The Sights & Sounds of Maluku: Eastern Indonesia’s Spice Island
A collaborative event with the Australia Indonesia Youth Association of Victoria
Maluku is renowned for its equal population of Islam and Christianity, with adherents of both religions living side by side. Despite being in the less developed eastern part of Indonesia, Maluku holds a central place in Indonesia’s history and colonial legacy as the home of spices that attracted European traders (Portuguese, British, and Dutch) to the region and part of the earlier historical maritime silk road.
Maluku was also key part of the maritime trading routes linking northern Australia to Southeast Asia and beyond. The Maluku islands, along with neighboring Makassar in Sulawesi, have a long-standing intercultural relationship with Australia (See historian Anthony Reid‘s publication from 2013)
Through musical performance and dialogue that promotes interfaith and intercultural relationships, hip-hop artist Presiden Tidore a.k.a Bams Conoras brought The Sights & Sounds of Maluku to The University of Melbourne by sharing cultural practice, music, and cloth weaving.
His music draws on the traditions and history of his home island, Tidore in North Maluku the eastern part of Indonesia, and calls for greater recognition of the complex and vibrant contemporary cultures that lie away from the main centres of Indonesian culture in Java and Bali.
His lyrics, music, and dance are an enlivening performance of regional identity and a demand for voice and recognition. You can find more of his work on Spotify, Soundcloud, Instagram, Youtube, and other streaming services.
His performance in Melbourne formed part of his “From North Maluku to Canberra” tour on 14 May, 2024, organised by the Australian National University (ANU), 16Albermarle Project Space, Sydney, and the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to Australia. This musical performance was supported by Yarra Irama, as part of the Indonesia Forum Halal Bihalal Eid-Al-Fitr Islamic New Year social gathering.
Indonesian postgraduate students from various faiths and religions (Christians, Catholics, Buddhist, Muslims) attended the event and celebrated together with Australian multicultural local and international students studying Indonesian language, staff and members of the Indonesia Forum, as well as the Indonesian consulate’s cultural attache staff. They listened and participated in Presiden Tidore’s hip hop performance ‘Aulahu’ with religious lyrics, ‘Indonesia and Maluku’ interactive rap and dance to gefamumire interactive dance led by Mrs Ningsih from Maluku bersaudara (Maluku diaspora association) accompanied by Presiden Tidore and Yarra Irama band (videos of the day link below).
Presiden Tidore also spoke to the ABC, SBS Indonesia, and the ANU Crosscurrents Newsletter after the event to share how North Moluccan culture has inspired his work and why it is important for artists from outside Java to have a presence in the Indonesian entertainment industry.
“The Sights & Sounds of Maluku: Eastern Indonesia’s Spice Island” was funded by the Faculty of Arts Diversity and Inclusion Small Grants, and MCed by Jesslyn Giovanni Mulyanto and Nova Bayo, PhD candidates at The University of Melbourne.
The event took place on Friday, 24 May, 2024 (15:00–17:00), at Room G01, Building 189, The University of Melbourne Parkville campus.
More on the Faculty of Arts Diversity and Inclusion Small Grants
Through the Faculty of Arts Diversity and Inclusion Small Grants, the project fostered interfaith and intercultural dialogue through a musical and cultural performance from the Maluku region in Eastern Indonesia. This initiative enriched the University of Melbourne’s cultural identity and supported local and global collaborations.
This project highlighted Maluku’s vibrant culture and served as a powerful tool for interfaith and intercultural dialogue, enriching the University of Melbourne’s educational and cultural fabric.
