Music of Indonesia
Encyclopedia
The music of Indonesia
demonstrates its cultural diversity
, the local musical creativity, as well as subsequent foreign musical influences that shaped contemporary music scenes of Indonesia. Nearly thousands of Indonesian islands having its own cultural and artistic history and character. This results in hundreds of different forms of music, which often accompanies dance
and theater. The musics of Java, Sumatra
, Bali
, Flores
and other islands have been documented and recorded, and research by Indonesian and international scholars is ongoing. The music in Indonesia predates historical records, various Native Indonesian tribes often incorporate chants and songs accompanied with musics instruments in their rituals. Today the contemporary music of Indonesia is popular in the region, including neighboring countries; Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
The musical identity of Indonesia as we know it today began as the Bronze Age
culture migrated to the Indonesian archipelago in the 2nd-3rd century BC. Traditional musics of Indonesian tribes often uses percussion instruments, especially gendang (drum
s) and gong
s. Some of them developed elaborate and distinctive musical instruments, such as sasando
string instrument of Rote
island, angklung
of Sundanese people
, and the complex and sophisticated gamelan
orchestra of Java
and Bali
.
, an ensemble of tuned percussion instrument
s that include metallophone
s, drum
s, gong
s and spike fiddles along with bamboo
flute
s. Similar ensembles are prevalent throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, however gamelan is originated from Java, Bali, and Lombok
.
In Central Java, gamelan is intricate and meticulously laid out. The central melody is played on a metallophone in the center of the orchestra, while the front elaboration and ornamentation on the melody, and, at the back, the gongs slowly punctuate the music. There are two tuning systems. Each Gamelan is tuned to itself, and the intervals between notes on the scale vary between ensembles. The metallophones cover four octaves, and include types like the slenthem
, demung, saron panerus and balungan
. The soul of the gamelan is believed to reside in the large gong, or gong ageng
. Other gongs are tuned to each note of the scale and include ketuk, kenong
and kempul
. The front section of the orchestra is diverse, and includes rebab
, suling
, siter
, bonang
and gambang
. Male choruses (gerong
) and female (pesindhen) solo
vocalists are common.
With the arrival of the Dutch
colonizers, a number system called kepatihan was developed to record the music. Music and dance at the time was divided into several styles based on the main courts in the area — Surakarta
, Yogyakarta, Pakualaman
and Mangkunegaran
.
Gamelan from eastern Java is less well-known than central or western parts of the island. Perhaps most distinctive of the area is the extremely large gamyak drum. In West Java, formerly Sunda
, has several type of gamelan. Gamelan Degung
, gamelan salendro
and tembang sunda
are three primary types. The Osing Javanese
minority in eastern Java are known for social music for weddings and other celebrations, called gandrung
, as well as angklung
, played by young amateur boys, which is very similar to Bali
nese gamelan.
that employs two instruments, kecapi (zither) and suling
(bamboo flute). It is related to tembang sunda
.
people of North Sulawesi, however it also popular in Maluku
and Timor
.
island of East Nusa Tenggara
. The parts of sasando are a bamboo cylinder surrounded by several wedges where the strings are stretched, surrounded by a bag-like fan of dried lontar or palmyra leafs (Borassus flabellifer), functioned as the resonator of the instrument.
. Tapanuli ogong is a form of dance music
played with a type of lute
, trumpet
and flute
.
and a mix of western and regional style music and instruments. Indonesian folk music is quite diverse, and today embraces pop, rock, house, hip hop
and other genres, as well as distinct Indonesian forms. There are several kinds of "ethnic" pop music, generally grouped together as Pop Daerah (regional pop). These include Pop sunda
, Pop Minang, Pop Batak, Pop Melayu, Pop Ambon, Pop Minahasa and others. Other than featuring the legacy of Lagu Daerah (regional traditional songs) of each regional cultures, the musician might also create some new compositions in their own native language.
, also called seni mamaos cianjuran, or just cianjuran, is a form of sung poetry which arose in the colonial-era of Cianjur
. It was first known as an aristocratic art; one cianjuran composer was R.A.A. Kusumahningrat (Dalem Pancaniti), ruler of Cianjur (1834–1862). The instruments of Cianjuran are kacapi indung, kacapi rincik and suling
or bamboo flute, and rebab
for salendro compositions. The lyrics are typically sung in free verse, but a more modern version, panambih
, is metrical. It is usually the drums.
is a very complex rhythmic dance music from the Sundanese people
of western Java. The rhythm is liable to change seemingly randomly, making dancing difficult for most listeners. Its instruments are entirely Sundanese, completely without imported instruments. It was invented by artists like Gugum Gumbira
after Sukarno
prohibited rock and roll
and other western genres in the '60s.
, referring to a type of lute
or 12-string pear-shaped guitar, is the Middle-Eastern-derived Islamic vocal and instrumental music. These traditions began to be incorporated throughout many areas of Indonesia by the 16th century.
word for religious poetry accompanied by chanting and percussion. Qasidah modern
adapts this for pop audiences. It is used to denote a type of orchestra and the music it plays, believed to be introduced by Muslim settlers from Yemen
. Qasidah modern were derived from Islamic pop, adding local dialects and lyrics that address Indonesian contemporary issues. Though popular among Arabs in Indonesia, it has gained little popularity elsewhere.
The contemporary form of Islamic Middle eastern influenced musics in Indonesia is Debu
, that featuring sufism
approach on music to spread their message.
(alternative spelling: Keroncong) has been evolving since the arrival of the Portuguese
, who brought with them Europe
an instruments. By the early 1900s, it was considered a low-class urban music. This changed in the 1930s, when the rising Indonesian film industry began incorporating kroncong. And then even more so in the mid- to late 1940s, it became associated with the struggle for independence
.
Perhaps the most famous song
in the kroncong style is Bengawan Solo
, written in 1940 by Gesang Martohartono
, a Solonese
musician. Written during the Japanese Imperial Army occupation of the island in World War II
, the song (about the Bengawan Solo River
, Java's longest and most important river) became widely popular among the Javanese, and then later nationally when recordings were broadcast over the local radio stations. The song also became quite popular with the Japanese soldiers, and when they returned to Japan
at the end of the war re-recordings of it (by Japanese artists) became best-sellers. Over the years it has been re-released many times by notable artists, mainly within Asia but also beyond (like Anneke Grönloh
), and in some places it is seen as typifying Indonesian music. Gesang himself remains the most renowned exponent of the style, which although it is seen now as a somewhat starchy and "dated" form is still popular among large segments of the population, particularly the older generation.
After the World War II and during Indonesian National Revolution (1945—1949) and afterwards, kroncong was associated with patriotism, since many of Indonesian poets and patriotic songs authors uses kroncong and somewhat jazz fusion as the genre of their works. The patriotic theme and romantic wartime romance was obvious in the works of Ismail Marzuki
, such as Rayuan Pulau Kelapa
, Indonesia Pusaka
, Sepasang Mata Bola, Keroncong Serenata and Juwita Malam. These patriotic songs can be sung in hymn or even in orchestra, but most often was sung in kroncong style known as kroncong perjuangan (struggle kroncong). The kroncong divas; Waldjinah, Sundari Sukoco and Hetty Koes Endang, was instrumental in reviving the style in the 1980s.
