Toraja International Festival 2013

Continuing the Lovely December series of events that are held yearly in Tana Toraja amidst stunningly beautiful South Sulawesi mountain landscapes, this year, the Toraja International Festival 2013 will again take place from 28^th to 30^th December 2013.

The Lovely December events have been held annually for four consecutive years taking turns between the Tana Toraja Regency and the North Toraja Regency.

Carrying the theme “Celebrate the Living Megalithic Culture in TORAJA”,  the event this year will be officially opened at the Pallawa Tourism Center in the North Toraja Regency and closed at the Ge’tengan Field, Mengkedek District, in the Tana Toraja Regency.

The Festival will be filled with a number of art and cultural performances, mountain bike event, sepak takrawtraditional ball game, traditional fishing competitions and more. The opening  will be highlighted with a handicraft and culinary exhibition, while the closing ceremony will feature Toraja’s distinct Art and cultural performances.

From 28^th to 29^th December in the village of Kete Kesu, in Rantepao, the Festival will feature Manimbong, Indonesian National Orchestra, Art and Culinary Exhibition, Toraja’s Carving Workshop, Toraja’s Textile Exhibition, Photography and Multimedia Workshop, and a Culture Seminar.

While from 29^th to 30^th December, the festival will shift to Bukit Ge’tengan Makale with the World Music Festival that will feature international musicians including:  Supa Kalulu from Zimbabwe, Vieux Cissokho from Senegal, Orchid House Orchestra from Italy, Jeannette Lambert from Canada, Gilles Saissi from France, Greg Scheimber form Australia, Aigul & Yedil from Kazakstan, Park Hye Ryun from Korea, and more. From Indonesia itself, the music camp festival will feature the  Indonesian National Orchestra, Debus from Banten, Modero from Palu, Saleum from Banda Aceh, Rebana Betawi from Jakarta, Kolintang from Manado, Bataroigawa from Makassar, and  Ma’Dan and Manimbong from Toraja.

The event will also feature Music Workshops by Annelo Capuano, Greg Schiemer, Yedil Khussinov, I Gusti Kompyang Raka, and Alfian.

TheToraja International Festival t aims to further promote and strengthen the position of Toraja as one of Indonesia’s top destinations . Aside from being attended by local communities, also present during the festival will be Torajans living overseas in addition to domestic and international tourists.

"Discovered" and opened to the world from their long isolation only since the beginning of the last century, the Toraja today still adhere to their age-old beliefs, rituals and traditions. Hemmed in by lofty mountains and cut by deep valleys, Toraja land is so far most well known for its elaborate funeral ceremonies that can take days and involve entire villages. These are not only moments for mourning but are moreover events to renew family ties and to ensure continued unity among villages and communities.
Toraja offers ideal landscapes for trekking and adrenaline pumping white water rafting.