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Indonesians find freedom and friendship at karaoke parties
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Blowing off steam: Fans of karaoke parties say it is musical medicine, as people can release stress by singing along to their favorite songs. (JP/Aloysius Efraim Leonard) (JP/Aloysius Efraim Leonard)
K
araoke events held in hip bars and clubs and attended by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of participants, have become the country’s new ‘it’ party.
While karaoke clubs have long been ubiquitous in Indonesia, the festivities typically take place in private rooms at private gatherings by attendees who know each other.
These days, karaoke parties have become similar to a concert or rave in form and delivery, with karaoke DJs becoming stars in their own right. Performing at large clubs and even big festivals, these karaoke DJs perform to a hyped-up crowd of thousands ready to sing the songs back at them.
Instead of the karaoke tradition of having only one or two people holding microphones at a time, karaoke parties are about that communal ritual where everybody sings together.
Though not always, karaoke parties are frequently held with specific themes, whether it is a particular musical genre, specific era or some other unifying concept.
One of the most popular themes in recent years is a celebration of a particular band or artist.
For example, in October, thousands of tickets to the Taylor Swift Karaoke Party (TSKP) held by the Taylor Swift Indonesia Official Fanbase at Bali United Studio in West Jakarta were sold out within 15 minutes. Other venues also have routine karaoke parties, playing songs exclusively from singers Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo or NIKI.