Langgam Jawa or Tembang Jawa
There is a style of kroncong native to Surakarta (Solo)
called langgam jawa
, which fuses kroncong with the gamelan
seven-note scale.
Gambang Kromong
Early in the 20th century, kroncong was used in a type of theater called komedi stanbul; adapted for this purpose, the music was called gambang kromong. Gambang kromong is quite prevalent in Betawi culture of Jakarta.
was originally an Indonesian dance music
that has spread throughout Southeast Asia, became the dominant pop style in the mid-1970s. Famous for its throbbing beat and the slightly moralistic lyrics that appeal to Muslim youth, dangdut stars dominate the modern pop scene. However dangdut — especially performed by female singers — also often featuring suggestive dance movements and naughty lyrics to appeal the larger audience. This development was strongly opposed by the conservative older generation dangdut artist.
Dangdut is based around the singers, and stars include Rhoma Irama
and Elvy Sukaesih
(the King and Queen of Dangdut), Mansyur S.
, A. Rafiq
, Camelia Malik
and Fahmy Shahab
; along with Cici Paramida, Evie Tamala
, Inul Daratista
, Julia Perez
and Dewi Perssik from younger generation.
that prevalent in Javanese cultural sphere, mainly Central Java
, Yogyakarta and East Java
. There is also Sundanese version of campursari prevalent in Bandung
region of West Java
. Perhaps its greatest current artist is Didi Kempot.
Indonesian music also plays a vital role in the Indonesian creative pop culture, especially as the soundtrack
s or theme songs of Indonesian cinema
and sinetrons (Indonesian TV drama). Indonesian popular film Badai Pasti Berlalu (1977) were also produced successful soundtrack hit with same title in the same year, the soundtrack was remaked in 1999 with Chrisye
as the main singer and rendered by Erwin Gutawa
in orchestra style. In 2007 the film also being remaked again with new soundtract that still featuring same songs performed by younger generation artist. Another popular Indonesian coming of age teen movie Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (2002) also produced successful soundtrack hits with most songs written and performed by Melly Goeslaw
.
Today Indonesian music industry enjoyed nationwide popularity. Thanks to common culture and intelligible languages between Indonesian
and Malay
, Indonesian music enjoyed regional popularity in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. However the overwhelming popularity of Indonesian music in Malaysia had alarmed the Malaysian music industry. In 2008 Malaysian music industry demanded the restriction of Indonesian songs on Malaysian radio broadcasts.
have reached Indonesia since the era of Dutch East Indies
as early as 18th century, enjoyed only by a handful of wealthy Dutch plantation owners and officers in elite social clubs and ballrooms such as Societeit Harmonie in Batavia
and Societeit Concordia in Bandung
. De Schouwburg van Batavia (today Gedung Kesenian Jakarta) was designed as concert hall in 19th century. Associated as the music of refined, wealthy and educated high class citizen, the exclusive and prestigious classical music never penetrate the whole population during East Indies colonial era. The type of western-derived music that transcends the social barrier at that time was Kroncong, known as the lower-class music.
An amateur group called "Bataviasche Philharmonic Orchestra" was established in Dutch Colonial times, later it turned into the NIROM orchestra, as soon as the radio broadcasting station Nederlandsch-Indische Radio Omroep Maatschappij was born in 1912. Today it is known as Jakarta Symphony Orchestra that has existed in the country's musical world for almost a century through its changing formats to suit prevailing trends and needs. In 1950, a merger of the Cosmopolitan Orchestra under Joel Cleber and the Jakarta Studio Orchestra under Sutedjo and Iskandar appeared as the Djakarta Radio Orchestra under Henkie Strake for classical repertoires, and the Jakarta Studio Orchestra led by Syaiful Bachri specialized in Indonesian pieces. In 2010 Jakarta Symphony Orchestra staged a comeback after a fairly long absence.
In 1960s to 1980s classical music in Indonesia aired mainly by the national radio broadcasting service Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI
) and the national TV station Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI
) through their programs. During these decade, the classical orchestra mainly developed in Universities as extracurricular activity for students which include choir
. In 1990s the group of professional symphony orchestra start to took form, notably The Twilite Orchestra led by Adie MS, was founded in June 1991, initially an ensemble with 20 musicians. The ensemble has developed since then into a full symphonic orchestra with 70 musicians, a 63-member Twilite Chorus, and a repertoire that ranges from Beethoven to The Beatles
. The orchestra has played a role in promoting Indonesian music, especially in the preservation of national songs by Indonesian composers and traditional songs. Aided by the Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra with the Twilite Chorus, Addie MS re-recorded the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya
, by WR Supratman in its original orchestral arrangement by Jos Cleber, as well as other Indonesian popular national songs in the album Simfoni Negeriku.
Today, major cities like Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya are no strangers to orchestral music, with their own symphony groups. Jakarta, for instance, has its Nusantara Symphony Orchestra, the Twilite Orchestra and the Jakarta Chamber Orchestra.
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Indonesian pop music today is known simply as "pop Indonesia" is heavily influenced by trends and recordings from America. Although influences ranging from Bollywood
soundtracks to Hollywood pop acts are obvious, the Indonesian pop phenomena is not completely derivative; it expresses the sentiments and styles of contemporary Indonesian life.
Koes Bersaudara later formed as Koes Plus
is considered as one of the pioneer of Indonesian pop and rock 'n roll music in 1960s and 1970s. The American and British music influences were obvious in the music of Koes Bersaudara, The Beatles
were known to be the main influences of this band. Several Indonesian pop and ballad singers were survived through decades and become Indonesian music legends, such as Iwan Fals
, Franky Sahilatua and Chrisye
.
Today, the popular bands include Peterpan
, Radja
, Gigi
, Dewa 19
, Sheila on 7
, D'Masiv
and Nidji
, all of which tour regularly in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia and are featured on MTV Asia.
Some of Indonesian pop bands are rekindle with their Malay roots and revived a genre called "Band Pop Melayu" (Pop Malay Band) and popular in late 2000s. The pop Malay bands are Kangen Band, WALI, Hijau Daun, Armada, Angkasa, and ST 12
. This genre is the contemporary form of old Orkes Melayu style, once popular in the region across Indonesia and Malaysia.
