils, pens and notebooks are more with the children.

All these, and more, I was wearing. Later, I had to learn that kindness and hospitality of the Dayak is overwhelming, and I had no use for these items. Even minor government officials in remote areas were surprisingly helpful. Pak Udin, downstream Muara Muntai, even introduced me to a family who set me up, fed and amused me.

The longboat is specially designed to travel the river, decorated with painted bloodshot eyes to guide us safely through treacherous waters. During heavy rains, the river could double in size within hours. We tried to negotiate several branches of the river to reach longhouses intact, but turned back because of strong currents

The skies were darkening. Accelerated boatman. Beyond Tanjung Isui, my heart quickened as we rounded a bend and saw my first longhouse working in the village Mancong. We pulled ashore; shaking our boat in, among others, nestled like pick-up sticks along the dike. I scurried the steep, muddy road and villagers led me to an old cottage next to a court of posts and carved wooden statues. Although it has been known as a "tourist longhouse," it looked like the real thing to me.

As a courtesy, I remove my shoes, climbed the ladder and entered. Looking around me, it was obvious that the spirit of cooperation between parents and between members of longhouses was very close. While their parents were away in the fields and gardens, old women were in fact children and housework. Old men sitting around gossiping, smoking, repairing fishing instruments and agriculture. Children played on the long veranda of the building and in the shallow waters of the river.

Collaborative Habitation

The most prominent feature of the Dayak society longhouses ( lamin ) are roof apex structures that can reach up 150 meters long and 9-18 meters wide. Several longhouses, each with 50 or more families and less than 0 doors, can be a Dayak village. The villagers, working together, can build a new one within a week. Because of the tropical rapid decomposition, usually laminated do not last more than 15 years.

Most longhouses are high one to three meters above the ground on wooden stilts, which are easier to replace than rotten planks. kitchen scraps are pushed through the floor to feed pigs and chickens foraging below. The air flow below the structure reduces the vermin and prevent dry rot. Stilt building also provides protection against snakes, floods and - in ancient times -. enemies

Longhouses evolved in a time of constant inter-tribal warfare. Dayak longhouse architecture and craftsmanship can be beautiful, with many parts of the structure - doorframes, galleries, messages - decoratively carved. teak railings are shaped into dragons, snakes, demons, or birds, with fine detail, including scales and feathers. There are even lessons carved in sex education.

A covered veranda, common living space, runs the entire length of the building, usually face the river. This space is used for loafing, child custody, visiting, repair instruments, and hanging fish traps, boat paddles, weapons and other items of daily use. Clothes are hung out to dry here.

A narrow door longhouse facing east, in honor of the sunrise and its association with life. Interior partitions separate family groups; distant relatives can live on the other side of the building. floorboards bounced and slapped that people traveled and worked. A mezzanine is used
for storing rice, baskets, woven rugs batteries, fishing nets and firewood.

It was raining now. I staked out a place on a mat in a corner of the porch. The new arrivals were brought tea and biscuits on hot-sweet. I could see up into the rafters blackened some old baskets. I imagined they contained skulls - totemic objects still revered, thought it was unlikely. The old skulls were turned into authorities a long time.

At night, dinner was served, the usual Indonesian fare omelets, nasi goreng , curry soup and banana fritters. Dutifully, silently, a long line of children, no more than six or seven years, carried the pots, bowls and plates with a large woven mat. They cleared the dishes after dinner away everything as efficiently and silently.

Around midnight, the speech calmed the audible barely whispers. I could hear rough, flexible scales being pulled up, keeping the property free of animals, insects and other intruders. The air was heavy with a fruitful door of a rainforest and mosquito coils acrid smoking invisibly. Completely shrouded in darkness, the screams and the sound of cicadas and other insects was deafening. In the enormous structure, the only sound was the interior of the soft breathing of sleeping bodies around me.

I felt safe, as if sealed away in a cocoon.

What will be lost when the longhouses go? A whole way of life. In both nights creaky old farmhouse, I knew that nothing could replace the sense of community you feel inside of one. The whole building seemed to expand and contract as if one with the forest, inseparable part of nature. This is a quality that a row of modern cement bunkers with corrugated iron roofs can never reproduce.

