New group out to boost RI's own world music<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
What does \"world music\" actually mean? According to
\nwww.free-definition.com, world music is a term that covers all
\nmusic that is not part of mainstream pop music or classical music,
\nand has some kind of \"ethnic\" (whatever that means) component.<\/p>\n
Musician Peter Gabriel is someone with a lot of interest in
\nthe genre, which led him to found the World of Music, Arts and
\nDance (WOMAD) movement and festival back in 1982.<\/p>\n
Yet it's often the case that a song is categorized as world
\nmusic as long as it is not in English. Check out the world music
\nsection in a record store here, for instance, and you will find
\nalbums by pop groups from Taiwan.<\/p>\n
\"World music is, like, the mother of all genre. What people
\nhave been referring to all this time, the amalgamation with
\ntraditional music, that is actually world beat,\" singer\/musician
\nNyak \"Ubiet\" Ina Raseuki once told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
In response to the confusion, the British Guinness Rockopedia
\ndefines world music simply as the \"generic term for any non-Anglo
\nAmerican music that can't be traced to Chuck Berry\".<\/p>\n
All the confusing definitions aside, Indonesia is a fertile
\nground for the development of world music due to its rich and
\nvery diverse traditional music.<\/p>\n
Despite its growing popularity worldwide, the genre has always
\nbeen sidelined by other musical forms.<\/p>\n
Concerned by the situation, a group of people recently formed
\nthe Indonesian World Community (IWC), which is aimed at
\ndeveloping the local world music scene.<\/p>\n
\"It's going to be an avenue for local observers, fans or
\nmusicians of world music. It's so that they can communicate,
\nshare information with each other, as well as with the world
\nmusic community in other countries,\" said IWC chairman Monang
\nSianipar, owner of MS Cargo and MS record.<\/p>\n
Monang's son, Viky Sianipar, 27, is a rising star who has
\nproduced two world music albums -- Toba Dream (2002) and last
\nyear's Didia Ho. The music blends pop and the traditional music
\nof his Batak heritage in North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Monang said that while exploring his ancestral music, he and
\nViky often felt they were going it alone.<\/p>\n
\"It's different in Malaysia, for instance. We recently visited
\nthe Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching. It's a relatively
\nsmall area, but hundreds of people came to the place... hotels
\nwere fully booked, they only come to see world music
\nperformances.<\/p>\n
\"Imagine if we can do the same thing here. It could contribute
\nsomething to local tourism. We could also hold a campaign against
\nenvironmental destruction, like in Kuching,\" said Monang.<\/p>\n
According to IWC vice chairman Wawan Juanda, the organization
\nis open to everyone with an interest in world music.<\/p>\n
At MS Cargo office at Jl. Minangkabau No. 43, Jakarta, IWC
\nprovided the Viky Sianipar Music Center with an open air stage,
\ncafe, recording studio and rehearsal studio. A series of
\nactivities will be held, such as a workshop, discussion forum and
\nmusic performance from new groups or musicians.<\/p>\n
\"We provide facilities so that local world music can develop
\nwell,\" said Wawan, who organized 500 percussionists to perform in
\nthe recent street carnival in line with Jakarta's 477th
\nanniversary.<\/p>\n
As for the definition itself, Wawan said they refer to what
\nGabriel has popularized.<\/p>\n
\"A definition can be anything. Here, perhaps is something or a
\nmusic which is based on the diversity of local music.\"<\/p>\n
IWC's establishment, according to Wawan, was a belated move
\nbecause local world music started developing a long time ago.<\/p>\n
\"Our musicians, such as Guruh Soekarnoputra and Harry Roesli,
\ndid East\/West collaborations years ago,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Groups like Samba Sunda and Krakatau, which incorporated West
\nJava's Sundanese traditional music into their sound, perform more
\noften in festivals abroad than in their homeland.<\/p>\n
\"Samba Sunda, for instance, spends eight months a year touring
\nthe world. At the recent festival in Kuching, people were
\nactually waiting for their performance. It's kind of sad that
\nIndonesians barely know them. We, especially the government, have
\nyet to have a concern for the world music group,\" Wawan said.<\/p>\n
Viky said it was no time to lay blame.<\/p>\n
\"My concern is for young people to be attracted to their own
\nroots through world music. Therefore, we have to make it with a
\ngood package, certainly not complicated as long as it sounds good
\nand sells,\" he said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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