HARMONIA : Journal of Arts Research and Education 17 (1) (2017), 1-12 p-ISSN 2541-1683|e-ISSN 2541-2426 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/harmonia DOI: 10.15294/harmonia.v17i1.9398 The dynamic phenomena of strékan music from colonial to contemporary era in Situbondo Panakajaya Hidayatullah Faculty of Cultural Science, Universitas Jember, Indonesia Received: March 31, 2017. Revised: May 6, 2017. Accepted: June 3, 2017 Abstract This research is an anthropology of music which discusses the dynamics of strékan music from colonial to contemporary era in Situbondo. In Situbondo, strékan is a term which refers to music for welcoming guests. By ethnography method and postcolonial perspective, this research will discuss social problems and phenomena of strékan music. The result of this research shows that a change of strékan music signifies a change of social condition in Situbondo. In colonial erastrékan is assumed by people like music for elite class. The field data show that there is unequal power relation between colonized and colonizer. In pasca-colonial era the hierarchy relation becomes ambivalent. It appears negotiation space between colonial signs and Madurese culture of Situ- bondo people, considered to be symbolic resistance. Strékan music is reinterpreted as music for low class. In the contemporary era, strékan music tends to market oriented. Strékan music includes dangdut music, following market taste as a consequence of commercialization of art. Keywords: strékan music; colonial, Situbondo; Madurese; dangdut How to Cite: Hidayatullah, P. (2017). The dynamic phenomena of strékan music from colonial to contemporary era in Situbondo. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research And Education, 17(1), 1-12. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/harmonia. v17i1.9398 Introduction Dutch colonial government made Panarukan as an industrial area, central Since the colonial era, Panarukan had government (Besuki Residency) and tra- been a strategic area and trading center in de center in 1800’s. The project of Anyer- Eastern Java. It began with the Portugese Panarukan road, by Governor General people arrival in 1580 which then built bas- Daaendels 1808-1811, was a way for faci- tion for hoarding spices of the trade from litating transportation to this strategic area Moluccas, until the Dutch arrival in 1743 (Arifin, 2008 p. 148). As an industrial area, by VOC (Arifin, 2008, p. 147). Panarukan Panarukan had six sugar factories and is an early name of Situbondo Regency in one Arabica coffee factory which opera- the colonial era. The name Panarukan then ted since the colonial era, which was sugar changes to be Situbondo after issuance of factory of Demas, Wringin Anom, Olean, government regulation of republic of In- Pandji, Mangaran, Asembagus and Arabi- donesia number 28 the year 1972, date 28th ka Kayumas coffe factory. September 1972 about Change of Name Panarukan city became the end of the and Removal of the seat of Panarukan Re- Daendels road, because it became the most gency Government (Arifin, 2008, p. 155). important port in eastern Java. The port of Corresponding author: Jalan Kalimantan No. 37, Sumbersari, Jember, Indonesia E-mail: [email protected] 1 2 HARMONIA : Journal of Arts Research and Education 17 (1) (2017): 1-12 Panarukan became a center for hoarding phenomena of music: article by Wadiyo agricultural products in a coastwise of Bali (2011, p. 115) entitled Campursari Manthous: strait, which then exported to abroad, such Between New Music and Social Phenomena of as coffee, sugar and tobacco naoogst, which Supporting Community and Joko Wiyoso were regularly exported and auctioned in (2011, p.: 1-9) article entitled Collaboration Rotterdam Dutch and Bremen Germany Between Jaran Kepang (Plated Horse Play) (Arifin, 2008, p. 153). and Campursari: an Innovation of Traditional As a central government which had Art. Wadiyo’s work focused on social fact important role in the colonial era, it indeed aspect people who lived in Gunung Kidul, has given big effects and influences to so- Klaten, Boyolali, and Semarang through cial and cultural development in that area. the Manthous Campursari phenomenon, One of the important things to discuss is an meanwhile Wiyoso’s work talks about pla- appearance of strékan music. Strékan mu- ted horse art performing changing form in sic is known by people as colonial music people context in Kendal Regency in the functioned as music for welcoming guest contemporary era. Both research relevan- or high officials in regency. Today, strékan cy is pinpointed on research topic about music still exists and becomes popular, alt- social phenomena of music, otherwise the hough it has changed, also in the meaning. differences are in those objects, perspecti- Like other hybrid music which is ves, and used methodologies. born from process of cultural encounter like keroncong, tanjidor, dangdut even Method some national songs (Ganap, 2011; Yam- polsky, 2001; Weintraub 2012; Mintargo, This research talks about