DPR RI Urge To Support Ambon as The UNESCO's City of Music in 2019

AMBON, LELEMUKU.COM - The eastern Indonesian city of Ambon in the province of Maluku continues to strive to become an international city of music, and it must be supported by all parties and related infrastructure.

Ambon`s efforts to become an international city of music in Indonesia should be backed by infrastructure and other supporting elements, so that local and foreign tourists can enjoy the music apart from other activities.

House of Representatives Speaker Bambang Soesatyo has emphasized in the city that the institution supports the realization of Ambon as the 18th international city of music by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2019.

In 2019, Ambon should be targeted to become as international city of music, but other creative activities should be conducted to demonstrate that Ambon has the music of the world, the House speaker remarked while opening a press gathering of the Coordinator of Parliamentary Journalists in Ambon over the weekend.

Soesatyo opined that the government`s support, through the Ministry of the Tourism Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf), was needed to make Ambon an international city of music.

He expressed hope that the Ministry of Tourism would include Ambon in its main program in order to make it an international city of music.

To this end, Mayor of Ambon Richard Louhenapessy stated that his side and the Bekraf team of consultants had prepared an action plan after undergoing several stages of consultations and discussions with stakeholders, community of musicians, and artists in the city of Ambon, as well as art business players.

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

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

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

Hence, the Bekraf is also optimistic of Ambon becoming an international city of music, according to the criteria set by the 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 Bekraf, 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 Ambon city administration and other institutions, to meet all requirements.

Several cities in Indonesia, which have creative economies based on UNESCO`s 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 the younger generation is able to understand the importance of music.

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

The network had 116 cities spread across seven creative categories: 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.

The music conference in the eastern Indonesian city of Ambon in October last year was viewed as being an important event to lead the center of the Maluku provincial administration to become an international city of music.

The conference was attended by leading musicians, who discussed music in Indonesia, and the event at the time was expected to be utilized to realize Ambon as an international city of music.

In addition to the music conference, an international Acapella Festival, or "Acapella in the City," was held in October 2017 in the city of Ambon.

The Acapella in the City was an international festival and an annual tourism agenda implemented in the form of a musical art show called the International Acapella Festival held as part of the efforts to realize Ambon as a world city of music. (Antara)