Music of Indonesia

Indonesia is a country with many different tribes and ethnic groups, and its music is also highly diverse, coming in hundreds of different forms and styles. Every region has its own distinct culture and art, and as a result traditional music differs from area to area. For example, each traditional type of music is often accompanied by its very own dance and theatre.

The music of Java, Kalimantan, Sumatra, Bali, Flores (Lesser Sunda Islands) and other islands have been well documented and recorded, and further research by Indonesian and international scholars is also ongoing. The music in Indonesia predates historical records, various Native Indonesian tribes often incorporate chants and songs accompanied with musical instruments in their rituals.

Today, the contemporary music of Indonesia is also popular amongst neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. In general, the traditional music and songs of Indonesia comprise a strong beat and harmony with strong influence from Indian, Javanese, Arab, Chinese and Malay classical music. The influence is strongly visible in the popular traditional music genre of Dangdut.

Musical instruments

Indonesia's music has many different styles because the country has many tribes and groups. Traditional music in each place often uses special instruments, and many of these come from old times.

Indonesia is known for its gongs, which are metal percussion instruments used in many musical groups. Other popular instruments include gendang (drums), sasando from Rote island, angklung from the Sundanese people, and the famous gamelan orchestra from Java and Bali.

Gong

Main article: Gong

The gong is a metal percussion instrument from Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, it is often used in gamelan ensembles.

Bonang and talempong

Musicians performing musical ensemble, The 8th century bas-relief of Borobudur Temple, Central Java, Indonesia

Main articles: Bonang and Talempong

The bonang is a gong family instrument used in gamelan. The talempong is a similar instrument from the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra. It is played with a wooden stick and often used in dances and celebrations.

Kulintang

Main article: Kulintang

The kulintang is a bronze percussion instrument from eastern Indonesia and the Philippines. It consists of small gongs arranged on a frame and is played by hitting them with sticks. It is used for community gatherings and brings people together.

Angklung

Indonesian kempul gong.

Main article: Angklung

The angklung is a bamboo instrument from the Sundanese people of West Java. It is made from bamboo tubes that vibrate to make sound. Each angklung plays one note, and they are shaken to create music. UNESCO recognized the angklung as important cultural heritage in 2010.

Suling

Main articles: Suling and Saluang

Suling is the Sundanese word for flute. These bamboo flutes are end-blown and come in different sizes. They are used in many traditional music groups like gamelan and dangdut.

Kacapi suling

Talempong performance

Main article: Kacapi suling

Kacapi suling is a type of music from West Java that uses the kacapi (a zither-like instrument) and suling (bamboo flute). The music is slow and gentle, blending the sounds of the instruments.

Kendang

Main articles: Kendang and Gendang beleq

Kendang or gendang is a two-headed drum used by many Indonesian groups. In Java and Bali, one side is larger than the other, while in Bali both sides are the same size. The gendang beleq is a special type from Lombok, featuring large drums played while dancing.

Sasando

Replica of a kulintang musical instrument, similar to the Gambang.

Main article: Sasando

Sasando is a string instrument from Rote island in East Nusa Tenggara. It uses bamboo and dried leaves to create its sound.

Tapanuli ogong

Main article: Tapanuli ogong

Tapanuli ogong is dance music from North Sumatra, played with a lute, trumpet, and flute.

Sape Dayak

Main article: Sapeh

The sapeʼ is a lute from the Kenyah and Kayan communities in East, West, and North Kalimantan. Carved from wood, it has one melody string and others for rhythm, creating complex music.

Traditional genres

The music of Indonesia is very diverse because of the many different tribes and cultures. Each area has its own special style of music, often with its own dance and theatre too.

Folk music

Folk music in Indonesia varies a lot and reflects the many cultures and languages of the country. It includes many kinds of music such as pop, rock, and hip hop, as well as special styles from each region. For example, there is Pop Sunda, Pop Minang, Pop Batak, and others, all with their own local flavors.

Gamelan

Javanese women singing with Sindhen style

Main article: Gamelan

Gamelan is one of the most famous kinds of Indonesian music. It is a group of tuned percussion instruments like metallophones, drums, gongs, and spike fiddles, along with bamboo flutes. Gamelan started in Java, Bali, and Lombok. In central Java, the music is very detailed, with a main melody played by a metallophone, and gongs adding beats in the background.

Gamelan music often goes with dance, puppet shows, or special ceremonies. In Java, there is a saying that nothing is official until the gong is hung. Gamelan is also used in religious ceremonies in Bali and even in some Christian church services in Indonesia.

Tembang Sunda

Tembang sunda, also called "seni mamaos cianjuran", or just cianjuran, is a form of sung poetry which arose in the colonial-era of Cianjur.

SambaSunda music performance, featuring traditional Sundanese music instruments.

Jaipongan

Jaipongan is a complex dance music from the Sundanese people of western Java. It has changing rhythms and uses only local instruments. It was created by artists after rock and roll was banned in the 1960s.

Gambus

Gambus is music that came from the Middle East and is popular in many parts of Indonesia. It uses a special kind of guitar and is often sung.

Qasidah modern

Qasidah is a kind of religious music that came from Arabic traditions. Qasidah modern mixes this with pop music and local lyrics to talk about modern Indonesian life.

