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EXACTLY on September 3, 2021, the people of New York City will be given a ‘surprise’ by Indonesia with the inauguration of Café Dangdut.
According to the Indonesian Consul General in New York, Dr. Arifi Saiman, said the soft launching of Café Dangdut will be held at the WTC Financial Center Building in New York. In this soft launching event, a coffee truck bearing the Café Dangdut New York logo will be present and at WTC for 1 (one) full day from 10.00 to 19.00 EST.
“So, what’s interesting is that Café Dangdut New York was formed with the concept of a permanent coffee shop and a ‘mobile’ coffee truck with Indonesian coffee menu offerings from various coffee-producing regions in the country, ranging from Aceh coffee to Papuan coffee,” he said.
The business mechanism for Café Dangdut New York, Consul General Arifi Saiman continued is based on a ‘franchise’ so that in the future Cafe Dangdut New York can be present in other cities in the United States and other cities in the world.
He explained that the establishment of Cafe Dangdut New York departed from idealism to make Café Dangdut New York. So besides aiming to introduce dangdut music abroad, it also aims to be an ‘outlet’ as well as a ‘storefront’ for Indonesian coffee and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) creative industry products (merchandise) such as t-shirts, cups and Indonesian specialties in New York. In the future it is planned to be established in other cities in the US and around the world.
“But a special reason for me to establish Cafe Dangdut in this cosmopolitan city of the world. New York is the center of the world’s music industry, Café Dangdut New York also has a mission to help facilitate the presence and involvement of Indonesian artists in the US music scene, such as Sara Fajira from Surabaya who is currently in contract negotiations with labels in the US,” Arifi Saiman undrlined.
The idea to establish Café Dangdut New York was sparked by the ‘IG Live’ conversation between the Indonesian Consul General in New York and dangdut artist Fitri Carlina on February 21, 2021.
The establishment of Café Dangdut New York was then followed up with the establishment of the Indonesian Dangdut Coffee House at the Indonesian Consulate General in New York, a place to promote Indonesian coffee and Dangdut music in the working area of the Indonesian Consulate General in New York, whose inauguration was broadcast live with Rhoma Irama and his Sonnet Group. on the Indosiar television station on February 26, 2021.
The soft launching of Dangdut Café New York is planned to be attended by the Deputy for Marketing of the Ministry of Tourism, Nia Niscaya and the Ministry of Tourism team and a number of Indonesian artists including Dangdut artist Fitri Carlina.
Another alternative for holding the launch is Times Square, an iconic location in New York City which is currently under discussion between the Indonesian Consulate General in New York and the management team of Café Dangdut. [KJRI New York/photo special]