The most recent foreign influences on Indonesian pop musics are the style and genre of J-pop
and K-pop
. Several bands such as J-Rocks
, Geisha, Daishi and SM*SH boyband are imitating the style of Japan
and Korea
pop culture.
and God Bless that popular in 1970s and 1980s. In late 1980s to mid 1990s several female rock singers popularly known as "Lady Rockers" were famous in Indonesia, such as Nicky Astria, Inka Christie, and Anggun
that started her career in as a pop-rock singer in Indonesia before moving to France and pursue her international career. Other notable rock bands include Slank
, Netral, /rif and Jamrud
.
music. Notable Indonesian jazz musicians are; Modulus band, Karimata band, Barry Likumahua, Indra Lesmana, Syaharani, Maliq & D'Essentials
and Trisum (Tohpati, Dewa Budjana, and Balawan). Various other groups fuse contemporary westernized jazz fusion
music with the traditional ethnic music traditions of their hometown. In the case of Krakatau
and SambaSunda
, the bands from West Java, the traditional Sundanese kacapi suling and gamelan orchestra is performed alongside drum set, keyboard and guitars. Other bands such as Bossanova Java were fused Javanese music with bossanova, while Kulkul fuse jazz with Balinese gamelan. The Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival
is performed annually, featuring famous International as well as Indonesian jazz musicians. It has become one of the most important Jazz event in the region.
, Guruh Gipsy
, Gombloh
, Bing Slamet
, Benyamin Sueb
, Godbless, Chrisye
, DARSO (Calung X), Harry Roesli (50's-70's) till Fariz RM
, Iwan Fals
, and many more. There is also The Tielman Brothers who originally from Indonesia but they gained popularity in Europe
, especially Netherlands
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
demonstrates its cultural diversity
Culture of Indonesia
Indonesian culture has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is central along ancient trading routes between the Far East and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of...
, the local musical creativity, as well as subsequent foreign musical influences that shaped contemporary music scenes of Indonesia. Nearly thousands of Indonesian islands having its own cultural and artistic history and character. This results in hundreds of different forms of music, which often accompanies dance
Dance of Indonesia
Dance in Indonesia reflects the country's diversity of ethnicities and cultures. There are more than 700 ethnic groups in Indonesia: Austronesian roots and Melanesian tribal forms are visible, and influences ranging from neighboring Asian and even western styles through colonization...
and theater. The musics of Java, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Flores
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...
and other islands have been documented and recorded, and research by Indonesian and international scholars is ongoing. The music in Indonesia predates historical records, various Native Indonesian tribes often incorporate chants and songs accompanied with musics instruments in their rituals. Today the contemporary music of Indonesia is popular in the region, including neighboring countries; Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
Musical instruments
The musical identity of Indonesia as we know it today began as the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
culture migrated to the Indonesian archipelago in the 2nd-3rd century BC. Traditional musics of Indonesian tribes often uses percussion instruments, especially gendang (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s) and gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
s. Some of them developed elaborate and distinctive musical instruments, such as sasando
Sasando
Sasando is a harp-like traditional music string instrument native of Rote island of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.The name ”sasando” derived from Rote dialect ”sasandu” means "vibrating" or "sounded instrument". It is believed that sasando already known to Rote people since 7th century.The main...
string instrument of Rote
Rote Island
right|thumb|300px|Satellite photo of RotiRote Island is an island of Indonesia, part of the East Nusa Tenggara province of the Lesser Sunda Islands. It has an area of . It lies northeast of the Australian coast and northeast of the Ashmore and Cartier Islands. The island is situated to the...
island, angklung
Angklung
The Angklung is a musical instrument made of two bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved to have a resonant pitch when struck and are tuned to octaves. The base of the frame is held in one hand, whilst the other hand shakes the instrument rapidly. This causes a repeating note...
of Sundanese people
Sundanese people
The Sundanese are an ethnic group native to the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. They number approximately 31 million, and are the second most populous of all the nation's ethncities. The Sundanese are predominantly Muslim...
, and the complex and sophisticated gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
orchestra of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
.
Gamelan
The most popular and famous form of Indonesian music probably gamelanGamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
, an ensemble of tuned percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s that include metallophone
Metallophone
A metallophone is any musical instrument consisting of tuned metal bars which are struck to make sound, usually with a mallet.Metallophones have been used in music for hundreds of years. There are several different types used in Balinese and Javanese gamelan ensembles, including the gendér, gangsa...
s, drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, gong
Gong
A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
s and spike fiddles along with bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s. Similar ensembles are prevalent throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, however gamelan is originated from Java, Bali, and Lombok
Lombok
Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east...
.
In Central Java, gamelan is intricate and meticulously laid out. The central melody is played on a metallophone in the center of the orchestra, while the front elaboration and ornamentation on the melody, and, at the back, the gongs slowly punctuate the music. There are two tuning systems. Each Gamelan is tuned to itself, and the intervals between notes on the scale vary between ensembles. The metallophones cover four octaves, and include types like the slenthem
Slenthem
The slenthem is a Javanese metallophone which makes up part of a gamelan orchestra.The slenthem is part of the gendér family. It consists of a set of bronze keys comprising a single octave: there are six keys when playing the slendro scale and seven when playing the pelog...
, demung, saron panerus and balungan
Balungan
The balungan is sometimes called the "core melody" of a Javanese gamelan composition. This corresponds to the view that gamelan music is heterophonic: the balungan is then the melody which is being elaborated....
. The soul of the gamelan is believed to reside in the large gong, or gong ageng
Gong ageng
The gong ageng is . It is the largest of the bronze gongs in the Javanese and Balinese gamelan orchestra...
. Other gongs are tuned to each note of the scale and include ketuk, kenong
Kenong
The kenong is one of the instruments used in the Indonesian gamelan. It is technically a kind of gong, but is placed on its side and is roughly as tall as it is wide. It thus is similar to the bonang, kempyang and ketuk, which are also cradled gongs. Kenongs are generally much larger than any of...
and kempul
Kempul
A kempul is a type of hanging gong used in Indonesian gamelan. It is often placed with the gong suwukan and gong ageng, hanging on a single rack, at the back of the gamelan, and these instruments are often played by the same player with the same mallets...
. The front section of the orchestra is diverse, and includes rebab
Rebab
The rebab , also rebap, rabab, rebeb, rababah, or al-rababa) is a type of string instrument so named no later than the 8th century and spread via Islamic trading routes over much of North Africa, the Middle East, parts of Europe, and the Far East...
, suling
Suling
A suling or Seruling is an Indonesian bamboo ring flute. It is used in gamelan ensembles.Depending on the regional genre, a suling can be tuned into different scales...
, siter
Siter
The siter and celempung are plucked string instruments used in Javanese gamelan. They are related to the kacapi used in Sundanese gamelan....
, bonang
Bonang
The bonang is a musical instrument used in the Javanese gamelan. It is a collection of small gongs placed horizontally onto strings in a wooden frame , either one or two rows wide. All of the kettles have a central boss, but around it the lower-pitched ones have a flattened head, while the higher...
and gambang
Gambang
A gambang, properly called a gambang kayu is a xylophone-like instrument used among peoples of Indonesia and the southern Philippines in gamelan and kulintang, with wooden bars as opposed to the metallic ones of the more typical metallophones in a gamelan...
. Male choruses (gerong
Gerong
Gerong is the Javanese verb meaning "to sing in a chorus." Penggerong is the proper name of a member of the chorus, but often the word gerong is used to refer to the unison male chorus that sings with the gamelan. The chorus or the melody may also be called the gerongan.The gerong generally sings...
