It is hard to look for someone in Indonesian who does not know about Sajojo Dance Papua. The movement for the dance uses the Sajojo song which is so popular among Indonesian. This might be because Indonesian education teaches children about regional and national songs.
Sajojo song narrates a story about a man named Jojo. This man would like to ask Keke (a girl) on a date. So, he asked the girl and her parents for permission. In the lyrics, the man was willing to give everything to the girl so that they could be together and formed a deeper relationship.
In Papua, the people perform this dance for traditional ceremonies and welcome important guests. Right now, many formal and cultural events in the country use this particular dance to showcase Indonesia’s ethnic traditional culture. Apart from the song, performers play Tifa (Papua’s traditional music instrument), violins, guitars, and keyboards to complete the music.
4 Factors That Make Sajojo Dance Papua More Popular
The Vibrant Music and Simple Lyrics
The music of the Sajojo song draws in the ears who listen. The music is light and cheerful. In addition, Tifa, as one of the musical instruments, sets a vibrant rhythm and produces a gentle sound. It is no wonder that the song is liked by many poeple, from young to old.
The song’s lyrics use Papua’s traditional language. The words are simple and easy to remember. There is a lot of repetition of words in the song to emphasize and deliver the intended meaning.
Basic yet Energetic Dance Movement
Sajojo dance’s movements highlight the movement of the feet. At the beginning part of the dance, performers will often jump and stomp their feet following the song’s rhythm. There are many variations of the dance depending on who are the dancers.
There is no strict rule in dancing. Everyone from native tribes regardless of age and gender can perform this dance together. Usually, people will form a group of five or more to dance. One interesting face, Sajojo Dance Papua is also used by the military working in Papua, Timor, and Maluku due to its basic yet energetic movements.
A Symbol of Expression and Togetherness
Similar to any other songs and dances, Papuans create the Sajojo song and dance to express their emotions. This folk song has a romantic story that conveys the feeling of love and adoration. The sincerity of Jojo in asking Keke out can be found in the lyrics as he would take Keke home before evening.
The dance emphasizes one Papuan’s traditional value, togetherness. Some traditional dance in Papua follows a rigid set of rules. For example, only native men can perform Soanggi traditional dance. That is why the Sajojo dance which anyone can perform is a symbol of togetherness and solidarity.
The Sance Presents Papua’s Signature Clothing and Accessories
The fourth factor that makes Sajojo dance popular is the unique clothing and accessories wear by performers. Male dancers are shirtless. Instead, they have several white traditional paintings or motifs on the upper half of their body. Then, they wear Rok Rumbai (a tassel skirt) made of dry Rumbia or Sago leaves. For female dancers, they wear a shirt, Rok Rumbia, and have several paintings on the arms and face.
All dancers wear a headdress made of bird feathers, wood, and Sago leaves. They have necklaces made of animal bones or teeth, wood, stone, shells, and tassel bracelets. The dancers can hold traditional Papua weapons or Tifa while dancing.
the energetic music, simple lyrics, movements, etc. If you hear the Sajojo song, do not forget to dance along with the rhythm.