A mixture of cultural influences and the media on the north coast of Java

When we look toward Mount Ciremai with scudding clouds on a sapphire sky, it is impossible to miss design brand batik Cirebon . Its light relief terrain with clean lines curling and got shades on fine cotton is unequivocal. The port city of 350,000 people on the north coast of Java has long been a commercial and cultural center. Only three o'clock train to Jakarta, which siphons off the overflow of tourists and Bandung became a pleasant diversion in its own right with four and five star hotels.

The area is famous for its handicrafts - mainly batik, rattan and glass painting. distinct designs and inspiration as a single stamp Cirebon. With trekking traders in the interior mountains and covering the seas, the city has become a hub for goods and people. Indian textile, Chinese ceramics, silver and European gold were exchanged against spices, bringing wealth and station in this port.

Cirebon began as a Hindu Kingdom in 1378, but by the 16 ^e century, Islam had obtained firm footing. Sunan Gunang Jati came to power and established the city as a center for religion and the arts, and his marriage to a Chinese princess, started mixing Hindu, Muslim, Chinese and European influences in his craft.

Beautiful Batik

700 years ago, a decree established journey, male artist guilds only along the coast. It generated models of batik sober, masculine. Before the Dutch arrived, the likely tissue was drawn and painted for royalty or religious use only, with roots in the Tulisan or scroll narration. Over time, batik has become a fabric of the people who actually was an accomplished skill to master for women for marriage exam. The term "batik" means "dots fabric", describing the details added to the complex process of resistance of the wax and female fussier dyeing. Originally, the dyes were made from the bark, turmeric, mango leaves and other natural substances.

The batik motif is stamped or hand-drawn with a hot wax pipe important reasons like dragons, peacocks, cars, feathers, flowers and more, geographical origins "revealing artists Cirebon and heritage. In principle, everyone can make batik. All it takes is practice, patience and a penchant for hot wax. To batik, dare Trusmi where this home industry is still practiced by a usual circle of women. With bulky wax aprons splattered across their laps, they skillfully pull the canting in the bold lines of wada rocks, clouds and peaks protruding, meaning mountains rounded up to the sky.

Rugged rattan

the rattan industry behind the strong flexible design, bamboo and vine-jointed structures. Rattan is traditionally harvested in the jungles of Borneo, Sulawesi and Sumatra with trade concentrated in Java. Several hundred species of palm that also grow in plantations in Indonesia and beyond the archipelago. The plant of the vine as a thin stem, growing up to 0 meters long with a uniform diameter, making it an ideal component for weaving. Most of the raw material for wicker furniture once was exported, but in 1987 a law established that only the finished products can be shipped. Since then, demand has created a manufacturing business booming in Cirebon, featuring these products resistant to wear in the world.

In the maze of streets Tegal Wangi, this craft is alive and well. Baskets, cribs, sofas, chairs, hall displays and shelves are woven, integrating other natural fibers, such as water lily roots, seagrass beds and banana leaves to create neutral or bright decoration. In outdoor stores, chairs are stacked for shipping and packed piles are embedded in the gloss urethane. Framed rods, strips and braided coils form piles, while hoops hang cob-webby rafters. Browse the wide range of goods and manual work and good business skilful strike, as we did, on a new sofa, chairs and a table purchased for about rp.1 million, including delivery.

paint Glass Glorious

glass painting, or Lukisan Kaca , is emblematic of Cirebon and started in 15 ^e century. The work is framed flamboyant and surprisingly misleading. Instead of a glass painting, the method is worked in the reverse direction with the glass serving as a canvas. The artist must think backwards, using the smallest details in black ink first, adding the broader subject and finishing with the background. It is demanding with no second chance. Despite the laborious process, the results are rich in detail. Glass painting fell out of practice, but it is resurging with modern techniques. contemporary painters have added elements in three dimensions through gradation layers of glue and glass for extra complexity and grain. Topics include traditional characters, such as wayang or Barong, as well as portraits or landscapes.

Painter Arles Sutardi demonstrated its edgy passion, brush painting red and black oil through the glass and scraping away with a corner of paper. His daubs, scans and engraved lines formed a dhow, thrown into the sea by a stormy night. The artist coated the back with spray paint and finished his work with a flame flash a torch to harden and seal the room. Quick show of glass painting illustrated a changing work in progress, like the long history of arts of Cirebon.

Cirebon Fast Facts

Country: Indonesia

province West Java

population 350000

Getting there: A train three hours from Jakarta

Accommodation: Hotel Santika Cirebon Jl Dr Wahidin No. 32 Cirebon 45122.

Phone: (62) 231-0570, 0662, 0575 Email: Cirebon@santika.com

craft Areas: Trusmi for batik; Tegal Wangi for rattan

When think of the first Balinese art and cultural destinations, immediately the tourist mecca of Ubud springs to mind. For those treading the art card, the well-known museums Puri Lukisan, Neka and ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art) displays fine collections of traditional Balinese art, with a little modern and contemporary Indonesian art.

In the landscape of the evolving art of Ubud, galleries and art spaces come and go. The economy boom of the post-08 Indonesian art has taken its toll and led to the closure of some renowned art galleries in Bali

In recent years, however, private initiatives and trained artists -. art spaces - operating outside of the model of the mall, have become essential art infrastructure behind the development of contemporary art on the island

Attracting artists non- commercial and experimental growing on dialogue and creativity, art. spaces are connected on social media (vital for the new paradigm arts organizations connecting the 24/7 to the world community, a bonus with the wealth of information available on the Internet). You can consult them via Facebook or Instagram before arrival, and Google maps will help you find the location

Two Ubud icons must be mentioned :. Contemporary Sika and of Pranoto. Here are some recommendations.

Fifteen minutes north of Ubud, Jalan Sri Wedari, Junjungan, on the right side in the rice fields, look out for the big white installation "Not For Sale". Balinese owner, social activist and artist Gede Sayur with his friends established Luden House in 09. Committed to art with a social and environmental conscience, Luden began as a gallery space and support the development of contemporary art through exhibitions , workshops and events

Luden House Ubud |. Photo courtesy of Richard Horstman

Not for Sale evolved in 2010 in response to the alarming rate of Balinese farm land sold for development and has since grown into a popular social movement, which got in scoring Luden House on the map Bali. When Luden family are not organize events, often to children, they are painting or creating art products and wearables products for sale, with a percentage of sales go to associations of local sustainable farmers.

Exhibition Cata OData 2015 | Cata Photo courtesy OData

In Penestanan, Cata OData introduced a new model of infrastructure in Bali, combining the artist and the management of the gallery, programs residence and workshops as well as exhibitions and a community space for discussions and workshops. Founded in 2014, the space is the result of two characters and East Javanese dedicated workers: Ratna OData and Djunaidi Kenyut. Kenyut has several years experience as an exhibiting artist, event management and spaces in Bali and Surabaya. He and OData promote Indonesian artists based in the east of Java and Bali, while encouraging connections and world trade.

Upcoming events include 'Bare Journal # 3' artist residency program. This requires participating artists to create a daily newspaper, with their thoughts, ideas and sketches. These are then exposed alongside their work to inspire deeper levels of connectivity between artists and the community, while giving an overview of the machinations of the mind of the artist. Periodically, they provide housing for those who are curious to know more about this young art space and its operation

Space Ketemu project. | Photo courtesy Ketemu Space Project

The husband and wife team of Balinese artist Budi Agung Kuswara and Singaporean artist Samantha Tio Ketemu Project Space reader Batu Bulan, 30 minutes south of Ubud. Dedicated to engage a wider audience and individual sectors of the public space, Ketemu embarks on major design projects in their local, national and regional networks. Invite artists and curators to participate in their residency program artists Ketemu 2016 project Merayakan Murni promises to be a landmark event. The occasion will celebrate one of the most important female artists of Indonesia, Balinese painter I GAK Murniasih (1966-06), which helped to forge new thematic motifs and Indonesian Balinese art. The project brings together artists and writers to create works in response to the legacy of Murni and culminate in an exhibition in July

