''Cakalele'' dance (pronounced "cha-ka-leh-leh", spelled ''tjakalele'' by the Dutch) is a

war dance A war dance is a dance involving mock combat, usually in reference to tribal warrior societies where such dances were performed as a ritual connected with endemic warfare. Martial arts in various cultures can be performed in dance-like setti ...

from

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and Central Maluku in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. Hybrid versions also exist among the natives of

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

, and the

Tanimbar Islands The Tanimbar Islands, also called ''Timur Laut'', are a group of about 65 islands in the Maluku province of Indonesia. The largest and most central of the islands is Yamdena; others include Selaru to the southwest of Yamdena, Larat and Ford ...

. The dance is performed by men, two of whom represent opposing captains or leaders while the others are the warriors supporting them. After an opening ritual, the captains engage in a mock-duel with a spear (''sanokat'') and long knife (''lopu'') while their supporters use a long knife in the right hand and a narrow wooden shield in the left hand. The shield is referred to as a

salawaku A Salawaku (in the Tidore and Pagu languages), is a traditional shield originating from the Maluku Islands, Indonesia. It is also known as Ma Dadatoko, Salwake, Saluwaku or Salawako in Galela, Salewaku-mu in Loloda, Hawau-mu in Madole, Emuli in ...

, or by a local name such as the

Tobelo Tobelo is a town and a district on the eastern Indonesian island of Halmahera. It is the capital of the regency (''kabupaten'') of North Halmahera, part of the province of North Maluku. The town was formalised as the capital of North Halmahera in ...

''o dadatoko''. The cakalele originated as a way for the warriors to celebrate after a successful raid. Dancers dress in full warrior costume and are backed by the rhythm of the drum and gong (''tifa'') and fife (''sulin'').

Gallery

File:Cakalele.jpg, Cakalele dancers wearing traditional clothes Cakalele - Maluku.jpg, ''Cakalele'' dance performances in Maluku File:cakalele.gif, ''

Salawaku A Salawaku (in the Tidore and Pagu languages), is a traditional shield originating from the Maluku Islands, Indonesia. It is also known as Ma Dadatoko, Salwake, Saluwaku or Salawako in Galela, Salewaku-mu in Loloda, Hawau-mu in Madole, Emuli in ...

'', the shield used in performances File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Honitetoe-Alfoeren voeren de 'Tjakalélé' krijgsdans op Seram TMnr 10003481.jpg, ''Cakalele'' dance performances in the 1900s File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM 'Tjakalélé' dansers voeren een dans op in kampong Bora te Biromaru Donggala Celebes TMnr 10003467.jpg, Two ''cakalele'' dancers File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Groepsportret van Ambonezen met muziekinstrumenten TMnr 10000859.jpg, ''Cakalele'' performance

Notes

External links

Museum Maluku
War dances Maluku (province) Dances of Indonesia Theatre in Indonesia Traditional drama and theatre of Indonesia {{Indonesia-stub

Gallery

See also

Notes

External links