The Prospect and Future of Youth Kroncong Group at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in Bandung
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 18 (1) (2018), 52-61 p-ISSN 2541-1683|e-ISSN 2541-2426 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/harmonia DOI: 10.15294/harmonia.v18i1.15524 The Prospect and Future of Youth Kroncong Group at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in Bandung Hery Supiarza1, Cece Sobarna1, Yudi Sukmayadi2, Raden Muhammad Mulyadi1 1Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia 2Department of Music Education, Faculty of Arts and Design Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia Received: December 13, 2017. Revised: April 23, 2018. Accepted: June 10, 2018 Abstract This article discusses the prospect and future of youth Kroncong group at the Indonesia Univer- sity of Education or Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in Bandung. The focus of research subject in this study is one particular Kroncong group namely Orkes Kroncong De Oemar Bakrie. By examining the society’s appreciation towards the group performances and by implementing the triangulation techniques; results show that the group can be seen as a representative of youth Kroncong group in Bandung. Based on research from 2000 until 2017, it can be concluded that University-based Kroncong group is more excelled not only in the music industry, but also in the music development and the music organization. The group is considered as a role model and parameter for other youth Kroncong group in Bandung. Keywords: Bandung’s youth; Kroncong; Prospect; Future How to Cite: Supiarza, H., Sobarna, C., Sukmayadi, Y., & Mulyadi, R. M. (2018). The Prospect and Future of Youth Kroncong Group at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in Bandung. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research And Education, 18(1), 52-61. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v18i1.15524 INTRODUCTION man, 1979), the term diKroncongkan or play- ing all genres of music outside Kroncong The development of Kroncong as the in the Kroncong way, has started to emer- nation’s cultural product cannot be separa- ge. At that time, it was a pride for young ted from the interference of the youth (Bu- Kroncong musician to be able to play wes- diman, 1979). Its relationship with the con- tern songs in Kroncong way (Widjajadi, cept of repertoire was influenced both by 2007). local and western music culture. Within Similar with the existence of Kron- Kroncong, there are two different kinds cong in other urban areas in Indonesia, of genre. One is the genre which has set Kroncong in Bandung is still considered as of strict rules or what local people called folk music. Therefore, it is not as popular as pakem. Meanwhile, the later is is a kind as other musical genres, (Widjajadi, 2007). of genre outside the pakem which known This situation encourages youth in Ban- as diKroncongkan, or genre that allows all dung, especially at Indonesia University genre of music to be played in the Kroncong of Education (UPI), to create a space for way. In 1923, in the era of Lief Java (Budi- Kroncong through regular exercise activi- Corresponding author: Jl. Raya Bandung Sumedang KM.21, Hegarmanah, Jatinangor, Jawa Barat 45363 E-mail: [email protected] 52 Hery Supiarza et al., The Prospect and Future of Youth Kroncong Group ... 53 ties and organization. These activities are cal study of Kroncong. However, none of acknowledged as prospects for groups of their studies had specifically examined youth at UPI Bandung to create a future the youth attempt in seeking for identity for Kroncong, so that it can have an oppor- through Kroncong. The search of identi- tunity to grow in today’s music industry. ty through Kroncong by youth in the cam- In Krugman (2003), it is defined that ‘pros- pus, where modernism has fallen into the pect’ means an opportunity that occurs as realm of the aesthetic and commercializa- a consequence of one’s effort in order to fill tion as well as contextual, will be an inte- his needs and to get profit or advantage. resting and important object of study. In Starting in the early 2000s, some ef- addition, this study will also increase the forts to revive Kroncong at UPI, especial- repertoire of Kroncong music, so that we ly in the Department of Music Education can compare the future and prospects of FPSD UPI Bandung, were done by orga- youth in Campus’ Kroncong group activi- nizing and opening up the exposure of ty at UPI Bandung. Kroncong to mass media like radio, televi- sion, newspaper and online social media. METHOD Revitalization is a process, method, and action to revive and restore traditional arts This research uses a qualitative ap- activities, held in the framework or the old proach which attempts to reveal an intact culture (Bahasa, 2001). and depth review of the contexts studied. From the initial studies that had In a qualitative approach, the data is desig- been done through interviews to groups ned and structured holistically, systemati- of