Local Religions and the Rituals in Ndoto Music Performance: A Case Study of Cultural Paradigms in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is an archipelago with many regional cultures. Flores Island, one of the islands in the East Nusa Tenggara region, is rich in traditional ceremonies. The Ngagha Mere ritual is a ritual to give thanks to the ancestors for the abundant crops. During the celebration, Ndoto music is played as a way of communicating with the ancestors. The uniqueness of Ndoto is that it has various meanings and symbols of life. The ethnographic method and Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis were used to reveal the regional wealth and the deepest meaning in the implementation of Ndoto Music. Through this research, it is concluded that Ndoto is a local wisdom that carries meaningful values and functions for the people of Flores, West Nusa Tenggara, in which there is an understanding of life that can be contemplated together.

Indonesia is an archipelago with many regional cultures. Flores Island, one of the islands in the East Nusa Tenggara region, is rich in traditional ceremonies. The Ngagha Mere ritual is a ritual to give thanks to the ancestors for the abundant crops. During the celebration, Ndoto music is played as a way of communicating with the ancestors. The uniqueness of Ndoto is that it has various meanings and symbols of life. The ethnographic method and Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis were used to reveal the regional wealth and the deepest meaning in the implementation of Ndoto Music. Through this research, it is concluded that Ndoto is a local wisdom that carries meaningful values and functions for the people of Flores, West Nusa Tenggara, in which there is an understanding of life that can be contemplated together.