Latest news with #IndonesianCulture
SBS Australia
a day ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Symphony of Generation: Tembang Nusantara 2025
LISTEN TO SBS Indonesian 18:53 Indonesian In keeping with the concept of passing the baton to the younger generation, two Indonesian students studying in Melbourne have been appointed: Jonathan Hendratno as Music Director and Amadeus Bagas Anggaraksa as Deputy Music Director of Tembang Nusantara 2025. Jonathan and Amadeus hope to leverage the trust placed in them to inspire the younger generation of Indonesians to participate more in community activities and further promote Indonesian culture. Not only to the world but also to second and third generations of Indonesians living in Australia Listen to SBS Indonesian every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 3 pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to our podcasts .
News24
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News24
From walking sharks to spinning mug heads: This bizarre craze has kids hooked worldwide
The dozen-plus cartoonish AI creatures have fast become memes, inspiring a stream of new content. Shouty, crude and often nonsensical Italian voiceovers feature in many of the clips made by people in various countries. School-age Italian Brainrot fans can be found in Kenya, Spain, South Korea and South Africa, while some of the most popular videos reference Indonesia's language and culture instead. In a Japanese shop selling pocket-money trinkets, there is a rack of toys, stickers and keyrings based on a global crew of AI-generated characters that almost every child knows about - and very few adults. A walking shark in oversized sneakers, an orange with muscular arms and a twirling 'Ballerina Cappuccina' with a mug for a head are among the strange stars of the online phenomenon called Italian Brainrot. 'At first it's not funny at all, but it kind of grows on you,' 16-year-old Yoshi Yamanaka-Nebesney from New York told AFP. 'You might use it to annoy someone and find that funny.' The name nods to the stupefying effect of scrolling through mindless social media posts, especially over-the-top images created with artificial intelligence tools. Shouty, crude and often nonsensical Italian voiceovers feature in many of the clips made by people in various countries that began to spread this year on platforms such as TikTok, embraced by young Gen Z and Gen Alpha members. The dozen-plus cartoonish AI creatures have fast become memes, inspiring a stream of new content such as 'Brainrot Rap,' viewed 116 million times on YouTube. A YouTube Short titled 'Learn to Draw 5 Crazy Italian Brainrot Animals' - including a cactus-elephant crossover named 'Lirili Larila' - has also been watched 320 million times. 'There's a whole bunch of phrases that all these characters have,' said Yamanaka-Nebesney, in Tokyo with his mother Chinami, who had no idea what he was talking about. School-age Italian Brainrot fans can be found from Kenya to Spain to South Korea and South Africa, while some of the most popular videos reference Indonesia's language and culture instead. 'I went on trips with my boys to Mexico,' and people would 'crack jokes about it' there too, Yamanaka-Nebesney said. 'Melodic language' Internet trends move fast, and Italian Brainrot 'hit its peak maybe two months ago or a month ago,' said Idil Galip, a University of Amsterdam lecturer in new media and digital culture. Italian - a 'melodic language that has opportunities for jokes' - has appeared in other memes before. And 'there are just so many people in Indonesia' sharing posts which have potential for global reach, Galip said. A 'multi-level marketing economy' has even emerged, with AI video-makers targeting Italian Brainrot's huge audience through online ads or merchandise sales, she added. Nurina, a 41-year-old Indonesian NGO worker, said her seven-year-old loves the mashed-up brainrot world. 'Sometimes when I pick him up from school, or when I'm working from home, he shouts, 'Mommy! Bombardino Crocodilo!'' - a bomber plane character with a crocodile head. 'I know it's fun to watch,' said Nurina, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name. 'I just need to make him understand that this is not real.' Some videos have been criticised for containing offensive messages that go over young viewers' heads, such as rambling references in Italian to 'Bombardino Crocodilo' bombing children in Gaza. 