Music series explores local traditions<\/p>\n
Seri Musik Indonesia (Indonesian Music Series)<\/p>\n
CD Dian Records<\/p>\n
Copyright: Masyarakat Seni Pertunjukan Indonesia<\/p>\n
Distributor: PT Dian Pramudita Kusuma, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Rp 25,000 per CD<\/p>\n
First six CDs titled Musik Dari Pinggiran Jakarta; Musik Populer
\nIndonesia; Musik Dari Nias & Sumatera Utara; Gandrung Banyuwangi;
\nMusik Betawi Dan Sunda; Musik Malam Dari Sumatera Barat.<\/p>\n
Informational booklets included in all CDs<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Masyarakat Seni Pertunjukan Indonesia
\n(Indonesian Performing Arts Society) launched six CDs of a
\nvariety of Indonesian musical forms on Aug. 2. These are the
\nfirst of a series of 20 CDs produced by MSPI in cooperation with
\nthe Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies of the
\nSmithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., with financial
\nsupport from the Ford Foundation.<\/p>\n
The scope of the project is nothing short of amazing -- the
\nfirst six CDs cover more than 12 different types of Indonesian
\nmusical forms, some of which, like Gandrung Banyuwangi and the
\nmusic from Nias and North Sumatra, are not often featured in the
\ndaily menu of Indonesian music, save in the areas whence they
\noriginate.<\/p>\n
Kudos go to the team of compilers and recorders, headed by
\nnoted ethnomusicologists Philip Yampolsky and Anthony Seeger. I
\ndo not know exactly which areas the team has covered, but it is
\nobvious that considerable efforts have been made to present as
\nmany types of Indonesian musical forms, including popular music
\nsuch as dangdut and the kind of Batak music (Gendang Karo,
\nGondang Toba) which are worlds apart from the four-part harmony
\nsinging one associates with Batak music heard in hotel lobbies.<\/p>\n
Nothing short of amazing and nothing short of timely. Some of
\nthe forms, especially those of a ritualistic nature which may
\nwell have their roots in times that precede the advent of major
\ncultural waves including Islam and Christianity, could be on the
\nbrink of extinction. Perhaps extinction is too extreme, but what
\nis at least certain is that music is a constantly evolving art,
\none that is far more susceptible to changing mores and values.<\/p>\n
There are no better examples of this than in Western music
\nitself. The music and songs in such medieval forms of
\nentertainment as miracles and mysteries have, to my knowledge,
\nleft almost no trace. Despite the many commendable efforts to
\nrevive pre-18th century instruments, it is their modern
\ndescendants who are far more in the forefront, and Bach's French
\nand English suites are these days performed more often on the
\npiano than on the harpsichord for which they were composed.<\/p>\n
About a year ago recordings of Gregorian chants reached the
\ntop of various pop music charts. But I am inclined to regard the
\nlatter more as a novelty (something of an oxymoron there) than an
\neffort to create a decisive influence on the course of popular
\nmusic.<\/p>\n
What has ensured the continuity of these ancient types of
\nmusic is notation -- a system invented by the Greeks who regarded
\nmusic also as a science, aided in no small degree by the
\nmathematician, Pythagoras. Ensuing civilizations, including the
\n(Catholic) church adopted and further streamlined this system.
\nThe stave (not balok in Indonesian) is the system's direct
\ndescendant. This, then, is one of the aspects that guarantee the
\ncontinued existence of ancient music, although it is by no means
\ncertain that today's interpretations are exactly like those
\nrendered in the year 900.<\/p>\n
So where do the traditional forms of Indonesian music stand?
\nI'm not referring to established forms like the different types
\nof gamelan for which, apart from the vast collection of
\nrecordings, there already exists a system of notation. As far as
\nI am aware, none exists for the types of music practiced in the
\nremotest parts of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In this instance, the contribution of MSPI and, of course, the
\nSmithsonian Institution, is invaluable because the recordings are
\nthe only acknowledgement of the existence of the music of the
\nfaraway tribes of Nias, of Kalimantan, Irian Jaya. They are also
\nfar removed from mainstream Indonesian music today, including
\nhybrid forms like kroncong and dangdut, so whether traditional
\nforms will evolve further and become a source for future music in
\nIndonesia, only time will tell.<\/p>\n
Only then will it be possible to raise the question of
\nintellectual property rights and protection for the
\npractitioners. I have a hunch that the person or group of persons
\nwho chant mantras at certain rituals do not regard themselves as
\nartists, but as protagonists of certain socioreligious-religious
\nobservances.<\/p>\n
The reason I am touching on intellectual property rights is
\nbecause the launching of the CDs was held in tandem with a
\nseminar on such matters. Distinction perhaps needs to be made
\nbetween the kind of music that serves a socioreligious purpose
\n(I'm sure the MSPI's project covers a lot of this), and music
\nbased mostly on esthetic considerations, between a singer singing
\nKyrie Eleison in church and one who renders Schubert's Gretchen
\nAt The Spinning Wheel or Norwegian Wood. The former would
\nprobably not get paid, but the latter would insist on
\nremuneration.<\/p>\n
-- Gus Kairupan<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/music-series-explores-local-traditions-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }