Ethnic music needs innovation to flourish

By Yogita Tahil Ramani

JAKARTA (JP): Although the nation is composed of over an estimated 400 ethnic groups, indigenous music as one of its cultural riches is poorly developing in the face of western pop culture, observers say.

The efforts to preserve indigenous culture have been facing tough challenges as broadcast media has made Indonesia part of the world's borderless village.

The challenge to preserve and promote indigenous music was the subject of a discussion held to coincide with national Radio Day in Jakarta last week.

A key question in the discussion fielding senior radio managers and musicians was why the Indonesian younger generation loves western music more than indigenous music.

It was revealed that western music dominated the programs of the 713 radio stations registered nationwide, with some playing it up to 22 hours a day.

So where does Indonesian ethnic music fit in?

Chandra Novriadi, director of Masima Corporation which controls several well-known radio stations in Jakarta, said that as far as music was concerned, the programs of top radio stations nationwide broadcast only western music.

Ethnic music, he said, was aired by less popular stations with faithful listeners aged 40 and above.

Masima Corporation controls six top radio stations in Greater Jakarta: Prambors FM, Delta FM, Female Radio, M-97 Classic Rock FM, Radio SPFM and Bahana Metropolitan, and one in Bandung,

Ethnic music that retains popularity on the radio is that of major ethnic groups such as the Javanese, the Minang, the Batak and the Manadoese.

The seminar was co-organized by eight organizations, including the Ford Foundation, the Komseni public relations group, Radio Suara Surabaya, the Indonesian Performing Arts Society and Radio Geronimo Yogyakarta, and was held at Hotel Paragon.

Representatives of over 20 radio stations and several musicians, including ethnic music composer Sapto Rahardjo of Yogyakarta, attended the seminar.

Radio broadcaster Debra H. Yatim said that introducing ethnic music to popular radio stations whose majority of listeners were youngsters was like a "chicken-and-egg situation".

"Radio stations won't sell it because few listen to it. And why don't listeners ask for it? Because nobody's heard it on our more popular radio stations," Debra said.

However, Debra, who is a Komseni official, suggested it was time radio stations popular with youngsters, like Prambors, Trijaya, Kiss FM and Female Radio, took the risk of airing traditional music.

"If for instance, say Gambang Kromong (traditional music of Cirebon, West Java) was put on 15 times a day on Prambors, I bet my boots 20 kids would phone Prambors the next day and ask 'can you play that music again?'"

"I am a radio broadcaster. I know if you put on Bragi's Janji seven times a day on TV, Prambors and Kiss FM would play it as well, and within two weeks people would start looking for the cassettes."

Meanwhile, Sapto, who is nationally and internationally known as a master of Javanese karawitan (orchestra) and for his experimental works, offered another option.

Over the past two years, he has sold his radio series in different formats and versions of traditional music to radio stations in Medan, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.

The series comprise information on music including Gambang Kromong, Ajeng, Pelog and Slendro, as well as inserts that are for sale to potential sponsors for the stations.

Forty-nine stations have so far ordered the packages for the period of August to November, he said.

Sapto said that to teach traditional music to teenagers, composers had to use "world music" as a base to convey the music to listeners.

"World music means using a language that makes everybody happy. The music should just take the values of Minang folk music, for example, and infuse it into techno, disco or reggae," he said. "No lyrics needed. Just sound."

He said that this would be one way of allowing Yogyakartans, for instance, to enjoy the music of Irian Jaya.