Head of the Law and Human Rights Ministry's Southeast Sulawesi Office, Silvester Sili Laba, noted that his administration had issued Intellectual Property Rights for the music genre of Southeast Sulawesi as a means to protect the cultural heritage.
"The rhythm of this gambus (belongs to) the people, but it has not been officially recorded and recognized by the state. Do not let us be late, do not let foreign countries claim that this is their creation. This is our culture," he affirmed.
As a form of support for the preservation of gambus music, Laba said he would invite gambus musicians, who have received a Letter of Creation, to the recording studio in Jakarta.
According to Laba, forms of local wisdom, such as gambus music, should be preserved, as it is part of the intellectual property owned by the state, especially Southeast Sulawesi.
He urged everyone to support and preserve gambus music, which is a pride of tradition from the ancestors, so it should not be claimed by other people. He cited as an example Sasando music from East Nusa Tenggara that was claimed by Sri Lanka.
“This gambus music was born truly from the womb, from the blood, filled with the ancestral traditions of Indonesia’s ancestors. We must encourage this, grounding that truly the rhythm of this gambus must be the pride of the (citizens),” he affirmed.
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Burhan Balano, one of the gambus musicians in Southeast Sulawesi, expressed gratitude that his song titled “Southeast Sulawesi Builds Intellectual Culture” had been acknowledged and granted copyright and was registered with the Directorate General of Intellectual Property at Law and Human Rights Ministry.
He was glad that the Law and Human Rights Ministry had facilitated them through a mobile intellectual property clinic run in Southeast Sulawesi in 2022.
“Thank you for handing the Letter of Registration of Creation to us. Thank you for your attention and concern for Southeast Sulawesi’s people and the cultural customs of the Indonesian people in general,” Balano said while expressing his gratitude.
Ade Rahmatullah, 25, the son of Burhan Balano, who played gambus along with his father, said that he was delighted to play gambus music rather than modern music.
"(It is) because modern music is easy. Now, why do I play traditional (music)? (This is) so that our culture does not go extinct. I also want to have traditional music, just like in (other islands such as) Java, because Southeast Sulawesi is left behind (in aspects like this)," he stated.
He started playing when he was still in elementary school, and he performed gambus music in areas surrounding his residence in Ambekairi Village, Unaaha Sub-district, Konawe District, Southeast Sulawesi.
He expressed gratitude and pride that the state had recognized and awarded him and his father for the gambus music they played. Nonetheless, he expected that other forms of support could be extended by the government, particularly in preserving the music genre for the next generation.
"Hopefully, there will be help from the government, so that I can make a place like a studio (where) we can call the children to join us, so I can also preserve this gambus," Rahmatullah stated.
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Translator: M Harianto, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
