Maluku Basudara Xmas Carols

Singing - Check
Delicious Food - Check
Celebrating Christmas with this incredible community - Check!

The Maluku Basudara Melbourne Group invited Sanggar Lestari to be a part of their first Christmas Carols event. The Maluku region is a wonderful example of Indonesia's diversity, with the majority of families originating from both Christian and Muslim backgrounds. For this event, The Maluku Basudara Group included Sanggar Lestari in singing their carols, partaking in a short Nativity Play and performing 'Tari Sawat'.

A truly touching moment of the event was when the room was lit up with candles and we all sang 'Silent Night' in three languages. Mama Ning led the arabic part with Yana, a group of children sang the Indonesian part and everyone sang the English part together.

Tari Sawat is a fitting dance as it includes two dance-styles in one performance, which originate from Muslim and Christian communities in Ambon. This dance represents the diversity of Ambon and demonstrates how both dances work as one, as communities should also work as one and co-exist. The important message of this dance is always relevant and especially so during Christmas.

This performance was also Lestari Girl, Sara's first performance with Sanggar Lestari - Yay!

We thoroughly enjoyed Maluku Basudara's first Christmas Carols event and look forward to continuing our collaboration with this incredibly diverse group in 2020.

Costume: Sanggar Lestari Melbourne
Konde/Hijab: Mama Ning & Tante Mulyani
Performers: Deena, Yana, Laura, Seraina, Sara, Daniela, Naura
Location: Indonesian Consulate Melbourne