"Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam, In shaa Allah , will attend. We are waiting for confirmation from other countries," head of the Batam City Culture and Tourism Office, Ardiwinata, informed here on Tuesday.
He said he hopes that KSM will attract several neighboring countries this year.
The annual event will feature various Malay cultural performances this year, such as music, dance, poetry reading, rhymes, and folk games, packaged on an attractive and entertaining stage.
"This year, apart from displaying the Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTB), there will be rhymes and folk games, as well as performances from abroad," Ardiwinata said.
The folk games will include kaki bajang (stilts), top, seletup, and canang.
In addition, the event will showcase 100 culinary bazaar stands featuring micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM) from Batam city.
"Different from the previous year, in 2022, KSM will be held outdoor," Ardiwinata informed.
This year's KSM will also feature a special performance of a ghazal genre song entitled Bulang Mufakat, which won first place in the 2022 Malay Songwriting Competition, he added.
The Malay Art Festival is part of the Nusantara Kharisma Event (KEN), which is one of the programs of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf).
KEN is a forum for Indonesian events and is part of the Kemenparekraf’s strategy to collaborate with local governments to promote destinations, increase tourist visits, and have a positive impact on the economy and culture.
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Translator: Jessica AJH, Fardah
Editor: Suharto
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