Titian Art Space. | Photo courtesy of Richard Horstman

Launched on January 29 at the 80 ^e anniversary influential collective Pita Maha artists Titian Foundation Bali Art Space located in Jalan Bisma Titian, Ubud. Driven by a revolutionary vision of Balinese art on local and global scene, the Chairman of the Advisory Board of Yayasan Titian Bali, Soemantri Widagdo said, "Titian Bali is founded in an effort to" reframe "the potential of visual arts with Balinese the belief that to thrive, they must be integrated into a creative economy. "Aiming to be the leading hub for Balinese visual arts in 2021, Yayasan Titian Bali is building a new ecosystem for Balinese art to 21 ^st century through education and new ways of engagement

highlights :. Ubud art spaces

OData Cata

Call: +62 81212126096

Email: cataodata @ gmail.com

Website: www.cataodata.com

Location: in front of the Pura Dalem temple in Penestanan Kelod, Ubud. Look for the large white building on the left

Features :. quarterly exhibitions and random fiery rallies. The place on three levels is always open and welcoming. Visit their online store for art products and wearables: www.arcimisi.com

Titian Bali Art Space

Call +62 822144000

Email: swidagdo@yayasantitianbali.org

Website: www.titianartspace.com

Location: Jalan Bisma not. 88, Ubud. Travel down at the end of Jalan Bisma and look for aqua blue building on the left side

Features :. An experimental playground and global launch pad for talented young Balinese artists. Supported by local and international foundations with members whose experience is incomparable. On display in the gallery is a part of traditional art and contemporary Balinese most beautiful of the island.

Ketemu Project Space

Call: +62 82144097060

Email: meet@ketemuprojectspace.com

Website: www.ketemuprojectspace.com

Location: Perumahan Taman Asri not. 3A, Batu Bulan, Gianyar. . Head east 500 meters along Jalan Batuyang on the right look for the entrance Perumahan Taman Asri

Features: A knowledgeable and professional team, with a compact installation and comfortable. regular events open to the public. Out to raise the bar on what is possible in artist led spaces in Bali

Luden House

Call :. + 62 8122772137

Email: gedesayur@yahoo.co.uk

Location :. Jalan Sri Wedari, Junjungan, Ubud

Features: Experience of popular local art that brings social and environmental awareness in the front. Regular events - large and small - a good time is always guaranteed. Caution for the Balinese soon-to-open warung delicious local specialties.

“Jazz borrowed from other genres of music and also has lent itself to other music genres ". - Herbie Hancock

Previously, I wrote about the arrival of jazz in Batavia in 1919. it was heard until the invasion of Japan in 1942 varied little of imported sounds of 78s plate scores and transcripts. However, what is little known Indonesia is how a Canadian performer of Javanese music "traditional" came to be influenced jazz itself.

Gauthier with wayang golek figure

Gauthier (1885-1958), a Canadian mezzo-soprano, was to be the catalyst. in a hissy fit diva, she gave up singing opera high after being replaced at the last minute by another singer in a 1910 Covent Garden (London) production of Delibes opera Lakmé . She quickly left for Java to join her fiancé Frans Knoote, a Dutchman who was running a tea plantation outside Bandung.

Within weeks of arriving, she was performing arias by Tchaikovsky and Rossini concerts in Batavia Schouwburg Weltevreden (Gedung Kesenian Jakarta), accompanied by a local pianist and band of House.

In the months that followed, Gauthier visited Java, playing all the major concert halls and sociëteiten (European social clubs). Robinson sponsorship Piano Company, a firm specializing in pianos built for the tropics, endorsed a tour in 1911 in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin and Beijing; tours to Japan, Siam, and India have followed over the next two years.

Knoote then got a job with a commercial company Semarang and it was while living there that Gauthier discovered gamelan music.