'The problem is that these characters are put into adult content,' and 'many parents are not tech-savvy' enough to spot the dangers, warned Oriza Sativa, a Jakarta-based clinical psychologist. Tung Tung Tung Sahur The best-known Indonesian brainrot character 'Tung Tung Tung Sahur' resembles a long drum called a kentongan, which is used to wake people up for a pre-dawn meal, or sahur, during Ramadan. Indonesia has a young, digitally active population of around 280 million, and 'Tung Tung Tung Sahur' is not its only viral export. This summer, video footage, not AI-generated, of a sunglass-wearing boy dancing on a rowboat during a race at a western Indonesian festival also became an internet sensation. Noxa, the TikToker behind the original 'Tung Tung Tung Sahur' clip, is now represented by a Paris-based collective of artists, lawyers and researchers called Mementum Lab. 'Noxa is a content creator based in Indonesia. He's under 20,' they told AFP. 'He makes fast, overstimulated, AI-assisted videos.' 'He doesn't call himself a 'contemporary artist', but we think he's already acting like one,' said Mementum Lab, which is focused on complex emerging issues around AI intellectual property, and says it is helping Noxa negotiate deals for his work. Noxa, in comments provided by the collective, said the character was 'inspired by the sound of the sahur drum I used to hear'. 'I didn't want my character to be just another passing joke - I wanted him to have meaning,' he said. Cultural nuances can be lost at a mass scale, for instance, one 12-year-old tourist in Tokyo said he thought 'Tung Tung Tung Sahur' was a baseball bat. And the generation gap looks set to persist. 'What's that?!' laughed a woman as she puzzled at the row of Italian Brainrot dolls. 'It's not cute at all!'
SBS Australia
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Celebration of the 80th Anniversary of RI
LISTEN TO SBS Indonesian 17/07/2025 06:48 Indonesian On August 23, 2025, the Indonesian Community Council, also known as ICC, organized a public bazaar to celebrate the 80th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia. Located at the Korean Society Hall in Croydon Park, this ICC bazaar will be held on August 23, 2025 from 10am to 10pm. Peragaan busana daerah Credit: ICC NSW Inc This annual major event presents Indonesian food stalls and traditional shows for visitors. SBS Indonesia spoke with ICC Chairman Lini Kuhn's mother about the celebration. Listen to SBS Indonesian every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 3pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram , and don't miss our podcasts .
SBS Australia
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
My Harimau King: When Indonesian tiger folklore mixed with life in Western Sydney
SBS Indonesian 18/06/2025 10:18 Annie McCann, a Western Sydneysider of Indonesian heritage, started out as a fan of fiction works. After trying her hand at writing her own stories, she is now launching her teenage adventure fiction novel starring a character representing her own identity: A Muslim Sundanese who grew up in Western Sydney. McCann's first ever novel, which falls under fantasy adventure, is titled My Harimau King. Its story line has strong ties with the legend of Prabu Raja Siliwangi, who is known to take on the form of a tiger at times. The novel contains multiple elements, including myths and legends hailing from Indonesia and West Java in Particular, such as objects with supernatural powers and the babi ngepet demon-swine creature. However, the main character is depicted as having a very strong Muslim identity. While Annie has always been well-acquainted with her Indonesian side, she was, after all, raised in Australia. Therefore, writing a story rich with reference to West Javanese traditions presented its own challenges, such as the use of multiple languages and the representation of folklores, including that of Prabu Raja Siliwangi. In her writing process, she was often assisted by family members and her travels to historical sites in West Java. Aside from being rich in its reference to Indonesian cultures, My Harimau King also depicts scenes that are familiar to young people living in Sydney, particularly its western part, such as munching on camel burgers and struggling through Australian schools' exam periods. Melati Lum (L) and Annie McCann. Credit: Supplied/Melati Lum Melati Lim, the owner of Melby Rose Publishing, under which My Harimau King is released, lauds the novel for its inclusion of Indonesian elements, which are rare in books targeting middle-grade readers. Listen to the full podcast. Listen to SBS Indonesian on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 3pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram , and don't miss our podcasts.
