Commemorating Didong Day 2026, KNA Calls on the Community to Preserve Gayo Culture
BANDA ACEH – Sofyan Griantara, SH, MM, head of Keluarga Negeri Antara (KNA) Banda Aceh, is calling on the Gayo community to keep preserving Didong as an ancestral heritage and identity of the Gayo highland people. He made the call during the 2026 Gayo Didong Day celebration, which included a screening of the documentary"Penyair Negeri Linge" at the parking area of Taman Ratu Safiatuddin, Lamprit, Banda Aceh, on Wednesday (8/5/2026).
Sofyan expressed gratitude to Allah SWT and appreciated the community's enthusiasm. He stressed that Didong is not just a performing art but also a way to connect, share moral messages, and exchange ideas, strengthening brotherhood."Didong is a cultural heritage with noble values. We must protect it and pass it on to the younger generation so it doesn't get washed away by the times," he said.
He reminded everyone that differences in opinion are normal but unity and togetherness must come first. Sofyan invited the people of Negeri Antara in Banda Aceh and nearby areas to support preserving Gayo culture so young people will still know it. The event hopes to strengthen solidarity and commitment to safeguarding this ancestral culture.
The activities also included a discussion about Gayo Didong with cultural figure Onot Kemata and young representative Zekri, talking about Didong's role in keeping cultural identity alive amid changing times.
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