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 Jakartan singer and ethnomusicologist UBIET tells JODY MACGREGOR about the Indonesian musical style incorporating western instruments called kroncong, which she’ll be demonstrating at Songs Of Love And Revolution.
JODY MACGREGOR: What does kroncong take from traditional Indonesian music?
UBIET: One characteristic of kroncong is the cak-cuk, interlocking rhythms as can be found in much traditional music in Indonesia. Another characteristic is the kendangan played by cello, a rhythm that resembles kendang (barrel drums) rhythms such as found in gamelan music. The singing style, which is particularly kroncong, [is] also influenced by embellishment in traditional singing.
JM: What should listeners expect from Songs Of Love And Revolution?
U: Our song series is a mixture of older kroncong songs from [the] 1940s during the colonial era – even earlier such Kroncong Kemayoran, arguably one of the oldest kroncong songs – to newly created kroncong songs. The older kroncong songs are arranged in the context of present Indonesian popular music, while the newly created kroncong songs composed by two members of Kroncong Tenggara, Dian HP and Riza Arshad, [are] based on Indonesian contemporary poems, arranged in kroncong style.
JM: What is the connection between kroncong and politics in Indonesia?
U: During the colonial era, many kroncong songs contained patriotic lyrics and at times it had its association with Indonesian revolution at the time. But nowadays kroncong is one genre associated mostly with [the] older generation, with nostalgia. The young would not want to listen to kroncong. It is not popular at the present time, thus performing kroncong in its traditional form is a huge task. But, I would argue that kroncong represents contemporary Indonesian culture, as hybrid, receiving influence from many cultures across the globe from the past and the present, and in itself as a plural society, it has been also influenced by other regional cultures.
JM: How does being a scholar as well as a singer influence the way you approach music?
U: In my creative realm, I try not to sit in my scholarly chair so much. However, since my discipline is ethnomusicology, the insight I have in observing world music has helped me in widening and shaping my musical horizon and styles.
UBIET AND KRONCONG TENGGARA perform their Songs Of Love And Revolution at the Powerhouse during Pesta Merdeka (Festival Of Freedom) on Wednesday Aug 17 (Ekka holiday). Markets from 4pm, concert from 7.30pm. It’s a free event. www.brisbanepowerhouse.org
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