Cakalele Dance, Origin Dance from Maluku - Indonesia

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Cakalele dance is a traditional war dance from Maluku Province that is performed by 30 people either male or female. Male dancers wear war clothes dominated by red and yellow color. Not only that, they also hold parang (swords) on the right hand and salawaku (shields) on the left hand and don aluminium hats decorated with slipped feather on it.

Female dancers wear white dresses while holding handkerchiefs in local language called lenso. During the performance, they play in groups consisting of two dancers while keeping dancing followed by the music of tifa (percussion), flute, and bia (flute made of big sea shell).

Tari Kebesaran, another name of Cakalele Dance is commonly performed to welcome honoured guests such as religious scholars, and government officials visiting Maluku. Tari Kebesaran means the pride dance.

Some of the distinctive features of the dance are the clothes, the swords, and the shield (salawaku). Each of them has its meaning such as red clothes symbolizing heroism, bravery and patriotism of Maluku people. Likewise, the swords symbolize the dignity of Maluku people that must be kept. The last one is the shield (salawaku), the symbol of protest againsts injustice government.

The location Cakalele Dance can be watched in Haruku Island, Central Maluku District, Maluku Province, Indonesia. By accessing the island from Ambon City, you can take public transportation passing by Tulehu. Then the trip must be continued by taking speedboat wading across Tulehu Strait to Haruku Island for about 30 minutes.

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