When the Spanish Public Danced Upon Hearing Sinanggar Tulo

To introduce the Batak song Sinanggar Tulo and Batak—and more broadly, Indonesian—culture, the group Mataniari also held four solo concerts on December 17–20, 2017, in the Asturias region across Candas, Siero, La Felguera, and León.

The audience in Spain danced when they heard Sinanggar Tulo—ANTARA News
ANTARA Humaniora · Tuesday, December 19, 2017

The Batak Toba ensemble Mataniari performed Batak songs and dances before the people of Candas, Spain, on Sunday (December 18, 2017). Their visit served as cultural diplomacy and promotion of Indonesian culture to the Spanish public.

In a “Simfónico Indonesia” concert, Mataniari collaborated with Indonesian jazz artist Adra Karim and the Asturian orchestra Orquestra de Cámara de Siero (OCAS). The event concluded at the Niemeyer Auditorium in Oviedo, where two female vocalists from Mataniari sang Sinanggar Tulo, accompanied by the Spanish orchestra. The audience of around 600 Spaniards were swept up in the excitement.

Unexpectedly, many attendees stood from their seats and moved to the stage to dance the Batak-style dance—raising and lowering their wrists and swaying their bodies—even late into the night on Saturday (December 16, local time). The joyful and blended interaction between audience members and the nine-member Batak ensemble made the “Simfónico Indonesia” event, organized by the Directorate General of Culture at Indonesia’s Ministry of Education and Culture, a success.

What surprised organizers was how many Spanish people already knew—or even sang along to—Sinanggar Tulo with enthusiasm, and danced in Batak style. Upon hearing it, some spontaneously stood, approached the stage, and danced together, creating a lively atmosphere.

“It’s truly surprising that Sinanggar Tulo has become globally known, particularly in Spain,” said Ahmad Mahendra, Deputy Director for Foreign Cultural Diplomacy at the Directorate General of Culture, who attended the concert.

Spanish social media had already featured performances of Sinanggar Tulo. OCAS further raised its profile during their July 27–August 16, 2017 tour alongside Mataniari in North Sumatra’s Toba region and Jakarta—where the orchestra accompanied the song in each performance. The upbeat tune was well suited to their orchestral style and carried over into their Spanish concerts.

The Ministry of Education and Culture aims for Sinanggar Tulo to gain global recognition—much like how Bengawan Solo is famous in East Asia, especially China.

Adi Priyanto, Charge d’Affaires ad interim at the Indonesian Embassy in Madrid, also expressed amazement at Sinanggar Tulo’s popularity. He noted that merging Batak and Spanish musical traditions was strategic for promoting Indonesian culture and tourism to Europe.

This collaboration presented an effective mission to showcase Indonesia’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, with its continuation eagerly anticipated to keep Spain—and Europe—engaged. Spanish tourism to Indonesia remains modest, with about 67,000 visitors in 2017.

Mataniari’s presence in Asturias followed an invitation from OCAS, after meeting during their joint tour in Toba and Jakarta (July 27–August 16, 2017). Following performances at the Europalia Indonesia 2017 festival in The Hague and Brussels, the group traveled to Asturias. During “Simfónico Indonesia”, Mataniari took part in a seminar at the University of Oviedo with Adra Karim and performed at prominent cultural venues in Asturias.

The December 16 concert at Niemeyer Auditorium was especially notable: Mataniari and Adra Karim performed alongside the OCAS orchestra in front of a large audience, combining orchestral music, Batak gondang rhythms, and Batak opera—followed by a mini-concert with Sahrawi refugees on December 17.

To further introduce Sinanggar Tulo and Batak/Indonesian culture, Mataniari held solo concerts from December 17–20, 2017 across four Asturian cities—giving more people the chance to experience traditional Batak music. Such tours are rare for Indonesian traditional groups in these locations.

This reciprocal cultural exchange between Mataniari, Adra Karim, and OCAS highlights the strong cultural collaboration between Indonesia and Spain. Through people-to-people initiatives, it aims to raise awareness in Asturias and throughout Spain about Indonesia’s rich diversity—particularly its traditional Batak musical heritage.