RRI.CO.ID, Ternate - Indonesia is stepping up its legal framework to safeguard indigenous art forms, with the official recognition of Tidore’s Rababu music as a state-protected traditional cultural expression.

Often referred to as Rababu, this musical style is deeply intertwined with traditional rituals and religious ceremonies across North Maluku. The music is characterized by its distinct Malay-Arabic nuances and is generated using a unique bowed string instrument.

The instrument itself features a single string, typically tuned to a C note, crafted with a body made from a coconut shell and a bow constructed out of banana tree fibers. Commonly performed alongside traditional drums (tifa), gongs, and wind instruments, musicians routinely sing folklore melodies while playing the stringed instrument during customary community events.

Data retrieved from the database of the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) under the Ministry of Law confirms that Rababu music has now been officially registered as communal intellectual property under the traditional cultural expression category.

During a recent meeting with local musicians, Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas expressed his profound admiration for the creative depth of North Maluku's communities, praising their exceptional and highly sophisticated musical traditions.

"I encourage young people, musicians, art practitioners, and the public to please immediately register their creative works. If you face difficulties, you can come to the North Maluku Regional Office of the Ministry of Law to be assisted and facilitated. Copyright is not just about its legal protection, but it is to provide certainty that its economic benefits cannot possibly be obtained by other parties," Supratman said on Saturday, July 11, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Head of the Ministry of Law's North Maluku regional office, Budi Argap Situngkir, emphasized that extending legal safety nets to ancestral art forms like Tidore's Rababu music reflects the government's comprehensive commitment to protecting community-owned heritage that has survived for generations.

Argap highlighted that the formal registration of these cultural expressions serves to defend national identity, reinforce sovereignty, and secure cultural assets for posterity.

"The protection of this traditional cultural expression can preserve the community's culture, which holds significant socio-cultural value," Argap remarked, noting the profound sociological impact of the legal designation.

Echoing the call for proactive cultural preservation, the regional office's head of legal services, Rian Arvin, urged local administrative bodies, grassroots communities, mass media, higher education institutions, and civic organizations to build strong synergies.

He stressed the importance of collectively mapping and registering potential communal assets, ranging from diverse cultural expressions and traditional knowledge to geographical indications and indications of origin.

"The people of North Maluku possess cultural traditions that have existed for a long time and have been passed down through generations by their successors. It is our duty to keep preserving that culture by registering communal intellectual property with the Ministry of Law," Arvin concluded, underlining the collective responsibility of the regional populace. ***