) and female (pesindhen) solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
vocalists are common.
With the arrival of the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
colonizers, a number system called kepatihan was developed to record the music. Music and dance at the time was divided into several styles based on the main courts in the area — Surakarta
Surakarta
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...
, Yogyakarta, Pakualaman
Pakualaman
Pakualaman is a small hereditary principality within the Sultanate of Yogyakarta. It was created in 1812 when Natakusuma was rewarded for helping the British quell the conflict in Yogyakarta in June 1812...
and Mangkunegaran
Mangkunegaran
Mangkunegaran is a small hereditary Grand duchy located within the region of Surakarta in Indonesia.It was established in 1757 by Raden Mas Said, when he submitted his army to Pakubuwana III in February, and swore allegiance to the rulers of Surakarta, Yogyakarta, and the Dutch East Indies Company,...
.
Gamelan from eastern Java is less well-known than central or western parts of the island. Perhaps most distinctive of the area is the extremely large gamyak drum. In West Java, formerly Sunda
Sunda Kingdom
The Sunda Kingdom was a Hindu kingdom located on the western part of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering areas of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and the western part of Central Java...
, has several type of gamelan. Gamelan Degung
Gamelan degung
Gamelan Degung is a Sundanese musical ensemble that uses a subset of modified gamelan instruments with a particular mode of pelog scale.- Instruments :The instrumentation of gamelan degung is quite flexible. It may include:...
, gamelan salendro
Gamelan salendro
The gamelan salendro is a form of gamelan music found in West Java, Indonesia. It is played as an accompaniment to wayang golek performances and dances. It uses a similar ensemble as a small central Javanese gamelan, but has developed differently, and shows the more exuberant...
and tembang sunda
Tembang Sunda
Tembang sunda, also called seni mamaos cianjuran is a style of classical vocal music that originated in the Sunda Kingdom of highland west Java. Unlike Sundanese gamelan music, tembang sunda was developed in the court of the regent Kabupaten Cianjur during the Dutch colonial period...
are three primary types. The Osing Javanese
Osing language
The Osing language , locally known as the language of Banyuwangi, is the language of the Osing people of East Java, Indonesia....
minority in eastern Java are known for social music for weddings and other celebrations, called gandrung
Gandrung
Gandrung is a traditional dance from Indonesia. Gandrung has many variations and is popular in Bali, Lombok and East Java, among the Balinese, Sasak and Javanese...
, as well as angklung
Angklung
The Angklung is a musical instrument made of two bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved to have a resonant pitch when struck and are tuned to octaves. The base of the frame is held in one hand, whilst the other hand shakes the instrument rapidly. This causes a repeating note...
, played by young amateur boys, which is very similar to Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
nese gamelan.
Kecapi suling
Kecapi suling is a type of instrumental music that is highly improvisational and popular in parts of West JavaWest Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
that employs two instruments, kecapi (zither) and suling
Suling
A suling or Seruling is an Indonesian bamboo ring flute. It is used in gamelan ensembles.Depending on the regional genre, a suling can be tuned into different scales...
(bamboo flute). It is related to tembang sunda
Tembang Sunda
Tembang sunda, also called seni mamaos cianjuran is a style of classical vocal music that originated in the Sunda Kingdom of highland west Java. Unlike Sundanese gamelan music, tembang sunda was developed in the court of the regent Kabupaten Cianjur during the Dutch colonial period...
.
Angklung
Angklung is a bamboo musical instrument native to Sundanese people of West Java. It is made out of bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved so that they have a distinctive resonant pitch when being vibrated. Each angklung only plays one note.Kolintang
Kolintang or kulintang is a bronze and wooden percussion instrument native to eastern Indonesia and also The Philippines. In Indonesia it is particularly associated with MinahasaMinahasa
The Minahasa are an ethnic group located in the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, formerly known as North Celebes...
people of North Sulawesi, however it also popular in Maluku
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
and Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
.
Sasando
Sasando is a plucked string instrument native of RoteRote Island
right|thumb|300px|Satellite photo of RotiRote Island is an island of Indonesia, part of the East Nusa Tenggara province of the Lesser Sunda Islands. It has an area of . It lies northeast of the Australian coast and northeast of the Ashmore and Cartier Islands. The island is situated to the...
island of East Nusa Tenggara
East Nusa Tenggara
East Nusa Tenggara is a province of Indonesia, located in the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, including West Timor. The provincial capital is Kupang, located on West Timor...
. The parts of sasando are a bamboo cylinder surrounded by several wedges where the strings are stretched, surrounded by a bag-like fan of dried lontar or palmyra leafs (Borassus flabellifer), functioned as the resonator of the instrument.
Tapanuli ogong
Musical performance from Tapanuli area of Batak of North SumatraNorth Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...
. Tapanuli ogong is a form of dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
played with a type of lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
.
Genres
The diverse world of Indonesian music genres was the result of the musical creativity of its people, and also the subsequent cultural encounters with foreign musical influences into the archipelago. Next to distinctive native form of musics, several genres can traces its origin to foreign influences; such as gambus and qasidah from Middle Eastern Islamic music, keroncong from Portuguese influences, and dangdut with notable Hindi music influence.Folk musics
Indonesian regional folk pop musics reflects the diversity of Indonesian culture and Indonesian ethicity, mostly use local languagesLanguages of Indonesia
More than 700 living languages are spoken in Indonesia. Most belong to the Austronesian language family, with a few Papuan languages also spoken. The official language is Indonesian , a modified version of Malay, which is used in commerce, administration, education and the media, but most...
and a mix of western and regional style music and instruments. Indonesian folk music is quite diverse, and today embraces pop, rock, house, hip hop
Indonesian hip hop
Indonesian hip hop is hip hop music performed in Indonesia. Hip hop music began to be produced in Indonesia in the early 1990s, with the first Indonesia artist to release a full-length hip hop album being the emcee Iwa K, who has released five albums to date. Other Indonesian hip hop groups include...
and other genres, as well as distinct Indonesian forms. There are several kinds of "ethnic" pop music, generally grouped together as Pop Daerah (regional pop). These include Pop sunda
Pop sunda
Pop sunda or Sundanese pop is a form of pop music born in western part of island of Java in the 1970s which became internationally famous a decade later. It is very popular in some areas of Indonesia...
, Pop Minang, Pop Batak, Pop Melayu, Pop Ambon, Pop Minahasa and others. Other than featuring the legacy of Lagu Daerah (regional traditional songs) of each regional cultures, the musician might also create some new compositions in their own native language.
Tembang sunda
Tembang sundaTembang Sunda
Tembang sunda, also called seni mamaos cianjuran is a style of classical vocal music that originated in the Sunda Kingdom of highland west Java. Unlike Sundanese gamelan music, tembang sunda was developed in the court of the regent Kabupaten Cianjur during the Dutch colonial period...
, also called seni mamaos cianjuran, or just cianjuran, is a form of sung poetry which arose in the colonial-era of Cianjur
Cianjur
Cianjur is a city in the West Java province of Indonesia, the capital of Cianjur Regency. Cianjur is located in the middle of the main road between Jakarta and Bandung . The population is about 146,874...
. It was first known as an aristocratic art; one cianjuran composer was R.A.A. Kusumahningrat (Dalem Pancaniti), ruler of Cianjur (1834–1862). The instruments of Cianjuran are kacapi indung, kacapi rincik and suling
Suling
A suling or Seruling is an Indonesian bamboo ring flute. It is used in gamelan ensembles.Depending on the regional genre, a suling can be tuned into different scales...
or bamboo flute, and rebab
Rebab
The rebab , also rebap, rabab, rebeb, rababah, or al-rababa) is a type of string instrument so named no later than the 8th century and spread via Islamic trading routes over much of North Africa, the Middle East, parts of Europe, and the Far East...
for salendro compositions. The lyrics are typically sung in free verse, but a more modern version, panambih
Panambih
Panambih is metrical sung poetry and more modern version of the Tembang sunda of Indonesia.-References:*http://www.answers.com/topic/music-of-indonesia*http://www.musicbeats.net/indonesian_music.htm...
, is metrical. It is usually the drums.
Jaipongan
JaiponganJaipongan
Jaipongan, also known as Jaipong, is a popular traditional dance of Sundanese people, West Java, Indonesia. The dance was created by Gugum Gumbira, based on traditional Sundanese Ketuk Tilu music and Pencak Silat movements.- Background :...
is a very complex rhythmic dance music from the Sundanese people
Sundanese people
The Sundanese are an ethnic group native to the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. They number approximately 31 million, and are the second most populous of all the nation's ethncities. The Sundanese are predominantly Muslim...
of western Java. The rhythm is liable to change seemingly randomly, making dancing difficult for most listeners. Its instruments are entirely Sundanese, completely without imported instruments. It was invented by artists like Gugum Gumbira
Gugum Gumbira
Dr. Gugum Gumbira Tirasondjaja, often known just as Gugum Gumbira, is a Sundanese composer, orchestra leader, choreographer, and entrepreneur from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.-Jaipongan:...
after Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
prohibited rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and other western genres in the '60s.
Gambus
Gambus literally means oudOud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
, referring to a type of lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
or 12-string pear-shaped guitar, is the Middle-Eastern-derived Islamic vocal and instrumental music. These traditions began to be incorporated throughout many areas of Indonesia by the 16th century.
Qasidah modern
Qasidah is an ancient ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word for religious poetry accompanied by chanting and percussion. Qasidah modern
Qasidah modern
Qasidah modern is a type of Indonesian music which originates from the word, Qasidah, an ancient Arabic word for religious poetry accompanied by chanting and percussion. Qasidah modern applies this to a greater audience. This form is popular throughout Egypt to Indonesia and embraces the local...
adapts this for pop audiences. It is used to denote a type of orchestra and the music it plays, believed to be introduced by Muslim settlers from Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. Qasidah modern were derived from Islamic pop, adding local dialects and lyrics that address Indonesian contemporary issues. Though popular among Arabs in Indonesia, it has gained little popularity elsewhere.
The contemporary form of Islamic Middle eastern influenced musics in Indonesia is Debu
Debu
Debu is a group of Muslim musicians formed in 2001 and currently based in South Jakarta, Indonesia. Most of the band's members are American, with other members from Indonesia...
, that featuring sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
approach on music to spread their message.
Kroncong
KroncongKroncong
Kroncong is the name of a ukulele-type instrument and an Indonesian musical style that typically makes use of the kroncong , the band or combo or ensemble consist of a flute, a violin, a melody guitar, a cello in pizzicato style, string bass also in...
(alternative spelling: Keroncong) has been evolving since the arrival of the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, who brought with them Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an instruments. By the early 1900s, it was considered a low-class urban music. This changed in the 1930s, when the rising Indonesian film industry began incorporating kroncong. And then even more so in the mid- to late 1940s, it became associated with the struggle for independence
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
.
Perhaps the most famous song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
in the kroncong style is Bengawan Solo
Bengawan Solo (song)
Bengawan Solo is a famous Indonesian song about the Solo River, which flows through central and eastern Java, Indonesia and is that island's longest river....
, written in 1940 by Gesang Martohartono
Gesang Martohartono
Gesang Martohartono was a renowned Indonesian singer-songwriter from central Java, and he is the composer of the song Bengawan Solo, a tune which has become famous throughout Indonesia, Japan, much of Asia, and some other countries in the world. The song is almost synonymous with the kroncong...
, a Solonese
Surakarta
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...
musician. Written during the Japanese Imperial Army occupation of the island in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the song (about the Bengawan Solo River
Bengawan Solo River
Bengawan Solo River is the longest river on the Indonesian island of Java, approximately 600 km in length. Apart from its importance as watercourse to the inhabitants and farmlands of the eastern and northern parts of the island, it is a renowned region in paleoanthropology circles...
, Java's longest and most important river) became widely popular among the Javanese, and then later nationally when recordings were broadcast over the local radio stations. The song also became quite popular with the Japanese soldiers, and when they returned to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
at the end of the war re-recordings of it (by Japanese artists) became best-sellers. Over the years it has been re-released many times by notable artists, mainly within Asia but also beyond (like Anneke Grönloh
Anneke Grönloh
Louise Johanna Grönloh, is a female Dutch singer.-Life:Anneke was born in Tondano, North Celebes, Dutch East Indies and spent her early years in the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies in a Japanese concentration camp...
), and in some places it is seen as typifying Indonesian music. Gesang himself remains the most renowned exponent of the style, which although it is seen now as a somewhat starchy and "dated" form is still popular among large segments of the population, particularly the older generation.
After the World War II and during Indonesian National Revolution (1945—1949) and afterwards, kroncong was associated with patriotism, since many of Indonesian poets and patriotic songs authors uses kroncong and somewhat jazz fusion as the genre of their works. The patriotic theme and romantic wartime romance was obvious in the works of Ismail Marzuki
Ismail Marzuki
Ismail Marzuki was an Indonesian composer, songwriter and musician who wrote between 202 and 240 songs between 1931 and 1958, including numerous popular patriotic songs. Among his best known works are "Gugur Bunga" and "Rayuan Pulau Kelapa". In 1968, he was honoured with the creation of Taman...
, such as Rayuan Pulau Kelapa
Rayuan Pulau Kelapa
Rayuan Pulau Kelapa is an Indonesian song written by Ismail Marzuki , who wrote a number of popular tunes in the country's early post-independence period...
, Indonesia Pusaka
Indonesia Pusaka
Indonesia Pusaka is a patriotic song composed by Ismail Marzuki. It is normally played on Indonesian Independence Day celebration....
, Sepasang Mata Bola, Keroncong Serenata and Juwita Malam. These patriotic songs can be sung in hymn or even in orchestra, but most often was sung in kroncong style known as kroncong perjuangan (struggle kroncong). The kroncong divas; Waldjinah, Sundari Sukoco and Hetty Koes Endang, was instrumental in reviving the style in the 1980s.
Langgam Jawa or Tembang Jawa
There is a style of kroncong native to Surakarta (Solo)
Surakarta
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...
called langgam jawa
Langgam jawa
Langgam jawa is a regional form of Indonesian kroncong music most often associated with the city of Surakarta . As is the case with traditional kroncong music, langgam jawa utilizes a variety of non-native instruments, such as the flute, guitar, ukulele, cello and violin. However, these instruments...
, which fuses kroncong with the gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
seven-note scale.
Gambang Kromong
Early in the 20th century, kroncong was used in a type of theater called komedi stanbul; adapted for this purpose, the music was called gambang kromong. Gambang kromong is quite prevalent in Betawi culture of Jakarta.
Dangdut
DangdutDangdut
Dangdut is a genre of Indonesian popular music that is partly derived from Malay, Arabic, and Hindustani music. It developed in the 1970s among working-class Muslim youth, but beginning in the late 1990s reached a broader following in lower class Indonesians, Malaysia, and the southern...
was originally an Indonesian dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
that has spread throughout Southeast Asia, became the dominant pop style in the mid-1970s. Famous for its throbbing beat and the slightly moralistic lyrics that appeal to Muslim youth, dangdut stars dominate the modern pop scene. However dangdut — especially performed by female singers — also often featuring suggestive dance movements and naughty lyrics to appeal the larger audience. This development was strongly opposed by the conservative older generation dangdut artist.
Dangdut is based around the singers, and stars include Rhoma Irama
Rhoma Irama
Raden Irama , most commonly known as Rhoma Irama, is an Indonesian dangdut musician and occasional actor...
and Elvy Sukaesih
Elvy Sukaesih
Elvy Sukaesih is one of the most popular singers in Java, Indonesia, and has been dubbed the Queen of Dangdut. Sukaesih has a significant fanbase in other Asian countries such as Japan. She has been a prolific recording artist since the late 1960s...
(the King and Queen of Dangdut), Mansyur S.
Mansyur S.
Mansyur S. is an Indonesian singer. He is a star of the dangdut style of Indonesian music. He sings with an ensemble called Dangdut Manis, or "Sweet Dangdut". He appears on the Smithsonian Folkways collection, Indonesian Popular Music: Krongcong, Dangdut, & Langgam Jawa....
, A. Rafiq
A. Rafiq
A. Rafiq is a prominent Jakarta-based dangdut artist. He has been active in the Indonesian music industry since the 1970s. He launched his first single, Pandangan Pertama in 1978. The single was a huge hit and propelled his career in the Indonesian 70's dangdut scene. Rafiq, along with Rhoma Irama...
, Camelia Malik
Camelia Malik
Camelia Malik is an Indonesian actress and dangdut singer. Mia, her nickname, is also known as Diva Dangdut Jaipong...
and Fahmy Shahab
Fahmy Shahab
- References :...
; along with Cici Paramida, Evie Tamala
Evie Tamala
Evie Tamala is a popular Indonesian dangdut singer-songwriter.-External links:*...
, Inul Daratista
Inul Daratista
Inul Daratista is a dangdut singer and performance artist from Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. Her husband's name is Adam Susilo. She became nationally famous in 2003, and is known for her suggestive style of dancing that has caused major controversy in Indonesia. Inul is a corrupted version of...
, Julia Perez
Julia Perez
Yuli Rachmawati, also known as Julia Perez or Jupe is an Indonesian actress, dangdut singer, model and announcer and political candidate. She has been dubbed "sex bomb" because of her sexy performances....
and Dewi Perssik from younger generation.
Campursari
A musical fusion style of traditional Javanese music and dangdutDangdut
Dangdut is a genre of Indonesian popular music that is partly derived from Malay, Arabic, and Hindustani music. It developed in the 1970s among working-class Muslim youth, but beginning in the late 1990s reached a broader following in lower class Indonesians, Malaysia, and the southern...
that prevalent in Javanese cultural sphere, mainly Central Java
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
, Yogyakarta and East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
. There is also Sundanese version of campursari prevalent in Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
region of West Java
West Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
. Perhaps its greatest current artist is Didi Kempot.
Contemporary musics
The contemporary music of Indonesia is diverse and vibrant. Throughout its history, Indonesian musicians were open to foreign influences of various music genres of the world. American jazz were heavily marketed in Asia, and foxtrots, tangos, rumbas, blues and Hawaiian guitar styles were all imitated by Indonesian musicians. As the result various genres were developed within Indonesian music frame; Indonesian pop, rock, jazz, and hip hop.Indonesian music also plays a vital role in the Indonesian creative pop culture, especially as the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s or theme songs of Indonesian cinema
Cinema of Indonesia
Though the cinema of Indonesia has a long history, the industry is currently struggling and developing.-Colonial era:The first film made in Indonesia was the 1926 silent film, Loetoeng Kasaroeng, by Dutch directors G. Kruger and L. Heuveldorp...
and sinetrons (Indonesian TV drama). Indonesian popular film Badai Pasti Berlalu (1977) were also produced successful soundtrack hit with same title in the same year, the soundtrack was remaked in 1999 with Chrisye
Chrisye
Chrismansyah Rahadi , better known by his stage name Chrisye , was an Indonesian progressive-pop singer and song writer of mixed Chinese-Indonesian descent. He was born in Jakarta on 16 September 1949, and died there on 30 March 2007 following a long battle with lung cancer. He recorded 21 solo...
as the main singer and rendered by Erwin Gutawa
Erwin Gutawa
Erwin Gutawa is an Indonesian composer and father of Gita Gutawa. In 1985, he started his professional music career by joining the jazz band Karimata, later becoming an independent composer in 1991. As a composer, he won the 1992 Midnight Sun Song Festival in Finland together with Ruth Sahanaya...
in orchestra style. In 2007 the film also being remaked again with new soundtract that still featuring same songs performed by younger generation artist. Another popular Indonesian coming of age teen movie Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (2002) also produced successful soundtrack hits with most songs written and performed by Melly Goeslaw
Melly Goeslaw
Mellyana Goeslaw Hoed , better known by her stage name Melly Goeslaw, is an Indonesian singer and songwriter. She began singing while in the fifth grade, then began writing songs and took work as a backing vocalist for Elfa Secioria in high school. This led to her family and her moving to Jakarta...
.
Today Indonesian music industry enjoyed nationwide popularity. Thanks to common culture and intelligible languages between Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
and Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, Indonesian music enjoyed regional popularity in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. However the overwhelming popularity of Indonesian music in Malaysia had alarmed the Malaysian music industry. In 2008 Malaysian music industry demanded the restriction of Indonesian songs on Malaysian radio broadcasts.
Orchestra
The classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
have reached Indonesia since the era of Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
as early as 18th century, enjoyed only by a handful of wealthy Dutch plantation owners and officers in elite social clubs and ballrooms such as Societeit Harmonie in Batavia
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
and Societeit Concordia in Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
. De Schouwburg van Batavia (today Gedung Kesenian Jakarta) was designed as concert hall in 19th century. Associated as the music of refined, wealthy and educated high class citizen, the exclusive and prestigious classical music never penetrate the whole population during East Indies colonial era. The type of western-derived music that transcends the social barrier at that time was Kroncong, known as the lower-class music.
An amateur group called "Bataviasche Philharmonic Orchestra" was established in Dutch Colonial times, later it turned into the NIROM orchestra, as soon as the radio broadcasting station Nederlandsch-Indische Radio Omroep Maatschappij was born in 1912. Today it is known as Jakarta Symphony Orchestra that has existed in the country's musical world for almost a century through its changing formats to suit prevailing trends and needs. In 1950, a merger of the Cosmopolitan Orchestra under Joel Cleber and the Jakarta Studio Orchestra under Sutedjo and Iskandar appeared as the Djakarta Radio Orchestra under Henkie Strake for classical repertoires, and the Jakarta Studio Orchestra led by Syaiful Bachri specialized in Indonesian pieces. In 2010 Jakarta Symphony Orchestra staged a comeback after a fairly long absence.
In 1960s to 1980s classical music in Indonesia aired mainly by the national radio broadcasting service Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI
Radio Republik Indonesia
Radio Republik Indonesia is the state radio network of Indonesia. The organization is a public broadcasting service. It is a national radio station that broadcasts all over Indonesia and abroad to serve all Indonesian citizens throughout the nation and overseas. RRI also provides information about...
) and the national TV station Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI
TVRI
Televisi Republik Indonesia Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) (formerly known as Televisi Indonesia (Indonesian Television in English) and Radio Indonesia (Indonesian Radio in English) is a state-owned television station, the oldest television station in...
) through their programs. During these decade, the classical orchestra mainly developed in Universities as extracurricular activity for students which include choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
. In 1990s the group of professional symphony orchestra start to took form, notably The Twilite Orchestra led by Adie MS, was founded in June 1991, initially an ensemble with 20 musicians. The ensemble has developed since then into a full symphonic orchestra with 70 musicians, a 63-member Twilite Chorus, and a repertoire that ranges from Beethoven to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. The orchestra has played a role in promoting Indonesian music, especially in the preservation of national songs by Indonesian composers and traditional songs. Aided by the Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra with the Twilite Chorus, Addie MS re-recorded the Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya
Indonesia Raya
"Indonesia Raya" is the national anthem of the Republic of Indonesia. The song was introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, on 28 October 1928 during the Second Indonesian Youth Congress in Batavia...
, by WR Supratman in its original orchestral arrangement by Jos Cleber, as well as other Indonesian popular national songs in the album Simfoni Negeriku.
Today, major cities like Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya are no strangers to orchestral music, with their own symphony groups. Jakarta, for instance, has its Nusantara Symphony Orchestra, the Twilite Orchestra and the Jakarta Chamber Orchestra.
Pop
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
soundtracks to Hollywood pop acts are obvious, the Indonesian pop phenomena is not completely derivative; it expresses the sentiments and styles of contemporary Indonesian life.
Koes Bersaudara later formed as Koes Plus
Koes Plus
Koes Plus is an Indonesian musical group that enjoyed success in the 1970s. Known as one of Indonesia's classic musical acts, the band peaked in popularity in the days far before the advent of private television companies, delivering stripped-down pop and rock songs at the then-only TV station,...
is considered as one of the pioneer of Indonesian pop and rock 'n roll music in 1960s and 1970s. The American and British music influences were obvious in the music of Koes Bersaudara, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
were known to be the main influences of this band. Several Indonesian pop and ballad singers were survived through decades and become Indonesian music legends, such as Iwan Fals
Iwan Fals
Iwan Fals is an Indonesian singer–songwriter. In 2002, Time magazine named him as a Great Asian Hero.-Early life:...
, Franky Sahilatua and Chrisye
Chrisye
Chrismansyah Rahadi , better known by his stage name Chrisye , was an Indonesian progressive-pop singer and song writer of mixed Chinese-Indonesian descent. He was born in Jakarta on 16 September 1949, and died there on 30 March 2007 following a long battle with lung cancer. He recorded 21 solo...
.
Today, the popular bands include Peterpan
Peterpan (band)
Peterpan is a multi-award–winning Indonesian pop rock band. The band originally consisted of six members, known as Andika, Indra, Ariel, Uki, Loekman, and Reza, the first two of whichhave since left the band...
, Radja
Radja
Radja is an Indonesian rock band. The band formed in Jakarta on 17 March 2001, and originally consisted of lead vocalist Ian Kasela, guitarist Moldy Mulyadi, bassist Shuma, and drummer Adit. The band is currently based in Bogor. The band's name is the Indonesian word for "king". The band's debut...
, Gigi
Gigi
Gigi is a 1944 novella by French writer Colette. The plot focuses on a young Parisian girl being groomed for a career as a courtesan and her relationship with the wealthy cultured man named Gaston who falls in love with her and eventually marries her....
, Dewa 19
Dewa 19
Dewa 19 , often referred to as Dewa, were an Indonesian rock band originating from Surabaya, East Java....
, Sheila on 7
Sheila on 7
Sheila on 7 is the name of a popular rock Indonesian music band from Yogyakarta.They had changed their formation several times since their formation on the 6th May 1996....
, D'Masiv
D'Masiv
d'Masiv is a Indonesian musical group which based in Jakarta. Five members, namely Rian Ekky Pradipta , Dwiki Aditya Marsall , Nurul Damar Ramadan , Rayyi Kurniawan Iskandar Dinata , and Wahyu Piadji...
and Nidji
Nidji
Nidji is a band from Jakarta, Indonesia. Formed in 2002, Nidji's name comes from the Japanese word niji, meaning 'rainbow'. Their music can be classified under alternative pop genre, and the band has cited Coldplay and The Killers as major influences....
, all of which tour regularly in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia and are featured on MTV Asia.
Some of Indonesian pop bands are rekindle with their Malay roots and revived a genre called "Band Pop Melayu" (Pop Malay Band) and popular in late 2000s. The pop Malay bands are Kangen Band, WALI, Hijau Daun, Armada, Angkasa, and ST 12
ST 12
ST 12 is the Indonesian band, formed in Bandung, West Java in 2004. The group was formed by Ilham Febry aka Pepep , Dedy Sudrajat alias Pepeng , Muhammad Charly van Houten aka Charly , and Iman Rush . ST 12 name is stand for Jl. Stasiun Timur No. 12, which is the headquarters of the gathering this...
. This genre is the contemporary form of old Orkes Melayu style, once popular in the region across Indonesia and Malaysia.
The most recent foreign influences on Indonesian pop musics are the style and genre of J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
and K-pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
. Several bands such as J-Rocks
J-Rocks
J-Rocks is an Indonesian rock band formed in 2003 with the members: Iman , Sony , Wima and Anton . The music style of J-Rocks recognized as Rock or Pop rock but heavily influenced by the Japanese style of rock music...
, Geisha, Daishi and SM*SH boyband are imitating the style of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
pop culture.
Rock
Just like pop music, Indonesian rock scene also heavily influenced by the development of rock music in America. The most influential Indonesian rock bands was probably PanbersPanbers
Panbers is the name of a musical group. The band, founded in 1969, is composed of four brothers who are the sons of Drs. JMM Pandjaitan, S.H, with BSO Sitompul...
and God Bless that popular in 1970s and 1980s. In late 1980s to mid 1990s several female rock singers popularly known as "Lady Rockers" were famous in Indonesia, such as Nicky Astria, Inka Christie, and Anggun
Anggun
Anggun Cipta Sasmi is an Indonesian singer-songwriter. She has released 12 studio albums and one soundtrack album , and her songs have also been included on various compilation albums. Her musical career began in childhood, and she achieved commercial success in Indonesia when she was 12 years old...
that started her career in as a pop-rock singer in Indonesia before moving to France and pursue her international career. Other notable rock bands include Slank
Slank
Slank is an Indonesian rock band. It was founded in 1983 by some teenagers in a small street in Jakarta called Gang Potlot. They had played rock music everywhere until they got an opportunity to make an album.-Early years:...
, Netral, /rif and Jamrud
Jamrud
Jamrud , is a town located in the Khyber Agency, one of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The town is the doorway to the Khyber pass, part of the Hindu Kush range...
.
Jazz fusion
Some of Indonesian musicians and bands were exploring the jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music. Notable Indonesian jazz musicians are; Modulus band, Karimata band, Barry Likumahua, Indra Lesmana, Syaharani, Maliq & D'Essentials
Maliq & D'Essentials
Maliq & D'Essentials is a jazz and soul music based band located in Jakarta, Indonesia. Maliq stands for Music And Live Instrument Quality...
and Trisum (Tohpati, Dewa Budjana, and Balawan). Various other groups fuse contemporary westernized jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
music with the traditional ethnic music traditions of their hometown. In the case of Krakatau
Krakatau (band)
Krakatau is a gamelan-influenced jazz band from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The group was formed in 1985 and is unique in that their instruments are all specially tuned to slendro, a pentatonic scale used in Indonesian traditional music...
and SambaSunda
SambaSunda
SambaSunda is an Indonesian ethnic music fusion group based in Bandung, the capital and cultural centre of Sundanese culture, West Java, Indonesia. Samba Sunda are a 14-piece ensemble bringing together a pan-Indonesian array of instruments and influences to create a new style gamelan orchestra...
, the bands from West Java, the traditional Sundanese kacapi suling and gamelan orchestra is performed alongside drum set, keyboard and guitars. Other bands such as Bossanova Java were fused Javanese music with bossanova, while Kulkul fuse jazz with Balinese gamelan. The Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival
Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival
Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival is one of the largest jazz festivals in the world and arguably the biggest in in the Southern Hemisphere, held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The annual jazz festival is held every early March and was designed to be one of the largest jazz festivals globally...
is performed annually, featuring famous International as well as Indonesian jazz musicians. It has become one of the most important Jazz event in the region.
Indonesian music legends
From Gesang, Koes Bersaudara/Koes Plus, Dara Puspita, Alfian, Titiek PuspaTitiek Puspa
Sumarti , better known by her stage name Titiek Puspa, is an Indonesian singer and songwriter. Rolling Stone Indonesia has selected two of her songs as some of the best Indonesian songs ever.-Biography:...
, Guruh Gipsy
Guruh Gipsy
Guruh Gipsy is a 1976 Indonesian studio album released by Guruh Sukarnoputra in collaboration with the band Gipsy, consisting of Keenan Nasution, Chrisye, Roni Harahap, and Oding Nasution. Mixing modern instruments with traditional Javanese and Balinese music styles, it is now considered a landmark...
, Gombloh
Gombloh
Soedjarwoto Soemarsono was an Indonesian singer and songwriter. He received the Nugraha Bhakti Musik Indonesia award from the Persatuan Artis Penyanyi, Pencipta Lagu dan Penata Musik Rekaman Indonesia.-Early life:Gombloh was born Soedjarwoto Soemarsono in Jombang on July 14, 1948. His parents were...
, Bing Slamet
Bing Slamet
Ahmad Syech Albar, better known by his stage name Bing Slamet, was an Indonesian singer, songwriter, comedian, and actor. During his career, he acted in 17 films and released "dozens" of albums. Shortly before his death, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Governor of Jakarta...
, Benyamin Sueb
Benyamin Sueb
Benyamin Sueb was an Indonesian comedian, actor, and singer. He released 46 studio albums and starred in more than 50 films. He received two Citra Awards for Intan Berduri in 1973 and Si Doel Anak Modern in 1975.-Early life:Benyamin was born in Kemayoran, Batavia, on 5 March 1939...
, Godbless, Chrisye
Chrisye
Chrismansyah Rahadi , better known by his stage name Chrisye , was an Indonesian progressive-pop singer and song writer of mixed Chinese-Indonesian descent. He was born in Jakarta on 16 September 1949, and died there on 30 March 2007 following a long battle with lung cancer. He recorded 21 solo...
, DARSO (Calung X), Harry Roesli (50's-70's) till Fariz RM
Fariz RM
Fariz Rustam Munaf, better known as Fariz RM is an Indonesian musician and audio-visual artist. Beginning his career in 1977, he has released 19 solo albums and three with other artists. He is best known for his songs "Barcelona" and "Sakura"...
, Iwan Fals
Iwan Fals
Iwan Fals is an Indonesian singer–songwriter. In 2002, Time magazine named him as a Great Asian Hero.-Early life:...
, and many more. There is also The Tielman Brothers who originally from Indonesia but they gained popularity in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, especially Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
See also
- Anugerah Musik IndonesiaAnugerah Musik IndonesiaAnugerah Musik Indonesia , also known as AMI or colloquially AMI Awards is an annual Indonesian major music awards...
- List of Indonesian composers
- List of Indonesian rock bands
- Culture of IndonesiaCulture of IndonesiaIndonesian culture has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is central along ancient trading routes between the Far East and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of...
- Music of JavaMusic of JavaThe Music of Java embraces a wide variety of styles, both traditional and contemporary, reflecting the diversity of the island and its lengthy history...
- Indonesian popular music recordingsIndonesian popular music recordingsRecorded music is a reflection of modern Indonesian history and culture—specifically class consciousness, economics and post-colonial identity. Since the early 1970s, the production, marketing and distribution of recorded media, particularly popular music cassettes and VCDs, in Indonesia have...
- Indonesian hip hopIndonesian hip hopIndonesian hip hop is hip hop music performed in Indonesia. Hip hop music began to be produced in Indonesia in the early 1990s, with the first Indonesia artist to release a full-length hip hop album being the emcee Iwa K, who has released five albums to date. Other Indonesian hip hop groups include...
- Rock musicRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
- Pop musicPop musicPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
External links
Audio clips: Traditional music of Indonesia. Musée d'Ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Music of Bali. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- BBC Radio 3 Audio (60 minutes): Java, Jakarta to Solo. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- The traditional music of Indonesia
- Indonesian Fusion