S05 E02: Cakalele Kie Raha
LAUT LOUD (((~~~)))
LAUT LOUD (((~~~)))
Once, the four kingdoms of the spice islands vied against one another in a tense stand-off.
After years of cold war, the kingdoms of Ternate, Tidore, Bacan and Jailolo came to respect each other's presence as inevitable.
In a gesture of reconciliation, a phrase was coined to describe the four kingdoms in unison, inspired by their shared seafaring history and their close relationship with the four volcanoes that tower over their castles: Kie Raha.
As Arka Kinari dropped its anchor in Ternate, one of the most prominent of the Kie Raha, this uneasy generational truce is reflected in their art. Cakalele, an ancient dance used to welcome warriors, is a universal expression in the former four kingdoms. Driven by hypnotic, riotous drum beats and guided by the trance-like screeching of the dancers, cakalele is both a declaration of triumph and unity in adversity.
On this episode of Laut Loud, dancers from communities around Ternate come together aboard Arka Kinari. Hailing from the territories of the former four kingdoms, they expressed their heritage through their differing costumes, dance styles, and even differing prayers. But all celebrate the fierceness, stubbornness, and grandeur of their old empire.
