'Dangdut' makes music in its own distinctive style<\/p>\n
By Helly Minarti<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Certain musical beats are often associated with
\ncertain groups in society. Here, classical and jazz might belong
\nto the upper class, while the locally popular dangdut -- with its
\ndynamic mixture of gendang (local percussion), bamboo flute and
\nMalay melodies -- is the music of the less affluent society.<\/p>\n
Although hits like Kopi Dangdut may be occasionally requested
\nin uptown pubs, dangdut songs are mostly played in kampongs or
\nrural areas. Dangdut concerts are usually held in open arenas
\ninstead of proper concert halls.<\/p>\n
It is not only the beat and the venue that are so typical; the
\nsingers also have their own "trademark." They are usually clad in
\nkitschy costumes -- a combination of striking colors and
\naccessories -- which create a certain glamour. This combination
\ncomes with a standard stage act, particularly a swinging hip
\ndance. At times imitating the movements of India's popular films,
\nthe singers gyrate to a perky gendang beat which its dynamic
\nthump mirroring India's tabla.<\/p>\n
But, like anything else in the world, dangdut music is in
\nconstant flux, while always retaining some of its basic elements.
\nThese two aspects were reflected in the recent Anugerah Dangdut
\nTPI 1998, the 1998s Dangdut Music Awards launched by TPI TV
\nstation on Nov. 21.<\/p>\n
Some striking changes are seen in the new lineup of young
\nfemale singers Iis Dahlia, Ikke Nurjanah, Lilis Karlina -- all in
\ntheir twenties -- and a maturer Evie Tamala, who were nominated
\nas the best female singer. They were challenged the more senior
\nElvy Sukaesih who eventually grabbed the award. (The best male
\nsinger was Meggi Z.)<\/p>\n
The four bring not only fresh faces but also fresh images to
\nthe dangdut scene. Unlike their seniors in the 1970s and 1980s,
\nthese new dangdut girls don't wear kitschy costumes. On the night
\nof the awards, they appeared stylish and well-groomed. Their
\nhairstyles were straight out of Melrose Place and wear they wore
\nfine designer outfits like Biyan slip dresses.<\/p>\n
Even though they still perform the dangdut hip moves, their
\nmovements are far less "hot" than the swinging of dangdut queen
\nElvy Sukaesih. The new dangdut generation also wear trendy make
\nup, like their cousins in the pop music world. Evie Tamala, who
\nis also a talented songwriter, goes even further: she taped her
\nvideo clip in Rome.<\/p>\n
The youngsters have good voices, of course, complete with
\ndangdut's cengkok (a must-to-do technique in dangdut), yet they
\nfailed to beat Elvy Sukaesih. With her repertoire containing all
\nthe classic dangdut elements, Elvy was also presented with the
\nDangdut Legend Award.<\/p>\n
"Dangdut has made significant progress in the last 10 years,"
\nsaid Munif Bahasuan, a composer and one of the jurors. "It has
\nmuch to do with the recording technology, like the sound," he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
This also stimulates that dangdut composers and musicians must
\nexplore other genres and add them to their compositions. "Now we
\nhave this so-called house Dangdut. a mix of house music and
\ndangdut, or songs with ethnic tunes," explained Munif.<\/p>\n
Either for the sake of artistic experiment or boosting image,
\nor both, dangdut, a blend of Arab-Indian-Malay music, has
\nwelcomed the influence of other music genres. Rhoma Irama, a
\ndangdut veteran, and his Soneta Group have successfully brought
\nrock-flair into the music. Dangdut was even performed at
\nprestigious events like Jakjazz last year through the work of
\njazz musician Indra Lesmana with his Trakeba band.<\/p>\n
Campus<\/p>\n
The drive to take dangdut to a "higher" level is not new. In
\nthe late 1970s some students from reputed universities formed a
\ngroup called PSP (Pancaran Sinar Petromak) to sing Western folk
\nsongs to dangdut tunes and change the lyrics as a means of social
\ncriticism. Dangdut was then quite popular on campuses, and
\noccasionally echoes of it are still heard today.<\/p>\n
In the same period, an ex-pop musician, Reynold Panggabean,
\nused stringed music in his dangdut orchestra, Tarantulla. He
\ndressed his long-haired musicians in tuxedos to play for his
\n(then) wife, Camelia Malik. She was also a new face on the
\ndangdut scene with her beaded satin Diana Ross costume which was
\nmore subdued and stylish than other dangdut singers' outfits at
\nthat time.<\/p>\n
Despite the changes over the years, dangdut still retains its
\nsymbol as a music for "marginal people", those people who roam
\nthe streets, speak plain languages, and are less intellectual.<\/p>\n
A few years ago, people were struck by newcomers like Ikke
\nNurjanah whose 'pop' look was accentuated by her status as a
\nuniversity student. Her recent marriage to Aldi, the frontman and
\nkey person of Bragi, a male pop band, also dispelled the public
\nimage that dangdut was kitschy compared to the higher-taste pop
\nmusic.<\/p>\n
More changes were noticeable when the dangdut awards were
\npresented. The award winners were announced by celebrities who
\nare not dangdut artists. And the onstage setup was interesting.
\nDwiki Dharmawan was the music director. Dwiki, known more as a
\nfusion, jazz and pop musician, in fact arranged dangdut music for
\nall round veteran singer Titiek Puspa. His arrangement won a
\nnomination.<\/p>\n
And a not-so-dangdut Dwiki brought a pop big band combination
\nwith drums side by side with gendang and brass alongside bamboo
\nflutes.<\/p>\n
The songs were all, of course, dangdut, but the music was not
\n"pure" dangdut as Dwiki often opened a song with a jazzy piano
\nsolo before it reverted to a traditional dangdut flavor such as
\nthe solo gendang. Another time he highlighted Donny Suhendra's
\njazzy acoustic guitar with a typical dangdut shrieking sound like
\nthose in Rhoma Irama's Soneta.<\/p>\n
"Never mind (the mixture). As you can see the winner is still
\na 'pure' dangdut musician," said Hendro Saki, who won Best
\nDangdut Arranger.<\/p>\n
So it does not matter either if a pop singer like Harvey
\nMalaiholo belted out Begadang (Stay up the Night) -- a classic
\nnumber from Rhoma Irama. "I deliberately chose the song since it
\nstill has much pop flair in its melody. I can't perform dangdut's
\ncengkok," commented Harvey, who knows many dangdut songs even
\nthough he excludes dangdut recordings from his collection.<\/p>\n
Rita Effendi of Elfa's Singers, who sang a classic Malay song
\nCinta Hampa (Empty Love), admitted that she was a fan of some
\ndangdut performers. "I like the work of Evie Tamala and Ikke
\nNurjanah."<\/p>\n
The best conclusion was wrapped in a brief speech by Chandra
\nDarusman, Chairman of Yayasan Karya Cipta Indonesia, Indonesia's
\nroyalty foundation.<\/p>\n
"Dangdut is in the majority in Indonesia, so we have to commit
\nto building dangdut music without forgetting other music genres."<\/p>\n
Dangdut has indeed witnessed impressive sales. Elvy Sukaesih's
\nLirikan Matamu (Your Eyes' Flirting), produced in the late 1970s,
\nhas sold one million copies. Today, an album is considered good
\nif sales top 100,000.<\/p>\n
However, the bottom line is that, despite some changes,
\ndangdut still keeps its original soul. It is still tinged with a
\ncertain glamorous image associated with kitschy taste and is
\nstill favored by the majority of Indonesian.<\/p>\n
It has a unique status -- both as an important part of the
\ncountry's music industry and as an expression of our subculture.
\nTherefore it cannot be underestimated and it does not need an
\nimage boost from other music genres, as was shown at the dangdut
\nawards ceremony.<\/p>",
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