Ministry launches project to counter foreign music

Ministry launches project to counter foreign music

JAKARTA (JP): For many, the country's traditional music is
being forgotten, losing the battle against invasions of foreign
music. Now, even children tend to watch MTV instead of
traditional performances aired on television.

More people keep records of Madonna, Pearl Jam, or Spice
Girls, rather than those of traditional music.

Take note of the line up of trendy youngsters waiting to be
let into a packed well-known cafe in the center of the city,
willing to pay a large amount of money just to watch a visiting
foreign artist perform.

Then compared this with the empty seats at local playhouses,
which continuously hold various traditional shows for the sake of
preserving the culture; not to mention the low entrance fees.

Still, there is no such phrase as "giving up" in preserving
the local culture, including its music.

This is what the Ministry of Education and Culture and the
Association of Indonesian Recording Companies is trying to do by
releasing CDs and cassettes, Tradisi Musik Nusantara (The
Country's Musical Tradition), of musical performances from each
of the country's 27 provinces.

"The effort is intended to preserve the country's culture in
the face of stiff competition with foreign cultures," the
ministry's director general of culture, Edi Sedyawati, told
reporters recently.

"Sometimes, the values of foreign cultures don't fit ours,"
Edi said.

Even with a strong commitment to preserve the country's
culture, the ministry acknowledged the possibilities that the CDs
and cassettes would not be very successful in the market.

"It's not easy to popularize the country's musical tradition
because it means we have to change attitudes toward traditional
music," Edi said.

But, no matter what the market's response is, the ministry's
officials throughout the country will not be involved in selling
the CDs and cassettes, she said.

"The CDs and cassettes will be offered (voluntarily) for sale
to the public," Edi said.

And once the CDs and cassettes gained profit, the artists and
musicians whose voices and works were recorded, will be given
royalty, she added.

At present, CDs cost between Rp 45,000 and Rp 70,000 each,
depend on the "value" of the Indonesian or foreign artists.
Cassettes of Indonesian artists now retail for between Rp 10,000
and Rp 15,000 each, while those of international artists sell
from Rp 13,000 to Rp 17,000.

A strong commitment alone is not enough. Real action must be
taken. It is necessary to have a well-planed professional
marketing strategy. And the first thing to do is to make sure the
CDs and cassettes are distributed to the stores.

Two large stores, Disc Tara in Pondok Indah Mall, South
Jakarta, and Duta Suara in Sabang, Central Jakarta, said that, as
of the end of March, they have still not received Tradisi Musik
Nusantara CDs or cassettes.

"No, we don't have it yet," said Deni, Disc Tara's attendant.
(ste)