UNAIR NEWS 鈥 Young singer Farel Prayoga鈥檚 performance on the hit song 鈥極jo Dibandingke鈥 at the Merdeka Palace on 77th Indonesian Independence Day captured national attention. As stated by Faculty of Humanities (FIB) lecturer, Kukuh Yudha Karnanta SS MA, there seems to be a shift in the public鈥檚 musical taste.
鈥淒angdut music in Javanese was initially enjoyed by the working class in rural and suburban areas. Now, it is presented in front of the upper classes and the government, on a formal occasion of a state ceremony, and it鈥檚 highly appreciated,鈥 said Kukuh.
It is proven by the number of people who dance. For Kukuh, the proclamation commemoration ceremony was once considered a sacred, solemn, and touching event. Now, it shifts to a fun and merry one which lets people dance.
鈥淚ndependence is no longer a matter of a national movement. It can be a joyful dance event as well,鈥 said the winner of Best Film Critic at the 2021 Indonesian Film Festival (FFI).
One of the determining factors in the musical taste shift is that dangdut is not limited to Malay and Indonesian lyrics, it covers the campursari rhythm and Mataraman Javanese as well. However, the local culture can be accepted at the national level.
Nowadays, children鈥檚 song production may not be as popular as in the 鈥80s and 鈥90s. However, everyone has a filter and preference on artworks or songs for them to listen to and get accepted in public spaces.
鈥淢edia and art literacy education is a necessity to accelerate the filter鈥檚 capabilities. The 鈥楩arel phenomenon鈥 can be a momentum for all parties to think about music and media as educational tools for children,鈥 he said.
Author: Viradyah Lulut Santosa
Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia
