Jamaican Sound Keroncong”: a Communication Study on the Spread of Keroncong in the Young Generation in Bandung
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Humaniora, 10(1), March 2019, 47-53 P-ISSN: 2087-1236 DOI: 10.21512/humaniora.v10i1.5236 E-ISSN: 2476-9061 “JAMAICAN SOUND KERONCONG”: A COMMUNICATION STUDY ON THE SPREAD OF KERONCONG IN THE YOUNG GENERATION IN BANDUNG Hery Supiarza1; Cece Sobarna2 1,2Program Doktoral Kajian Budaya, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya, Universitas Padjadjaran Jl. Raya Bandung Sumedang KM 21, Jatinangor 45363, Indonesia [email protected]; [email protected] Received: 23rd January 2019/ Revised: 04th February 2019/ Accepted: 07th February 2019 How to Cite: Supiarza, H., & Sobarna, C. (2019). “Jamaican Sound Keroncong”: A communication study on the spread of keroncong in the young generation in Bandung. Humaniora, 10(1), 47-53. https://doi.org/10.21512/humaniora.v10i1.5236 ABSTRACT This research discussed Jamaican Sound Keroncong (JSK) as a communication media in the global era. The problem of research was that keroncong music tended to be unknown by most young people in Bandung, and it was lost almost a century among them. This research aimed to examine the communication between the structure, agents (SirIyai), and sub-agents (Crispy Crue/the fans), and the appreciation of the keroncong community in Bandung for their performances. Spredlay ethnographic methods were applied. SirIyai was trusted informants and participatory observations, and in-depth interviews were carried out within one year. The research finds that; (1) SirIyai creates a communication media product under the name of JSK as the binding structure between SirIyai as the agent and CCI as the sub-agent; (2) the development of the internet creates dynamics and generates communication space; (3) communication of musical instruments is the basic idea of JSK product creation as communication media; and (4) there is a fundamental change of the old keroncong communication system to that of the youth keroncong in the global era. SirIyai is considered as the role model of the recent keroncong communication and becomes the parameter of creativity of musical mixture of global music era in Bandung. Keywords: communication study, keroncong, young generation INTRODUCTION fans, it is stated that young people use music to express themselves to make claims about their identities One of Bandung is one of the major cities in Indonesia after the bands with its own community is SirIyai, a group with Jakarta and Surabaya. It is a city which is historically formed thousands of teenage fans of junior and senior high schools as a cosmopolitan population center. Therefore, it has a who refer to their circle as Crispy Crue Indonesia (CCI). The high tolerance for diversity values (Soeriaatmadja, 2017). community is closely connected to the cultural landscape as The values are reflected by various musical communities cultural work. The crucial factors in the community are the throughout the city. The inter-communications among solidarity and the loyalty of its members, as well as financial them cause various genres of music to flourish in Bandung. support for the shows. Every community always has a The smooth communication of the underground music leader who plays an important role in the community’s life communities is evident in Bandung’s Ujung Berung area (Bathurst & Ladkin, 2012). The leader has an important role which has been acknowledged by international communities, in communication within the community, sub-communities, such as Ujung Berung Rebels (Rostiyati & Priyatna, 2017). and external communities. The solidity and loyalty are The indie label music community and the majority of the determined by a leader who creates communication to unite musical communities are initiated by young adults. They the perceptions and togetherness. The leader determines how move militantly, and this communal solidarity movement has communication can create a strong network. an impact on the social life of the young adults in Bandung. Keroncong is not a popular genre known by young It includes local Indonesian music; for example, keroncong adults in Bandung city. It is considered as foreign and old music can have prospects and future (Supiarza et al., 2018). genre for almost all young adults in Bandung, besides the Various musical performances are almost held every stigma of its being the music of the Javanese, especially the Saturday or Sunday. Such performances are not solely boring Central Java (Solo and Jogjakarta). In Bandung, keroncong routine performances but rather professionally organized position is still considered as traditional folk music; thus dynamic events by a large group of fans. Concerning young its development is not as dynamic as other musical genres Copyright©2019 47 (Supiarza et al., 2018). However, along with the technology this group (Personal Communication, January 25, 2018), a development which is able to accommodate the creative straightforward and innocent answer is given when they are and explorative nature of young adults, keroncong begins