Ska swings its beat across Indonesia

Ska swings its beat across Indonesia

By Endi Aras

JAKARTA (JP): In 1995, Brian Rosenthal conducted research
which he published on the Internet (www.skamusic.com). He
reported that Ska music was born in the former British colony of
Jamaica which became a member of the Commonwealth in 1962. At the
end of 1999, Ska music, now well-known to the public, has
suddenly appeared and almost dominates the music market in
Indonesia.

Ska music has become a trend among the younger generation in
Indonesia, mainly in the big cities like Jakarta and Bandung. But
even youth in the smaller cities in Central Java and East Java
like this type of music. A number of recording companies in
Jakarta are now vying with each other to produce Ska music and to
hunt for new talent.

Like some other music trends in Indonesia, Ska music has
emerged due to certain conditions. The wish of musicians for
freedom and peace in life is contained in the mostly optimistic
Ska lyrics. Among the Ska groups the Tipe X band from Jakarta
seems to attract the most attention. There is also the Wastafel
group. Bandung has the Noin Bullet group, Surakarta the Teddy
Bear and the rainy town of Bogor the Error group.

Yogyakarta has now some 20 Ska groups. Most of them are
seriously involved in Ska music. Think of Shaggy Dog, Black Sky,
Traffic Light, Joy Island and Terplunk.

The names of Ska groups are strange and funny. Ska groups have
also burgeoned in small towns in Central Java and East Java. In
Malang the Ibu Kita Skartini group has adopted and changed the
name of a popular Indonesian heroine, Kartini. Purwokerto in
Central Java makes use of its vernacular to take the name of
Skarepe (to each his own) for a Ska group. A band in Jakarta has
assumed the name Kethoepat Skayoer (ketupat sayur is a dish of
rice cakes and vegetables in a hot coconut sauce).

The mushrooming Ska groups are accompanied by the growing
aggressiveness of their fans. The fanaticism is seen at Ska music
concerts. With their striking accessories, Ska fans attract the
public's attention. Ska mania is expressed in the colorful
attributes worn by Ska supporters during concerts. Caps, ties and
coats are the main accessories worn by Ska fans. Suitcases,
checkered shorts and Hawaii shirts complement Ska mania. Fans dye
their hair blond. Equipped with their Ska style, they dance
joyously to Ska rhythms. Their dance style is vastly different
from other dance forms. The difference is largely influenced by
the beat of the music accompanying the dance.

Different from other imported music, such as Rap, Ska has a
number of striking characteristics. The brass section is one of
them, although not all Ska bands have the instruments. Brass
instruments enhance the atmosphere of joy and liveliness. The
Noin Bullet group thinks the brass section is complementary to
the function of maintaining a song's liveliness. In this way, it
is like African music, which also accentuates the sounds of brass
instruments. The development of Ska music has led to the
dominance of the brass section.

There is some confusion about the Ska trend. Some people say
Ska resembles Reggae, others find it is like The Police. Ska fans
in Indonesia remain undeterred.

It is not clear whether Ska music here is only a feverish
trend. But its fans can be found in small towns in Indonesia. The
performance of Tipe X in Wonosobo, Central Java, some time ago
was warmly welcomed by the youths of the small town at the foot
of Mount Dieng. Young people in the Wonosari region of Gunung
Kidul, Yogyakarta, are fanatic about Ska music. They all know
about the Shaggy Dog group who hail from their town.

Rap and Reggae are two other forms of music that were
introduced to Indonesia. They just dropped by never to stay.
Before Rap came to Indonesia, music accompanying dance like
Breakdance also made Indonesian youths feverish. One of the
latest imports was House Music, a trend which soon vanished when
the government issued the law on narcotics and prohibited drugs.

Ska music has caused some bewilderment in Indonesian music
circles. Many music observers do not understand Ska music. The
music is popular within limited circles of adolescents and youths
aged between 14 and 22.