youth Kroncong at UPI Bandung, it was cally, comprehensively, integrated, logical, concluded that in the decade of 2000s, the as well as structured with both explicit and development of science and technology implicit rules. had opened up youth’s horizon about the This research focuses on the system outside world. This also affects Kroncong of agreement had by the Kroncong music development. Since then, Kroncong has group. Besides, during the research, the become an entertainment affected by other group’s training activities and performan- rhythms. Adorno in Budiarto (2001) states ces were also observed and studied. As for that in the framework of modernity, seve- the preliminary study towards the youth ral arts have appeared, there are: the art Kroncong community in UPI, the rese- that entertains people, the art that speaks archers had delivered an informal intro- reality without mediation, and the art that duction and asked for consent to conduct reveals critical ideological cover while still research studying all Kroncong music acti- maintaining its theoretical level. vities in the appointed groups. Creativity in developing Kroncong In addition to the preliminary rese- music is affected by various foreign music arch which had done by the researchers references and the personal style, which were observations. There were two kinds is variable depending on the influence of of observation conducted in this study, local music. This condition does not mean namely, naturalistic and controlled obser- it expedites the process of making music, vations. The naturalistic observation was instead it creates some debate about the kind of observation which did not invol- pros and cons of it. Initially, there were ve emotional relationship between rese- several researchers who had studied archers and the research subjects/actors. about Kroncong, there were Manusama Meanwhile, in controlled observation, (1919), Kuns (1949), Heins (1975), Yam- there were close observations of the cer- polsky (2010), Ganap (2000), Budiman tain informants which were selected and (1979), Kartomi (1978), Kusbini (1970, 1972, prepared before by the researchers prior to 1976), and Harmunah (1994). The majority the study. The later was done by aiming at of them conducted historical and techni- the constant and focused examination to- 54 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 18 (1) (2018): 52-61 wards the research issues (Rohidi 2011). In The term youth is preferable than another this case, the research subject is the youth term -like teenagers- due to the histori- Kroncong music group. Thus, as naturalis- cal event related to the youth movement tic and controlled researchers, we collected in Indonesia’s background history. In the as much data as possible by using a voice past, Soekarno associated the term ‘youth’ recorder. as a revolutionary fighter and political ac- The next step after naturalistic and tivator, thus, the term brought the sense of controlled observations was an in-depth agitation and resistance. Later in the So- interview. This technique differs from con- eharto era, youth became closely associated versation in a formal structured interview. with development. After the New Order Through this technique, the researchers era (Orde Baru) when the youth movement will explore numbers of the topic to sha- imposed an end to the Suharto regime in pe the informants’ perspective, while still 1998, youth has become unpopular. After maintaining the informants’ right to arran- the fall of the New Order era, come to the ge and compose the answers. By imple- reform (action) era. During this era, as the menting this technique of interview, the manifestation of openness, many new or- informants’ perspective about Kroncong ganizations emerged, coordinated by the music phenomena in socio-cultural con- youth. During this time, the term youth text will be widely opened. shifted in meaning. Furthermore, the data in this study ‘Youth’ or ‘pemuda’ in Bahasa In- was in the form of documentation data donesia is considered no longer suitab- about Kroncong music and the youth. Do- le to the conditions of the era. Therefo- cumentation data can be books, articles, re, it is changed to ‘Youth’ which means leaflets, or pamphlets (Rohidi, 2011). Data ‘kaum muda’. The term ‘kaum muda’ brings collection was then followed by observati- ‘youth’ in this research means an agent of on which researchers gave more focus on change who has an active symbol and rep- the music player and the music played. Re- resents the purpose of policy review which searchers recorded the music in audio and enables the role of the youth to be equal audiovisual recording. The recording was as a partner of the government in policy used as the material of analysis, especial- and decision making. ‘Youth’ now is felt ly the analysis of music. Then, researchers more neutral and free of political interests also put attention on the communication (Farid, 2011). It sounds free from any at- between the general music players and tachments from certain parties.