Music Conference to Make Ambon an International City of Music

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The upcoming Music Conference in the eastern Indonesian city of Ambon is considered an important event to lead the center of Maluku provincial administration to an international city of music.

The conference, which is scheduled to be held from October 9 to 12, 2017, will formulate music in Indonesia, as well as remain as an effort to realize Ambon as a world music city.

The mayor of Ambon, Richard Louhenapessy, has remarked that the conference will be attended by leading musicians who will discuss musical topics in Indonesia. The event is expected to be utilized to realize Ambon as an international city of music.

In the effort to make Ambon an international city of music, Louhenapessy stated that his party and the Indonesian Creative Economy Agency (BeKraf) team of consultant had prepared an action plan after going through several stages of consultation and discussion with stakeholders, community of musicians and artistes in the city of Ambon, as well as art business actors.

The mayor of Ambon explained that the action plan is divided into five pillars, namely musicians and communities, infrastructure, learning process, industrial development, and socio-cultural values.

"We hope the music conference and the action plan can be supported by various parties, so that efforts to realize Ambon as a world music city can run well," Louhenapessy asserted.

This music conference will precede an international Acapella Festival, or "Acapella in the City," from Oct 26 to 28, in the city of Ambon.

Local Culture and Tourism Office Chief Henry Sopacua has noted that the Acapella in the City is an international festival being held as part of the efforts to realize Ambon as a world city of music.

"The Acapella in the City is an annual tourism agenda in 2017 in the form of a musical art show called the International Acapella Festival," Sopacua remarked.

According to Sopacua, the unique feature of the musical event this year is that it will be held on a beach to attract local and foreign tourists to visit Ambon.

The Maluku provincial city of Ambon is well-known as the hub of Indonesias most popular singers, and hence, it is called the city of music.

Sopacua noted that so far, three countries, including Germany and the Philippines, have confirmed their participation at the International Acapella Festival in Ambon.

"Several other countries are expected to take part in the festival as the free-of-charge registration is still open until mid-October," the Ambon Culture and Tourism Office chief remarked.

He believes that the festival is a form of the local governments commitment to make Ambon an international city of music in Indonesia.

Since Ambon was declared as the city of music, various efforts have been undertaken to encourage the local musicians to create even better artwork.

Music is a unifying medium which is able to break through the barriers of differences, so it holds significance in building true brotherhood and peace in Ambon and Maluku, in general.

Hence, the BeKraf is also optimistic of Ambon becoming a world city of music, according to the criteria set by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

"BeKraf, along with the relevant ministries and agencies, is ready to assist Ambon to become an international city of music," Deputy of Intellectual Property Rights at BeKraf Ari Juliano Gema had remarked in Ambon some time ago.

The UNESCO has defined seven conditions to be met by Ambon to become a world city of music, including the ability to train human resources, art performance buildings, recording studios, and music schools.

However, Gema noted that Be Kraf, along with the relevant ministries and agencies, is ready to assist Ambon to make it an international city of music and is working to meet the conditions set by UNESCO.

He remarked that BeKraf is developing a road map, along with the administration city of Ambon and other institutions, to meet all requirements.

Several cities in Indonesia, which have creative economies based on UNESCOs standards, include Bandung, as a city of design, and Pekalongan, as a city of handicrafts.

"Hence, people should also become involved in making every effort to achieve success and to ensure that Ambon becomes a world city of music," he emphasized.

Ambon should join the global community, so that younger generations are able to understand the importance of music.

UNESCOs Creative Cities Network was established in 2004 to promote co-operation between cities that identified creativity as a factor for sustainable urban development.

The network had 116 cities spread across seven creative categories, namely crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media, and music.

Ambon should be named as the city of music due to its talented residents; hence, the city government has fully supported musical events in the city.

In addition to music, the amicable people and scenic city landscape is bound to make the visitors fall in love with the city.

A must-visit location for visitors staying in Ambon is the World Peace Gong, erected in 2009 in the city center, to remind the people of Maluku and the visitors of the fundamental need for peace and security.

ANTARA