Pop music's growing power<\/p>\n
For those of you who don't follow the latest developments in
\nthe country's less than interesting mainstream music scene, it
\nmight be good to know about a rather unsettling episode that
\nunfolded over the past two weeks, and it was not about music.<\/p>\n
After a protracted row that involved a complaint to the
\nJakarta Police and the deployment of band of notorious
\nvigilantes, rock group Dewa agreed to replace artwork that graces
\nthe cover of their new album, pompously yet cheesily titled
\nLaskar Cinta (Love Militia).<\/p>\n
For those of you who can't tell Dewa apart from any other band
\nthat appears on the small screen, Dewa is a five-piece band
\nhailing from Surabaya, East Java, who shot to fame for their
\ncrybabies anthem Kangen (I Miss You). Over the years, they have
\nmutated into a supergroup whose bread and butter have been Queen
\nripoffs and lyrics addled with Eastern spiritualism.<\/p>\n
And it was their dalliance with Eastern spiritualism that had
\nlanded them in hot water.<\/p>\n
A vigilante group that gained their reputation for regularly
\nraiding the city's night spots, the so-called Islamic Defenders
\nFront (FPI), accused them of blasphemy for the use of the word
\n\"Allah\" written in Arabic calligraphy that adorned Laskar's
\nsleeve.<\/p>\n
The group was also angered by the band's act in trampling on a
\ncarpet bearing the calligraphy during a televised concert.<\/p>\n
For this Islamist group, using such calligraphy in the
\nentertainment industry -- an utterly mundane affair -- is an
\nunforgivable sin, let alone treading on such a venerable symbol.
\nIt was blasphemy times two.<\/p>\n
The purge against Dewa is absurd as band leader Dhani Ahmad
\nhad said repeatedly that the motive for using the calligraphy was
\nin fact to promote the words of god to their fans.<\/p>\n
Seemingly oblivious to the content of Dewa's album, FPI
\ntargeted its attack only on their artwork.<\/p>\n
FPI demanded that the band and their record company apologize
\nto all Muslims around the country for their \"sinful\" act, or face
\nthe law. To lend weight to their demand, members of the Islamist
\ngroup were later deployed to patrol Dhani's house, a move that
\nprompted him and family seek refuge in a hotel.<\/p>\n
And now that their demands has been met, the champions of
\nfreedom must grind their teeth in anger witnessing hard-won
\nfreedom of expression once being shackled in the name of
\nreligion.<\/p>\n
However, the row between Dewa and FPI reflected the growing
\npower of pop culture and its offspring, in this case television
\nand record industry.<\/p>\n
By filing a complaint about the alleged blasphemous act FPI
\nhas unwittingly confirmed the power of the Dewa band, the very
\ncreation of mass culture, television and the record company, as
\nthe media by which the blasphemy was relayed.<\/p>\n
It looked pretty damn surreal seeing sabre-totting members of
\nFPI clad in their white Muslim apparel flashing Dewa's album
\ncover and loudly denouncing it as if it meant a lot to their
\nreligion.<\/p>\n
Never in the country's music history has album artwork been
\nconsidered so dangerous ... - M. Taufiqurrahman<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pop-musics-growing-power-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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