Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 271 2nd International Conference on Arts and Culture (ICONARC 2018) Gambang Semarang Music as A Cultural Identity Of Semarang’s Community E Raharjo*, U Arsih Drama, Dance, and Music Department Faculty of Languages and Arts Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia *[email protected] Abstract—As a performing art “Gambang Semarang law, broadcasting program, performance form, and culture music” is part of gambang Semarang art that was created in [3]–[12]. However, the researches that exclusively discuss form of complex performing arts consisting of Drama, Dance, about gambang Semarang are form and function of and Music. Several efforts have been done by Semarang’s performance [12] and the process of cultural hybridization society to make it a cultural identity of Semarang. The purpose [6]. Therefore, the researches discuss about the form of of this research was to know, to describe and to analyze the Semarang society’s participation in making Gambang Semarang societies’ participation in supporting the process Semarang music as a cultural identity of Semarang. The data of making gambang Semarang music as one of cultural obtained were qualitative that were from observations, identity of this city. document studies, and deep interviews with the informants. The results showed that Semarang society’s effort in realizing II. METHODOLOGY Gambang Semarang music as Semarang’s cultural identity was This research was done by mix method approach. The manifested in both formal and non formal education, festivals or competitions, workshop, discussions, and performances. combination between qualitative and participatory approach was needed because the both approaches can complete each Keywords—gambang semarang, music, cultural identity other in the process of research’s data taking and data collecting. The data collection was done by observation I. INTRODUCTION technique, literature review, document study, and interview The existence of art among society depends on society [13]. Observation was done in institutions, places of itself as supporters and preservers. Art as an element of performance and groups that have gambang Semarang culture is a creativity expression expressed in various arts. It music instruments. The the literatures review was done to also happens in the arts of Semarang. The society of study the articles relating to the research’s target. The Semarang is heterogeneous society, a society that consists of document study was explored from individuals, private and different ethnics, religions, customs, social status, and government agencies, and educational institutions. The educational background. Besides that, Semarang is a city of documents are in a form of articles, photos, pictures, and so migrants’ destination. It influences on socio cultural life. on. The deep interview was especially intended to the “Gambang Semarang” art performance is a complete art selected informants (key informants) that was based on the performance because it contains elaments of drama, dance, assessment on informants’ candidate who know everything and music. In its journey, this kind of art undergoes ups and about symptoms studied, understood, and action done by the downs. Some even termed “hidup enggan mati tak mau” research’s subject, and everything related to the research’s (reluctant both to live and to die). Historically, the existence object. The informants in this research were gambang of gambang Semarang was said as cultural acculturation. It semarang artists especially the music instrument players, art can be described from the costume, musical instruments, groups that incorporated with semarangan music and musical scale used. They rooted in Thionghoa cultural community, art studio owners that still pursue gambang elements. While the other supporting elements, such as semarang, official government of Semarang, Headmasters, variety of dance movements, musical instruments are from and Semarang society. Data analysis took place during the Javanese culture. Some even said that gambang Semarang is research process along with data colllection. It was done by originally from Betawi, it is Gambang Kromong.[1] [2] reduction, data presentation, verification, and conclussion as Till now, the existence of gambang Semarang sebagai an interactive system [14]. bagian dari kesenian gambang Semarang musical performance is continuously developed by Semarang’s III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION community in order to make it as a cultural identity of According to Koentjaraningrat [15], culture in a society Semarang. The researches done has more completed the is divided into 3 (three) aspects, they are mentifacts, literacy repertoire about gambang Semarang music. Danang sociofacts, and artifacts. Mentifacts relates to the thought Respati Puguh [3] in his grant research in 1999 strived to and basic philosophy of culture. While sociofacts relates to reconstruct gambang Semarang completely after its apparent social behavior and real application of mentifacts in a life, death. Other researches from various disciplines about and artifacts is a real production of a culture, such as gambang Semarang have been done, such as photography, things, dances, texts, or songs. The three aspects of culture Copyright © 2019, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). 31 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 271 relate to each other and form a unity of culture because the Company (GSAC), Nempirogo, Nang-Nok, Komunitas usage and the production of artefacts needs a certain Gambang Semarang (KGS), Karang Turi, and Balemong. sociofacts with societies’ mentifacts as a foundation. Those six groups have similarity and difference from Therefore, it can be concluded that preservation of a culture musical instrument used, musical arrangement played, and can only be done by preserving the production’s process the pitch height produced from the main musical and symbol’s consumption in a society through the instruments in gambang Semarang (gambang [1] [4] [17], preservation of culture aspects’ former in a society. By the bonang, kempul, demung and gong). According to Azis development of producers and the change of consumers’ Toyo, the leader of Nempirogo group said that one day taste, the process of culture’s production and consumption when collaboration among all of gambang Semarang groups can continue in the societies so that a culture will be will be held, it was found that the level of pitch height sustainable. The culture’s preservation in this way will among the groups is different. The average difference is keep its existence in a society, not freeze it in time. By this quarter cent so that it will be difficult to unite them in a way, the coming generation, will enjoy culture as their musical arrangement like in a musical western orchestra. identity, they not only enjoy the culture by ancient line of This becomes a special challenge to arrangers to collaborate statues in a museum. Moreover, this kind of culture’s with gambang Semarang music. preservation will support the humanists’ creativity to The similarity of those six groups is from the main produce new products if it is related to the local tourism. musical instruments used (gambang, bonang, kempul, The interest and enthusiasm of Semarang’s society on demung, and gong), while the differences are on the: 1) performing art is very high, it is proven by their interest to pitch; 2) addition of musical instruments, such as, flute, hire performing art groups, such as puppet shadow saxophone, violin, tehyan, kongahyan, suling, and 3) (wayang orang), rebana, dangdut orchestra, band, campur musical arrangement played, because it depends on the sari, and gambang Semarang art as typical art from arrangers’ musicalization and the music players of each Semarangan in the wedding party, circumcision’s and gambang Semarang group. birth’s salvation. The audiences are quite a lot and watch Gambang Semarang music as a typical cultural product the performance till the end, but some of them enjoy the of Semarangan in its development has an entity although it performance just in a moment. The activity of performing is part of complex cultural products, i.e., Gambang art, both traditional and modern, is not only held in the Semarang art. The form of Gambang Semarang music central of Semarang, but also in the suburban area. performance is ansamble because it is played together [12]. Solo Organ, band, dan orkes melayu belong to modern The followings are the detail the explanation about the performing art that is often performed from suburban area entity’s description of gambang Semarang music the to the central city of Semarang as the easiest held original structure of gambang Semarang instruments are alternative entertainment in personal’s or agencies’ events. gambang, kendhang, bonang, kempul, and gong. They are While puppet shadow, qasidah group, campursari are Javanese musical instrument. Then musical instruments traditional art that is still enjoyed by the traditional art’s from thionghoa culture are tehyan, kongahyan, sukong, dan lovers as the most populist entertainment, and they are suling Cina. Moreover, in its development, there are usually performed in a suburban area or coastal area. additional music instruments, such as peking, kecrek, The question is what about gambang Semarang that is demung, and saron that are