MUSIC COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY TOM BURKE
LIBRETTO COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY ALEXANDER CROMER

IN CONJUNCTION WITH DRAMATURGIST JASMIJN VAN WIJNEN AND PROFESSIONAL KICKBOXER MIKA TAHITU

In 1951, around 12,500 Moluccan K.N.I.L. soldiers (of the south pacific Maluku islands) and their families arrived in the Netherlands after the decolonization of Indonesia. With the promise of returning back to an independent state, these families boarded ships and were transported to temporary shelters outside of city centers. However, these shelters proved to be permanent, because with the delivery of one single letter, the soldiers were discharged from the army and their dream of retuning to an independent Maluku had ended. This single letter that caused the loss of both their home and way of living, the lack of space for meaningful occupation and for heroism led to a profound anger and depression within the community.

The third generation of Moluccans have devoted themselves to channeling the anger of the previous generations to reclaim their space in Dutch society. In particular, Mika Tahitu, world reknowned kickboxing champion and tattoo artist. He started the group Moluccan Fighters in 2017 to provide positive role models to young Moluccans while also developing a platform for the Moluccan voice.

Mena Muria (the motto of the Republic of South Maluku, translated it means ‘I go, You follow’) tells the tale of intergenerational trauma through a libretto inspired by the Moluccan community, music inspired by the three generations of Moluccans that have built communities in the Netherlands, and mise-en-scène inspired by Mika Tahitu and Moluccan fighters.