asked, “What is your music genre?” They answer that their to ogle the young adults in Bandung gradually. They try music is called ‘Jamaican Sound Keroncong’. It is such an to introduce keroncong in their own way, and it is able to intriguing term in which ‘Jamaican’ is the name of a country be transformed into a relevant entity in the world of young in the Caribbean islands where ‘Reggae’ was born, ‘Sound’ adults in Bandung. means the sound of the entire ensemble music playing of The movement to introduce keroncong music to keroncong. young people in the city of Bandung in the global era has From the explanation, it can be concluded that the started since 2010, especially on campus (Supiarza et al., meaning of this term is Jamaican music (Reggae, Ska, 2018). However, the communication concept of SirIyai Rocksteady) mixed with keroncong which creates new music group has the most significant impact, with the offer collaborative sounds and becomes a subculture of the reggae of a mixed music model called ‘Jamaican Sound Keroncong’ and keroncong genres. This is an interesting problem in this (JSK). It makes the popularity of keroncong music increased research, where the activity of the SirIyai music group raises from 2011 to the present among young people in Bandung. a pro and contra attitude but instead makes a new discourse Keroncong has undergone a long metamorphosis for the development of keroncong music among the younger process; therefore, it is called a hybrid cultural product generation of Bandung. This activity has provided positive (Ganap, 2011). It can adapt to any locality in which it is in. energy for the development of keroncong music in the Keroncong in the 1920s called ‘Dixie’ music which was a global era. type of American music in the early 20th century and it was The research problem is that keroncong music is popular and trending in Indonesia (Suadi, 2017). SirIyai’s the type of music that tends to be unknown by most young type of music has similarities to the keroncong type in the people in Bandung. Almost a century of keroncong music is 20s, especially in the use of wind instruments. lost in the city of Bandung, and it is only played by parents Based on the notes of several keroncong writers, one as a medium of romanticism in the past. of its origins is influenced by Portuguese music (Ganap, The purpose of this research will comprehensively 2011), and its distribution is based on the developed examine keroncong products with new forms in the composition analysis. Budiman in (Supiarza et al., 2018) has global era called ‘Jamaican Sound Keroncong’ (JSK) as divided keroncong based on three styles and rhythms, which a communication medium, SirIyai as an agent and Crispy are; (1) Jakarta style keroncong rhythm, (2) Surakarta style Crue Indonesia (CCI) as a sub-agent. This relationship keroncong rhythm, and (3) Old style keroncong rhythm. creates reciprocal communication that is interesting to learn These styles and rhythms refer to how it is played. in reviving the spirit of keroncong development among Meanwhile, Yampolsky (2010) has divided the style young people in Bandung. It will prove that the SirIyai and rhythm (genre) of keroncong into four types, which group makes major changes through its communication are; (1) original keroncong, (2) Langgam, (3) Stambul, model and Keroncong music has been favored by young and (4) extra keroncong. For number 1, 2 and 3, each of people in the city of Bandung. them has benchmark, while for the extra keroncong, it is all types of music outside keroncong which is played in keroncong rhythm. As a category of popular music, the type METHODS of keroncong music makes it possible to have sub-genres such as Jamaican sound keroncong. Genre in the view of There are two basic concepts for this ethnographic musicology according to Silver, Lee, and Childress (2016), research method. First, Spradley has revealed the importance “Music genre in this conception of human psychological of discussing the concept of language, both in conducting categories is discerned by analyzing technical and the research process and writing the results in verbal form psychological content and internal structures to musical (Koeswinarno, 2015). In this case, the researcher explores works.” the language of communication that occurs between SirIyai An interesting observation about SirIyai as the and CCI as part of social interactions that are important for musical group is that their music genre is actually reggae, social phenomena. To study and review this language of which is a kind of music that began to grow in the 1950s communication, the researcher asks several ethnographic from the lower society of Jamaica. Reggae comes from questions. R&B, plus a variety of original musical elements from The main feature of postmodern ethnography is how Africa as well as original music from Jamaica itself, which SirIyai and CCI use culture in their lives, and the center of are Calypso and Mento (Johnson, 2015). Later, the majority research is also adapted to the minds of the people studied of these genre musicians refer to this kind of music as ‘Ska’.