Coloradans from Indonesia promote culture through Arcinda

Indonesia is the world's fourth most populated country, and is made up of 17,000 islands.

And here in Colorado, Indonesian-Americans number in the thousands.

Anie Pelletier came to Colorado from Java, Indonesia after receiving a scholarship for an MBA at the University of Denver.  She founded Arcinda to educate others, form community, and stay connected to her family and the culture she loves.

"I want to promote Indonesian culture in the American community," Pelletier said. "So, people can visit Indonesia and want to explore more about Indonesia."

The gamelan is the percussion orchestra that's integral to Indonesian culture and is an important part of the World's Cultural Heritage, according to UNESCO.

Aaron Stone married into the culture after meeting his wife, Riri, in Southeast Asia. He now incorporates the "modern" wind instrument, the clarinet, as part of the gamelan orchestra.  

"I really love the history behind it. This is a very ancient music," Stone said. 

Joseph Pelletier, a sophomore at CU Boulder, appreciates the opportunity to learn about his mother's homeland, while keeping its traditions alive.

"It's definitely nice to learn something new and just learn about all different types of music and cultures in the world," he expressed.

Deceline Rangingisan, a former "Miss Jakarta," began dancing at 3 years old and today enjoys choreography, along with singing and other arts.  

"Our country is a beautiful country.  We have a lot of culture. Every state has a lot, a lot of culture. It's different. Different language, different culture," she said about Indonesia. 

Shadow puppets tell stories and back home, puppeteers can entertain for hours. 

"The shadow puppet is back hundreds and hundreds of years ago before we have a youtube, before we have a movie, television," Anie Pelletier said.

The key to preserving the culture is engaging the next generation. Mars Stone is costumed as the half-human, half bird, creature that's a national emblem of Indonesia.

"This is a bird called Garuda and it goes back a very long time ago. It's a mythical creature kind of like a phoenix or a griffin," he said. 

The classic battle between good and evil is captured in a traditional dance from the island of Java.

The warm receptions from Colorado audiences are some of the best parts of performing with Arcinda.

You can see Arcinda perform on Sunday afternoon at the Golden Library located on 1019 10th St. in Golden at 12:30pm

Then at the Edgewater Library at 3:30pm, located on 1800 North Harlan Street in Edgewater. 

Learn more at https://bit.ly/3O6YnAq