Nasheed

In Indonesia, many singers perform nasheed, which is a type of Islamic vocal music.

Kroncong

Main article: Kroncong

Kroncong started after the Portuguese came to Indonesia and brought European instruments. At first, it was considered low-class music, but it became popular in films and during the struggle for independence. One famous kroncong song is "Bengawan Solo," written during World War II. Kroncong is still loved by many people, especially older generations.

Langgam Jawa

The Sundanese Degung gamelan performance in Museo Nacional de las Culturas Mexico, Indra Swara group.

Main article: Langgam jawa

There is a style of kroncong from Surakarta (Solo) called langgam jawa, which mixes kroncong with gamelan music.

Gambang kromong

Main article: Gambang kromong

In the early 1900s, kroncong music was used in a kind of theatre called Komedi Stambul, and the music was named gambang kromong. This style is common in Jakarta.

Tanjidor

Tanjidor is a traditional musical group from Jakarta. It uses instruments like tuba, trumpet, clarinet, and drums, similar to a marching band. The name comes from Portuguese words for playing music. Tanjidor groups can also be found in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

Contemporary genres

The contemporary music of Indonesia is diverse and vibrant. Throughout its history, Indonesian musicians have been open to foreign influences, adopting styles from around the world. American jazz, along with dances like foxtrots, tangos, rumbas, blues, and Hawaiian guitar styles, inspired many Indonesian musicians. This led to the creation of many genres, including Indonesian pop, rock, gospel, jazz, R&B, and hip hop.

Indonesian music plays an important role in the country’s creative culture, often providing soundtracks or theme songs for Indonesian cinema and TV dramas called sinetrons. For example, the film Badai Pasti Berlalu produced a successful soundtrack, and another popular teen movie, Ada Apa Dengan Cinta, also created hit songs from its soundtrack.

Today, the Indonesian music industry is very popular across the country and in neighboring regions such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, thanks to shared culture and language. However, this popularity has sometimes caused concern in Malaysia about the amount of Indonesian music on their radio stations.

Orchestra and classical music

Western classical music came to Indonesia during the time of the Dutch East Indies in the 18th century, but it was mostly enjoyed by wealthy Dutch people. Today, cities like Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Medan, and Batam have their own symphony groups. Jakarta is home to the Jakarta Symphony Orchestra, which has been part of the country’s music scene for almost a century.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, classical music was often heard on national radio and TV. In the 1990s, professional symphony orchestras began to form, such as the Twilite Orchestra. Today, many cities have their own symphony groups, and composers like Ananda Sukarlan are well known for their orchestral works.

Pop

Indonesian pop music, also called I-pop or Indo pop, has been influenced by trends from Western music, especially American and British pop, as well as Asian J-pop. Pioneers of Indonesian pop and rock include bands like Koes Bersaudara, later known as Koes Plus. Famous pop singers include Iwan Fals, Chrisye, and Rhoma Irama. In the late 1990s and 2000s, popular bands included Slank, Dewa 19, Peterpan, and many others.

Rock

Indonesian rock has been heavily influenced by American rock music. Popular bands include Panbers, God Bless, and D’Lloyd. In the late 1980s and 1990s, female rock singers known as “Lady Rockers” became famous, such as Nicky Astria, Poppy Mercury, Nike Ardilla, and Anggun. Other notable rock bands include Slank, Jamrud, Dewa 19, and Peterpan.

Dangdut

Dangdut is a popular music style in Indonesia that mixes Indian, Arabic, and Malay influences. It features melodious music with a strong tabla beat and is often accompanied by dancing. Famous dangdut singers include Rhoma Irama, Elvy Sukaesih, and Mansyur S.

Campursari

Campursari is a mix of traditional Javanese music and dangdut, popular in Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java. Didi Kempot is one of its most famous artists.

Experimental music

Indonesia has a growing experimental music scene, with artists blending traditional Indonesian sounds with modern genres like metal and electronic music. The band Senyawa has gained international attention for these unique fusions.

Gospel

Gospel music became popular in Indonesia in the 1980s, brought by American Evangelical figures. It has since become an important part of church worship and has many famous musicians, such as Joy Tobing and Sidney Mohede.

Jazz fusion

Some Indonesian musicians have explored jazz, mixing it with traditional sounds. Bands like Krakatau and SambaSunda combine Sundanese kacapi suling and gamelan with drums, keyboards, and guitars. The Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival showcases this exciting mix of styles.

Reggae

Reggae has been popular in Indonesia since the 1970s, often mixed with dangdut and other local genres. Bands and singers like Steven & Coconut Treez and Mbah Surip have helped spread reggae music.

R&B

Contemporary R&B is very popular in Indonesia today, with both established and new artists bringing their own styles to the genre.

Hip hop

Hip hop was introduced to Indonesia by musicians like Benyamin Sueb and Farid Hardja. In the 1980s, artists like Iwa-K helped popularize rap music, focusing more on speaking rhythms than instruments.

Funkot

Funkot is an electronic dance music style that began in Indonesia in the 1990s.

Indie scene

In the late 2000s, indie bands like Mocca, Float, and White Shoes & the Couples Company began to gain popularity. By the 2010s, indie music became mainstream, appealing to younger audiences with its simple sounds and relatable lyrics. Bands like Payung Teduh and Sore led this trend.