musical 2008), strékan music also has the same anthropology using multidiscipline appro- phenomena which is appropriation result ach. Specifically this research uses post- of cultural encounter between Western colonial perspective. The multidiscipline culture and local Madurese culture. Madu- approach is required because the qualitati- ra is a dominant culture in Situbondo Re- ve data is quite complex and multidimen- gency (based on statistic data of Madurese sional. people in 1845) (Arifin, 2008, p. 164). Until A method used in this research is now, based on filed observation, Madure- ethnography which took steps in rese- se culture still becomes dominant in Situ- arch including 1). Data collection; and 2). bondo. Based on history, Madurese people Data arrangment. Data collection step was in Situbondo were migrants from Madura technically done following the new eth- island. According to Husson, Madurese nography method of James P. Spradley people migration to the north coast of eas- which added some supporting elements. tern Java happened before the 19th century, The following steps were, 1) Participato- and deforestation was a progressive and rist observation; 2) Choosing informant; 3) continual process since the 17th century as Interviewing informant; 4) Listing ethno- a result of big demography pressure. (Hus- graphy notes; 5) Asking descriptive ques- son, 1997, p. 79). tions; 6) Analyzing interview; 7) Musical This article will discuss some rese- transcription; 8) lliterature analysis. arch problems related to social phenomena Data which had been collected then of strékan music which are; 1) How do so- classified according to groups and cate- cial context and history influence a change gories for further data arranging and ana- of strékan music from colonial to contem- lying. Classification is done according to its porary era; 2) How do Situbondo people relevancy with applied theory in research. interpret the music in each era; 3) How After being classified, then it’s concluded does cultural encounter bear a ‘new’ spa- as following the pattern and data correla- ce in a context of music. Some researches tion. Classified data is then analyzed desc- that are relevant and correlated with social riptively using theory as a foundation. Panakajaya Hidayatullah, The dynamic phenomena of strékan music from colonial ... 3 Results and Discussion music played for welcoming guests/offici- als in certain celebration or formal ceremo- Strékan in Colonial Era (1830’s - 1940’s) ny in a regency. Strékan is a term used by Situbondo At that time, Situbondo people began people to call music functioned for ‘ngam- to know brass music, but this music was bâ’ tamoy’ (welcoming guests) in parlo event still odd and not really popular. Until in (wedding party). Parlo is a term in the Ma- late 1940’s, some families from native sol- durese language which refers to a wed- diers then formed their own strékan music ding party of Madurese people in Situbon- group. One of them is strékan music group do, parlo in the Madurese language means named “Chandra Keluarga”. The group is ‘interest’. Based on history, this term (stré- family music group in which some players kan) comes from the Dutch language. Stré- are ex-colonial soldiers who have ever kan players and the people interpret it as a played strékan music before. style which has a similar meaning to stijl A format of strékan music “Chandra (Kutunuk, personal communication, April Keluarga” is different to former strékan mu- 18, 2016). In vocabulary, the word is close sic. The strékan group of Chandra family to word trek which, in the Dutch language, plays music with a smaller format, which means ‘interesting’. is 7-8 people. The music instruments are The term strékan had appeared since also quite different to conventional music Dutch colonial era. The term early refer- instruments which are trumpet, trombone, red to brass band/marching band played horn, tuba, bass drum/jidur (in a big size by a native soldier (KNIL) for welcoming with diameter 1 to 1,5 meter, using leat- guests (officials) in Regency (Kutunuk, her membrane and accessories of cymbal personal communication, April 18, 2016). above), drum (snare drum using leather Brass is a term for a group of wind me- membrane), clarinet, tambourine and vo- tal music instruments, which generally cal. From these instruments, at a glance consist of trumpet, trombone, horn and it looks similar to tanjidor music, but bass tuba (Banoe, 2003, p. 61). KNIL (Koninkli- and snare drum used are different to tan- jk Nederlandsche Oost Indische Leger) is a jidor music. If it is seen from instruments colonial soldier, taken from natives, and remnants, some brass instruments are pro- mercenary army from France, Belgium, ducts from Germany. There is a brand, Ar- Germany and Switzrland. It was formed in min E voigt Markneukirchen Sa, printed in 1830 with an early name Oost Indische Le- the instrument. The use of instrument from ger then changed to KNIL on King Willem Germany, at that time, was most likely be- I advice in 1836.