6,000 Chinese People Play Angklung in Concert

Beijing, June 30 (Antara) - Around 6,000 Chinese people on Sunday got together in Beijing labor stadium to play angklung, an Indonesian Sundanese traditional musical instrument made of bamboo, led by Daeng Ujo, an envoy said. The angklung orchestra led by Daeng Udjo from Saung Angklung "Udjo" featured several songs such as "Manuk Dadali", "Yueliang Daibiao Wo De Xin" in Mandarin language and a song "We Are The World", Indonesian ambassador, Imron Cotan said here on Sunday. The angklung players are among other things students, representatives of China's company ZTE, students of China Defence University, Chinese-Indonesian citizens who fled from the country and settled in China up to now and another component of people. The concert also showed the angklung historical film and a phrase of "I Love Angklung" in ten different languages on the concert screen. The concert organizer also featured digital Angklung made in Indonesia - Sansico. According to the Indonesian ambassador, in addition to promote one of the country's cultures abroad, the angklung concert was also aimed at strengthening relations of the Indonesian and China's people. "We wish to show one of the Indonesian traditional cultures through the angklung concert as well as to share and strengthen community relations between the two nations," Imron said. Earlier, general chairman of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association (PPIT), Bondan Gunawan said that the 6,000 angklung colossal concert constitutes one of the cultural diplomacy measures to enhance ties of the Indonesian and China's citizens. "The diplomacy brings about many aspects such as inter-governments, inter-business people, and between communities," Bondan said. The 6,000 angklung colossal concert will be registered in the Guiness Book of Records, following the 5,000 angklung concert conducted by the Indonesian representatives office in the United States in 2011, he noted. The Beijing angklung concert was also attended by 20 foreign ambassadors in China, including the U.S. ambassador for China, Gary Locke. (*)