The house is in a small alley in the Bausastran area, Jl. Gayam, Baciro, Yogyakarta. That Sunday afternoon, a drizzle fell on the city of Jogja. Amidst the increasingly heavy raindrops, melodic music was still playing from that house because that music always played every Sunday, and efforts were made to keep it playing weekly. Sunday is the rehearsal schedule for the keroncong music group Gema Lansia, a keroncong music group that has been established since 1992.
Per the name of this group, Gema Lansia, it can be easily guessed that the group members are older adults. Consisting of Slamet, 56 Years (guitar); Maryono, 65 years old (cuk); Harto, 53 years old (cello); Budi Mulyono, 77 years old (contrabass); Muhajir, 66 Years (violin); Herawati (vocals); Hj. Sardjono (vocals) added that the only youngest member in this group is Fajar, 21 years old (cak). That afternoon, Gema Lansia practiced playing songs such as “Sepasang Mata Bola” (A Pair of Ball Eyes), “Setulus Hati” (Sincere Heart), and “Keroncong Tanah Air” (Homeland Keroncong), which flowed slowly between the raindrops.
We live in an era of peak capitalism, where everything is measured based on industry and profit, including music. Pop or popular music is like a golden child being looked after in this capital, where they continue to be exalted and exposed on a large scale because this is what sells best and can immediately generate the most profits. Meanwhile, keroncong, even though quite a few people like it, is still inferior to the excitement of popular music. Keroncong is under-reported and has the impression of being marginalized. Amid this noisy world of capital that glorifies popularity for profit, Gema Lansia is like a refreshing oasis that is reluctant to submit to the power of capital. They persist with keroncong music for aesthetic satisfaction and to preserve the culture they think is native to this country.
Indeed, several theories say there is no original music because every piece of music is refined or always takes a specific part from the music that existed before. This opinion is, for example, by A. Th. Manusama, Abdurachman R. Paramita, S. Brata, and Wi Enaktoe revealed that the keroncong brought by the Portuguese to Indonesia was not native Indonesian music. However, Kusbini, a leading Keroncong expert, rejected this view. According to Kusbini, keroncong is an original creation of the Indonesian people and, therefore, belongs to the Indonesian people. It is further said that Indonesian keroncong songs are heavily influenced and inspired by 17th-century Portuguese songs, but the tones and rhythms are very different. However, it should be noted that the existence of keroncong in Indonesia began when the Portuguese arrived in Batavia. (Munjid, 2001: 10-12).
Gema Lansia agrees with Kusbini that Keroncong is authentic Indonesian music that must be preserved. Keroncong may originate from Portugal. However, what has developed in Indonesia has undergone a process of acculturation with Indonesian culture and finally gave birth to a new culture that can be considered Indonesian culture. Even though most members of the Gema Lansia group are elderly, they are still enthusiastic about playing keroncong out of love for the nation’s culture and not for profit. This is following Alan P. Merriam’s theory regarding the 10 main functions of music, among which music is used for aesthetic satisfaction and entertainment. Gema Lansia has carried out a noble struggle by sticking to its principles amidst the noise of pop music.
According to Herawati, the vocalist of Gema Lansia, who once studied with the maestro Kusbini, there are two styles in keroncong, namely “pakem” (standard) and “kreatif” (creative). It can easily be said that pakem is the original keroncong with various rules that must be obeyed when playing music. At the same time, Kreatif is Keroncong, who has received additional musical touches for the musician’s satisfaction. Pakem is for the old, and Kreatif is for the young. Pakem usually only plays 7 instruments. Meanwhile, the kreatif flow usually adds various instruments according to the musician’s needs. It can be concluded that keroncong is the same as other musical genres that have experienced musical development over time.
In general, the development of keroncong in the 20th century was influenced by Western music, such as rhythm, off-beat dance,and Hawaiian. This influence can be seen in the use of musical instruments and rhythm. In 1915-1937, musicians from Russia, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Philippines came to Indonesia individually and in ensemble groups (Pasaribu, 1985). The cello, contrabass, flute, and melodic guitar eventually entered them.
Be keroncong like the one that developed in Indonesia, which is also played by the Gema Lansia group, with the typical musical characteristics of keroncong, which are so pronounced with the violin, which is always played at the beginning and end of the song. The cello is not bowed but plucked and transformed into a hypnotic percussive instrument, analogous to the Javanese gamelan kendang. The contrabass is the highlight; the fill-in from the guitar sweetens the atmosphere, while the cak and cuk instruments shouting back and forth are the original characteristic of keroncong. The vocalist sings with a distinctive cengkok, greget, or embat (accent) not found in other types of music.
The impression of experience is visible from the Gema Lansia musicians.Their music skills are beyond doubt. Of course, the result of the forging of time and high-flying hours in keroncong music. For example, when the vocalist asks to play the song “Layang Kangen” (Letter of Longing), a campursari song popularized by singer Didi Kempot. The violinist doesn’t know this song. However, from the song’s beginning to the end, he could still play his portion without any wrong notes. This is proof of the solid musical abilities of the Gema Lansia personnel. This is also made easier by specific standard patterns in keroncong; the musician needs to follow these standards according to the permitted tone register, so there is no need to worry about losing direction or getting confused when playing an unknown song. As long as the musician adheres to these standards, the keroncong taste will remain, and harmony will be maintained.
Now, keroncong is better known as an old-school music genre. However, in the past, keroncong was the music of young people. Back then, young people played keroncong to entice young girls. From the beginning, keroncong transformed from being stiff to being more romantic. Keroncong songs are sung about romance to attract the opposite sex. They sing keroncong on the streets and in the village alleys past the noni‘s houses at night. (Suadi, 2000:81).
So why has there recently been a stigma that keroncong music is the music of older people? Perhaps it is true, as Gema Lansia members say, that keroncong is less exposed, so people don’t know about it; keroncong seems elitist, exclusive, and only suitable for older people to enjoy.
There is a Javanese proverb that says, “Witing Tresno Jalaran Soko Kulino,” which means more or less “like it because you get used to it.” This happened to Fajar, the only young member of Gema Lansia. Fajar admitted that he initially liked keroncong from the habit of listening to it when the Gema Lansia group practiced. Still, he grew to like it over time and finally decided to play this old music.
Maybe now, with exposure and with more excitement about keroncong, it will undoubtedly be better known by the public, and consistent with the principle of “witing tresno jalaran soko kulino,” then it does not rule out the possibility that the public will eventually love keroncong. We hope many other young Fajar who like The Shins but still like Keroncong will appear.
Gema Lansia has been doing this for a long time; there is no need to wait for the government to act without realizing it to raise the nation’s culture. Gema Lansia has done this until their old age without any pretensions or desire to seek profit capital of the music industry. All they want is aesthetic satisfaction and efforts to preserve keroncong, which, according to them, is the indigenous culture of this country.
Ps: Previously featured on The Jakarta Post.
Aris Setyawan 