Minister Fadli Zon Encourages Qasidah To Enter WBTB, Prepares A National Ecosystem
JAKARTA - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon emphasized the need to establish a national quasidah ecosystem when receiving an audience from the Central Leadership Council of the Indonesian Institute of Arts and Qasidah (LASQI) Nusantara Jaya at the Ministry of Culture Building, Tuesday, November 18. The meeting discussed the holding of the Lasqi Nusantara Fest 2025 in Bogor and the plan to propose qasidah as Indonesia's Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTB).
Chairman of the LASQI DPP Jazilul Fawaid assessed that Qasidah had changed positions in the community. In fact, for decades quasidah colored social and religious activities. He asked for government support so that qasidah was recorded as a WBTB as well as strengthened coaching.
LASQI will hold the Lasqi Nusantara Fest 2025 in early December at Tegar Beriman Field, Bogor, presenting around 10,000 qasidah singers and groups. This festival includes classic swabana quasidah competitions, gambus vocalists, religious pop, to contemporary qasidah. The committee is also preparing to break the MURI record, Lasqi Nusantara Expo, and Rapimnas which is the official forum for proposing qasidah as Indonesian WBTB.
Minister of Culture Fadli Zon welcomed the initiative. He called Qasidah a traditional art that has a long history but has not been recorded in 2,231 Indonesian WBTB. Qasidah really deserves to be appointed as WBTB. Need research, workshops, and coaching to stay alive and relevant," he said.
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Fadli also emphasized the importance of creative innovation, including modern arrangements, to bring qasidah closer to the younger generation. He opened spaces for collaboration through various programs such as Dana Indonesiana, Learning with Maestros, the Artists Movement to Enter School, to creative laboratories for Qasidah actors. We need the form of the ecosystem through research, workshops, training, and creation space," he said.
The audience was also attended by officials from the Ministry of Culture and representatives of LASQI from various regions. The government affirms its commitment to strengthening quasidah as an important part of Nusantara cultural wealth while at the same time encouraging the birth of a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem.