{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1749570,
        "msgid": "behind-the-diy-speaker-pushcart-buskers-struggle-in-jakartas-narrow-alleys-1779546141",
        "date": "2026-05-19 18:06:25",
        "title": "Behind the DIY Speaker, Pushcart Buskers Struggle in Jakarta's Narrow Alleys",
        "author": "Faieq Hidayat",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "In central Jakarta's Senen district, roaming pushcart buskers rely on improvised speakers and car batteries to earn modest sums from residents, especially on weekend nights. They operate from late afternoon until late evening to dodge enforcement and cope with high gear rental costs, with typical daily takings between Rp50,000 and Rp150,000. The piece highlights precarious urban livelihoods and how weather and enforcement shape street performance livelihoods.",
        "content": "<p>Sounds of dangdut music, including koplo remixes, begin to spill from\nthe narrow alleys of Senen, Central Jakarta, as the sun sets on Monday,\n18 May 2026. It is at this time that pushcart buskers start out,\ncarrying improvised speakers and car batteries to roam the residents\u2019\nneighbourhoods. Most buskers choose to operate from about 16:00 to\n22:00. Besides the cooler weather, night is considered safer from raids\nby the Satpol PP (Public Order Agency). Soni (29), one of the roaming\npushcart buskers in the Senen-Paseban area, says he prefers working at\nnight because it is considered safer. \u201cIf on the main roads there is\nmore competition and a higher risk of raids. In the narrow alleys,\nresidents are sometimes more attentive,\u201d he told Kompas.com. Each day,\nSoni has to set aside money to rent the speaker for Rp 40,000. In\naddition, he must buy meals and battery supplies so the sound equipment\ncan stay powered throughout the journey. In crowded conditions,\nespecially on weekend nights, his earnings can reach Rp 150,000. But on\nordinary days, he often brings home only Rp 50,000 to Rp 80,000.\n\u201cSometimes it all goes on paying for the speaker,\u201d he said. When it\nrains, the buskers usually stop at shopfronts or under bridges to\nprevent the speakers from being damaged. \u201cMy feet hurt from walking\ncontinually while pushing the cart,\u201d he said. A similar fate befalls\nAsep (38), the pushcart busker who has lived on Jakarta\u2019s streets for\nseven years. Before busking, he worked as a labourer unloading goods at\na market. But that work grew quieter, so he joined his friends to busk\naround.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/behind-the-diy-speaker-pushcart-buskers-struggle-in-jakartas-narrow-alleys-1779546141",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}