multi-lingual singing in Indonesia
I left for Indonesia with my friend and colleague Dr. Damayanthi Niles in mid-May, where we spent a little over two weeks learning from church leaders and pastors on Timor Island (GMIT) and Bali (GKPD).
Our itinerary on Timor Island was lovingly curated by Rev. Elina Otu, who did her MTS degree at Eden Seminary (advised by Dr. Niles) and was a singer in the choir I directed.
The highlight of our week was a visit to Konbaki Village in the mountains of Central Timor, where Elina pastors the Petra Nifu Petu Congregation. It was a winding, 4-hour trip from Kupang to a remote place that has retained a vibrant sense of communal identity and culture. While some of their traditional practices and songs are fading, they have not yet completely disappeared and we were honored to witness them.
During their Ascension Day service, a small ensemble stood up to sing a piece that immediately struck me as familiar. While Elina was in the choir at Eden, we learned Miren que bueno by Argentine composer Pablo Sosa. It’s a short, rhythmic setting of Psalm 133 inspired by an indigenous dance. Elina had adapted it into Bahasa! Then they sang it in English (she offered the verses) and then they sang it in Spanish. I was so moved to hear villagers in Indonesia singing a song from half a world away, carried there by my student.
I share it this Pentecost as a witness to the ways music can be translated and adapted across cultures. While Indonesians are inherently multi-lingual, these villagers did their best to sing in Spanish, honoring the original language of the song. With time and practice they learned something from far outside their cultural context!
May the Spirit continue to move like a mighty wind - disrupting and challenging us this Pentecost. And may more songs be carried on the winds of Spirit to unexpected places and inspire us to pray and praise from the heart, even in languages we might not know yet!