The show combines two deeply personal works into a single whole. Murtala presented “Gelumbang Raya”, while Alvira presented “Footprints and Whispers”.
Although departing from different perspectives, the two are united in the title “Remnants” to describe the memory that survives after the storm of life has passed.
Facing Aceh's Tsunami Trauma
For Murtala, “Wali Raya” is not just a dance, but a memory recording of the 2004 Aceh Tsunami tragedy. He recounted his experience of returning to the land of birth on the third day post-disaster and spending two months evacuating the remains.
It took more than two decades for Murtala to pour this experience into the form of dance works.
“This is heavy content. There are times when I am ready, yet I feel society is not ready, or vice versa. I am waiting for the momentum when I and the Acehnese people are really ready to share this story,” Murtala said.
Mother and Child Walking on an Unpaved Pathway after tsunami in Banda Aceh 2004 Credit: pexels/Read Once
Art Collaboration and Hope for Indonesian Artists
To liven up the emotional atmosphere on stage, the pair teamed up with renowned composer Gondrong Gunarto. Although the music is not played live, Gondrong's involvement is considered crucial because of his emotional closeness that is able to translate taste into sound.
The creative process of the show involves intensive development in the studio with the help of a dramaturg to ensure the message it wants to convey is acceptable to a global audience. Murtala hopes that audiences who have not experienced the tsunami can connect through the emotions of the struggle to face the “storm” in each other's lives.
Paving the Way on the International Stage
The world premiere performance of “Remains” at the Sydney Festival is expected to be a catalyst for other Indonesian artists in Australia.
“We hope this step will be a good step, not only for us, but for many Indonesian artists in all fields to appear in various major festivals in Australia,” Murtala concluded.
