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Jakarta Post

Betawi songs get a touch of rap and rock

Hip hop not only inspired some young people in Yogyakarta to form Jogja Hip Hop Foundation, a group that raps in Javanese, but it also has influenced some Jakartans to preserve their Betawi roots through music

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Tue, June 23, 2015

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Betawi songs get a touch of rap and rock

H

ip hop not only inspired some young people in Yogyakarta to form Jogja Hip Hop Foundation, a group that raps in Javanese, but it also has influenced some Jakartans to preserve their Betawi roots through music.

During a recent performance at the Bentara Budaya cultural center in Central Jakarta, rapper Muhammad Amarullah and friends Dja'€™un and DJ Diandra Ramadhan entertained visitors with hip hop music with a Betawi twist.

Wearing a casual outfit, Amarullah, who is called Kojek, belted out a number of songs, such as '€œLo Kate Jakarte'€ (What'€™re You Saying About Jakarta), '€œBajaj'€ and '€œMancing'€ (Fishing).

'€œYou thought Jakarta was a place to slack off and act rich /'€˜twas only a dream/Wanna have many girlfriends but you ain'€™t got a job/Act like a celebrity and wear borrowed cool clothes/'€˜d better look out for your future first,'€ he rapped the '€œLo Kate Jakarte'€ lyrics.

Kojek said he wrote the catchy lyrics to remind Betawis to be proud of their culture amid the modernization of the capital city and to work hard instead of dreaming about living a lavish life.

'€œI want to reach out to youths with hip hop music so they can get the message easily,'€ Kojek, who is also a radio presenter at the popular Betawi Bens Radio, said. The singer, who began rapping in English and Indonesian in 2004, said he had received invitations to perform at youths'€™ private parties almost every weekend since he started rapping in the Betawi language in 2010.

'€œYouths invite us to their private parties almost every weekend. Sometimes we wear casual attire, sometimes we don Betawi attire,'€ he said.

While Betawi hip hop may be a new staple for the young generation, it is hard to separate the Betawi musical scene from Benyamin Sueb, a multi-talented Betawi performer who spent his life popularizing Betawi culture through his art. The late Betawi started his career as a singer in 1968, popularizing the Betawi songs he covered. Popular tunes of his included '€œSi Jampang'€ (The Jampang) and '€œOndel-ondel'€.

The undying popularity of Benyamin was proven when the Biang Kerok rock and roll band took the stage at Bentara Budaya.

The band, whose repertoire of which includes Benyamin'€™s songs, attracted members of the audience to dance in front of the stage.

Led by vocalist Andi Sueb, the band has eight other members, including vocalist Biem Triani Benjamin, a son of the late Benyamin.

'€œWe are inspired by babeh [Benyamin], who was full of spontaneity and humor in choosing words for the lyrics yet maintained the content to remind people about their lives and social circumstances,'€ Biem said.

Besides singing Benyamin'€™s songs, the group has also released a single '€œBatu Akik'€ (Gemstones), which is sung by Biem, Andi, who also impersonates Benyamin, and female vocalist Anina Karin.

The lyrics, which touch on family values and husbands'€™ responsibilities, resemble those in Benyamin'€™s song '€œAbang Pulang'€ (Husband is Home), which tells the story of a husband who goes home to a wife who expected him to bring money to buy food but he only brings home a damaged shoe in a bag. (rbk)

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