On reviving 'keroncong' music<\/p>\n
As a reader of The Jakarta Post, I appreciate and am grateful
\nto the editorial staff for translating and divulging Marah
\nKamrin's letter published in the Warta Kota daily regarding the
\nfading away of traditional keroncong music (the Post, May 29).<\/p>\n
During the Dutch colonial era, keroncong music was regarded as
\nunique for its rhythm, melody and lyrics composed in Malay. It
\ndiffered distinctly from other indigenous, ethnic music such as
\nJavanese, Sundanese or any other ethnic music.<\/p>\n
Since Malay -- aside from Dutch -- was in vogue as the lingua
\nfranca, keroncong songs were composed with Malay lyrics and thus
\nestablished its characteristically nationalistic tone.<\/p>\n
But among the educated younger generation of the late Dutch
\nera of the 1930s, it was not keroncong, but rather Hawaiian songs
\nthat were widely popular. The Hawaiian Syncopeters and the
\nHawaiian Big Boys of Batavia were the idolized bands at the time.<\/p>\n
In the 1950s, after Indonesia gained its independence,
\nkeroncong music reached its height of popularity, with the rise
\nof vocalists Sam Saimun, Sal Saulius, Bing Slamet and others.<\/p>\n
Recently, a most attractive performance appeared on a midnight
\nTV program featuring a blend of keroncong music with Brazilian
\nsamba. In this version, the violin stood out in a solo, producing
\na marvelous and exquisite musical novelty or innovation in
\nkeroncong. This deserves to be applauded.<\/p>\n
S. SUHAEDI
\nJakarta<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/on-reviving-keroncong-music-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}