MAINTAINING CULTURAL IDENTITY THROUGH GONG WANING IN MAUMERE SOCIETY

Abstract

One of the traditional musical instruments originating from Maumere, Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, is the Gong Waning. The noble values of this instrument are an important part of the culture of the Maumere community. This research investigates the Maumere community's efforts to maintain local cultural identity through gong Waning. The research was conducted by studying literature and interviewing important informants in Maumere. The results showed that the Maumere community has made several efforts to preserve gong Waning, such as: (1) maintaining customs and traditions related to the use of the gong Waning; (2) providing training and instruction to the younger generation on how to play the gong Waning; (3) recording and promoting the gong Waning through various media; and (4) building cooperation between the government,  artists,  and  the  community  to  keep  the  gong  Waning  functioning. This study found that these efforts are clear evidence of the Maumere community's commitment to maintaining the local cultural identity embodied in the Waning gong. The preservation of gong Waning is an effort to maintain tradition and pass on noble cultural values to future generations.