Musical Nationalism in Indonesia : The Rise and Fall of Lagu Seriosa

This book charts the growth of the Indonesian nationalistic musical genre of lagu seriosa in relation to the archipelago's history in the 1950s and 1960s, examining how folk songs were implemented as a valuable tool for promoting government propaganda. The author reveals how the genre was shaped to fit state ideologies and agendas in the Sukarno and Soeharto eras. It also reveals the very significant role played by Radio Republik Indonesia in the genre’s development and dissemination. Little research has been done to investigate how Indonesian music contributed to nation-building during Indonesia’s immediate post-colonial period. Emulating the European art song, the genre was adapted to compose songs with the purpose of promoting a strengthened collective Indonesian identity, fostered by a group of musicians who functioned as gatekeepers, monitoring and devising various mechanisms for songs to conform to the propagandistic needs of the Indonesian government at the time. The result was the development of classical style of singing and the cultivation of a patriotic collection of music during the Guided Democracy period (1959–1965), which peaked at the height of the Konfrontasi (1963–1966). Lagu seriosa lost popularity as popular music infiltrated Indonesia in the 1970s, but it remains an iconic yet understudied aspect of the nationalistic agenda in Indonesia. The case studies of selected songs reflected continuity and change in musical style and over time. This book is of interest to scholars studying the intersection between history, politics, identity, arts and cultural studies in Indonesia. It is also of interest to researchers investigating the role of music in identity formation and nation-building more widely. Foreword by James Chin Foreword by Margaret Kartomi Foreword by Dr. Ninok Leksono On Indonesia’s Great Genre of Music of Its Time Preface Acknowledgements Contents Abbreviations Part I The Rise and Fall of Lagu Seriosa 1 The Importance of Lagu Seriosa 1.1 Overview 1.2 Lagu Seriosa Within the Wider Context of the Theory of Production 1.3 Impact on the Art World 1.4 Terminology References 2 The Evolution of the Genre 2.1 The Pre-Lagu Seriosa Era 2.2 Early Lagu Seriosa 2.3 Patriotic Music and Lagu Seriosa 2.4 A Sacred and Formal Format 2.5 The Subtleties of Poetry 2.6 Radio Republik Indonesia 2.6.1 Bintang Radio 2.6.2 The Seriosa Category: Building the Repertoire 2.6.3 Changes in the Conventions of Lagu Seriosa 2.6.4 The Role of Lokananta References 3 Gatekeepers, Singers, and Ansambel Gembira 3.1 The Gatekeepers 3.1.1 The Paramount Role of the Reference Group 3.1.2 Internal Differences 3.2 Elevation of Singing as a Profession 3.2.1 International Exposure 3.2.2 Recognition and Stardom 3.2.3 Crossovers 3.2.4 Noble Career 3.3 Ansambel Gembira References 4 The Decline of the Genre 4.1 Songs for the Old 4.2 The Promotion of Amateurs 4.3 The Removal of Role Models 4.4 Media Shifts 4.5 The Competitions 4.6 The Redefining of Lagu Seriosa References Part II A New Song: Exemplars of the Lagu Seriosa Genre 5 “Kisah Mawar Di Malam Hari” (1953) 5.1 The Composer 5.2 The Song 5.3 Symbolism and Interpretation 5.4 A Standard of Seriosa 5.5 Performers and Performances 5.5.1 Andi Mulja 5.5.2 Kepadamu Indonesiaku 5.5.3 Rose Pandanwangi 5.5.4 S. Sudjojono 1913–2013: To Pandanwangi from Sudjojono 5.6 Significance References 6 “Kabut” (1960) 6.1 The Composer 6.2 Sjukur, Lagu Seriosa, and National Music 6.3 The Song 6.4 Publication, Popularity, and Performance 6.5 Symbolism and Interpretation 6.6 Significance References 7 “Bukit Kemenangan” (Circa 1960) 7.1 The Composer 7.2 The Song 7.3 Symbolism and Interpretation 7.3.1 Religion and Revolution 7.3.2 Tradition 7.4 Relevance and Popularity 7.5 Performance and Performers 7.6 Significance References 8 “Puisi Rumah Bambu” (Circa 1962) 8.1 The Composer 8.2 The Song 8.3 Performances, Performers, and Popularity 8.4 Symbolism and Significance References 9 “Lukisan Tanah Air” (1985) 9.1 The Composer 9.2 The Song 9.3 Performers and Performances 9.4 Significance References 10 Reflections 10.1 Growth and Decline 10.2 The Current State of the Genre References Part III Lagu Seriosa as the National Genre of Indonesia 11 A Reflection of the Nation 11.1 The Music 11.2 National Music 11.3 More Than Musicians 11.3.1 Cornel Simandjuntak: Revolutionary Musician 11.3.2 Role Models of the Unfinished Revolution 11.3.3 Heroes and Traitors 11.3.4 The Conscious Musician References 12 Choirs and the Revolution 12.1 The Growth of Choirs 12.2 Challenges for Gembira 12.3 Choirs and International Socialist Links 12.4 Choirs and Konfrontasi 12.5 Reversal References 13 The Role of Music in the Revolution 13.1 Romantic-Revolutionary Music 13.1.1 “Di Kaki-Kaki Tangkuban Perahu” 13.1.2 Karatem and Sukanta 13.1.3 Effects of the New Order 13.2 Folk Music 13.2.1 Turba 13.2.2 Infusion in Seriosa Songs 13.2.3 Preference for the Revolution 13.3 The Creation and Promotion of National Songs 13.3.1 The Importance of the Reference Group 13.3.2 Initiatives for Growth References 14 Threats to the Art World 14.1 Songs of Longing and Dejection 14.2 A Representation of the Western Art Form 14.3 Priorities of the Indonesian Government 14.4 Imperialist Music, Revolutionary Music, and Lagu Seriosa 14.5 Summation References 15 Conclusion 15.1 The Historical Development of Lagu Seriosa 15.2 The Reference Group 15.3 Variants, Scripts, and Vocabularies 15.4 Musical Style and Textual Analysis 15.5 The Importance of Bintang Radio and BRTV 15.6 The Growth and Decline of Lagu Seriosa 15.7 Summation References Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Index