The traditional Sitting Song-Dances: How their Recognition and Rivalries Affect Gayo-Acehnese Relations at Home and in the Diasporas

Résumé En Fr

From the 1960s, both the Gayo minority in the highlands of Aceh and the Acehnese majority living in the coastal plains have achieved increased national and international exposure of their traditional song-dances, some of which are performed in the “ standing” position and others in the “ sitting” position. This article focuses on the Gayo saman and the Acehnese ratôh duek (lit. “ sitting chattering”) song-dances, both of which are performed in the sitting (actually kneeling) position. From ca the 1980s they were transplanted into the Medan, Jakarta and Yogyakarta diasporas. While ratôh duek was widely performed and taught in simplified form to thousands of Indonesian school children, saman has remained an exclusively Gayo traditional form, and unlike the Acehnese, its community has consistently rejected any substantial modification of the genre for mass teaching and performance purposes. In 2011, UNESCO formally recognised the Gayo Lues style of saman as an Endangered Item of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which increased its international prominence and provided some funding for its preservation. However this recognition served to intensify existing tensions between the Gayo and the Acehnese at home and especially in the diasporas. To this day, the government, the media and the general population often mistakenly refer to the Acehnese genre ratôh duek by the Gayo name of saman, despite its very different history and style. This is resented by the Gayo, who see the practice as an appropriation that increases their perception of being treated as second-class citizens in their own homeland as well as in their diaspora communities. ratôh duek (lit. “ sitting chattering”) song-dances, both of which are performed in the sitting (actually kneeling) position. From ca the 1980s they were transplanted into the Medan, Jakarta and Yogyakarta diasporas. While ratôh duek was widely performed and taught in simplified form to thousands of Indonesian school children, saman has remained an exclusively Gayo traditional form, and unlike the Acehnese, its community has consistently rejected any substantial modification of the genre for mass teaching and performance purposes. In 2011, UNESCO formally recognised the Gayo Lues style of saman as an Endangered Item of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which increased its international prominence and provided some funding for its preservation. However this recognition served to intensify existing tensions between the Gayo and the Acehnese at home and especially in the diasporas. To this day, the government, the media and the general population often mistakenly refer to the Acehnese genre ratôh duek by the Gayo name of saman, despite its very different history and style. This is resented by the Gayo, who see the practice as an appropriation that increases their perception of being treated as second-class citizens in their own homeland as well as in their diaspora communities.

Les danses chantées assises traditionnelles : comment leur reconnaissance et les rivalités affectent les relations entre Gayo et Acihais sur place et dans les diasporas C’est à partir des années 1960 que la minorité gayo des hautes terres d’Aceh et la majorité acihaise vivant dans les plaines côtières ont progressivement révélé leurs danses chantées traditionnelles aux niveaux national et international, certaines étant exécutées «debout » , d’autres en position «assise » . Cet article a pour objet les danses chantées saman des Gayo et ratôh duek (lit. «s’asseoir en bavardant » ) des Acihais. Toutes deux sont exécutées en position assise (en fait en position agenouillée). Ces danses ont été transplantées dans les diasporas de Medan, Jakarta et Yogyakarta vers les années 1980. Alors que la danse ratôh duek était largement représentée et enseignée sous une forme simplifiée à des milliers d’élèves dans les écoles indonésiennes, la danse saman est restée une forme traditionnelle exclusivement gayo. Contrairement aux Acihais, cette communauté a toujours refusé la moindre modification substantielle du genre pour s’adapter à un enseignement et à des spectacles de masse. En 2011, l’UNESCO a formellement reconnu la danse saman gayo de style Lues en tant qu’élément du patrimoine culturel immatériel en danger, ce qui a contribué à renforcer sa réputation internationale et à bénéficier de subsides pour sa préservation. Cependant, cette reconnaissance a provoqué une intensification des tensions existantes entre les Gayo et les Acihais sur place et surtout parmi les diasporas. À ce jour, le gouvernement, les médias et la population en général commettent l’erreur de désigner le genre acihais ratôh duek par le terme gayo de saman, ceci malgré une histoire et un style très différents. Ceci n’est pas apprécié par les Gayo qui considèrent cette pratique comme une appropriation contribuant à renforcer leur idée qu’ils sont traités comme des citoyens de seconde classe, aussi bien sur leur propre territoire que dans les diasporas.