"from there, I went in the other cities of the island. Often on the road, I saw groups of natives playing strange instruments, and hear them sing songs of several specific harmonies. I immediately became curious. There was a music I had never heard of! I, who had made the music of my study of life! I inquired about these strange melodies All my friends shook their heads and said it would be impossible for me to understand Aboriginal music, not the whites were, and to sing -. "

the man who provided the entry into the world of Indonesian music for the singer was the Dutch composer and pianist Paul J. Seelig (1876-1945), who had served as Gautier pianist when his local pianist has unable to attend. Raised in Bandung, he studied composition, conducting and piano in Germany. In 100, Paku Buwana X, the soesoehoenan (Sultan 1893-1939) of the Royal Court of Surakarta (Solo), Seelig named the driver of the royal band, a position he held until 108.

During this time, Seelig documented royal gamelan repertoire in Western notation. He also collected Malay songs directories of Keroncong and stambul , a form of trans-ethnic Indonesian folk theater, adapted for voice and piano in a music style influenced by Debussy. Seelig Gauthier provided with a number of these arrangements of songs and she liked enough to order some more.

With the outbreak of the Great War (1914-18) in Europe, Gauthier decided to travel to North America, arriving in New York in September 1915.

it struggled to find a niche in the New York music scene already crowded, so she wisely chose to focus on Javanese songs "exotic" and Western vocal modernist repertoire.

With the Boston-born exotic dancer Regina Woody Jones (1894-1983), who danced under the name Nila Devi, she created a 15 minute act entitled "Songmotion" in which Woody illustrated Gauthier Indonesian songs in dance. At the end of October 1915, they left New York for a tour of one year from the main theaters of American vaudeville.

However, the grueling schedule matinees and evening shows and the lack of public appreciation of art that were otherwise entertained with cyclists ride, comedians, singers, jugglers, lead to Guathier withdraw from the tour after five months.

Aeolian lobby 1st November 1923 (w. George Gershwinn)

New York was already home to many musical artists north American and European, so Gauthier focused on his Javanese songs, which she combined with her knowledge and skills in the modernist western song. She began a series of annual recitals at Aeolian Hall in Manhattan, and on 1 November 1917 its performance has attracted the attention of many leading composers. Known as a " sensitive purveyor, defendants interesting songs ", she gave performances of three songs by Maurice Ravel. His performance included the first American of Three Japanese Lyrics Claws and Stravinsky Five Poems of Ancient China and Japan . The performance was a great success, and she began to receive invitations to perform songs creations of other contemporary composers.

Gauthier went to Paris in 1920 at the request of the American Music League to organize a visit to North America by Maurice Ravel. She befriends and professional correspondence not only with him but also with Erik Satie. This led to more music to be sent to her by various composers in her first concert.

The key concert in this story was in 1923. The first half consisted of classical works of Vincenzo Bellini and Henry Purcell, and modernist works by Arnold Schoenberg, Darius Milhaud, Bartók and Paul Hindemith. The second half of his performance disrupt musical creation, however. She opened with Ragtime Band Alexander by Irving Berlin, then realized works of Jerome Kern and Walter Donaldson, and eventually finished with three works by George Gershwin, the first time his works ( I build a Stairway to Paradise Innocent Ingenue baby and Swanee ) would be performed by a classical singer in a concert.

important figures in the audience included Paul Whiteman, who then commissioned Gershwin to write a composition for his band. Rhapsody in Blue was the result, and it was created in 1924 at Aeolian Hall with the Orchestra of Paul Whitman with Gershwin at the piano, as he had been the previous year for Eva Gauthier.

Èva Gauthier has been a pioneer and perhaps the first musical singer in the world. " She did much to publicize the Americans with the indigenous culture of what was then the Dutch East Indies. Perhaps his most important contribution was to take the jazz on the concert stage and win widespread public acceptance for the most creative musical genres.

"Jazz began to break into the company last season was a pioneer Èva Gauthier." -. Independent, 3 January 1925.

Additional Information

Èva Gauthier Matthew Isaac Cohen, Java Jazz (06), available here www.jstor.org , is a very detailed and fascinating reading.

There are some 30+ Gauthier recordings on the Internet.