MAleab Tradition from Toli Toli,Central Sulawesi,Indonesia

Three pairs of men and beautiful women dancing on the winding stage. His movements in rhythm with the beat of a drum made of cow leather, and crackle kulintang from copper plate. Bamboo music variety too compelling. The dancer's slender fingers, delicate, distant light when a touch of stage lights.

Special dress yellow blue mixed in the body attached to the three couples dancing. Shirtless barefoot. They continued to dance with the movement of paddy fields mengketam, separating grain from the shaft by being trampled on mats made of nipa leaves. Clean of dirt or grain leaves by way of vacuum filter, and then pounding it on a wooden mortar to make rice.

Rice harvest rituals such an ancestral tradition Tolitoli society, and could not be found in the agricultural era, like the current machine.

But that tradition is now raised again in the form of performance art. Dance is called the "Meleab". "Meleab" in the local language means to clean Tolitoli paddy fields.

"Meleab is a package of art traditions. Dance it describes the process of planting rice farming, harvesting, cleaning, until the rice pounding on a wooden mortar, "

The beauty of traditional art performances that appear in the "art opening" freedom of art performances, festive memorial to the 64th Anniversary of the Proclamation in Tolitoli District, Central Sulawesi, on Friday night.

Art performances staged in the arena of art "Tompaa Lelegasan". The name comes from the language which means a place Tolitoli gig. This place is officially a performing arts center since 2008 and, after last week digelarnya culture of Central Sulawesi provincial level. The layout of the stage back to the sea and the charming beauty of the island Lutungan. An island that has a royal history Tolitoli. Radiant beauty is the desire to add viewers to watch each performance.

According to Akhiruddin, other things inherent in the art tradition "Meleab" that the martial arts. Art on this one also inherited the previous people who continue to be preserved until now despite living in the only art form.

It is said that people used to the tempo Tolitoli every harvest season does not just rely on the ability of human labor, but also magical powers, such as calling the wind. The wind according to public confidence Toli-Toli can be imported with magical powers.

The wind was very necessary to clean the grain from rice leaves dirt or grain hollow. The wind is needed to fly the dirt so that the pure grain tersisah is ready to be processed into rice.

"At this session people used to be using magical powers to bring the wind or fly into the air grain from the basket," said Akhiruddin.

Post-harvest as an expression of gratitude, the tempo of the royal era farmers had also held a celebration event at night. The crop was served in front of the king or Gaukan and their staffs.

Art tradition "Meleab"'ve got respect from the government. Dance April 2008 and is staged at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) in the Indonesian cultural charm.

"We look at why we got TMII bid to perform in Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam. We were invited by the embassy of Malaysia and Brunei. But it has not granted for any reason, "Akhiruddin story.

Dance "Meleab" not bound by the number of dancers. This dance can also be in the form of a mass dance played by tens or even more than 100 people. But that night, dance is only performed by six dancers. Three men and three women.

This dance is the creation of new dance created by local artists, Djefri James. The music was created by Achan Lagare. Musical instruments ranging from drums, kulintang, gongs and bamboo.

According to Achan Lagare, instrument deliberately drawn from musical instruments to strengthen the traditional values of the traditional dance itself.

Other traditional arts are also enliven the arts scene in Tolitoli independence is the traditional music "salamatan know pangae" or celebration of the fishermen. Date July 16-18, the art of music "salamatan know pangae" took part in the gamelan festival in Jogyakarta 14.

The basic idea of this music from traditional ceremonies "magandulan proud" or pengarungan procession to the sea boat departure to destination hosts. Boat sent down at dawn today. This tradition is a tradition inherited Tolitoli fishing communities since ancient times. Before the decline in the boat, first made the celebration by playing some folk arts such as lelegesan (song of unrequited rhymes), ei-ei (song of the liver expression), rebbana, and Maragai (martial art).

Lelegesan is the art of well-known tradition among the people Tolitoli. According to Achan Lagare, stylists music "salamatan know pangae", lelegesan songs are situational. This song tells the condition occurs in people with spontaneous round. It is said that many of the older people had met her match when unrequited rhyme at party events of the people.