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Rhoma Irama wants to spread dangdut to the world
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Rhoma Irama after performing at JCC, Senayan, Jakarta, on Jan. 11, 2019. (Kompas.com/Andika Aditia)
Indonesian dangdut musician Rhoma Irama said he wished for dangdut to become popular around the world.
Rhoma, who began playing music in the 1960s and is often referred to as the King of Dangdut, said dangdut had been able to adapt. The music, a mixture of Malay, Indian, Arabic, Chinese and European music, began flourishing in the 1960s in Indonesia. The 1970s saw the rising popularity of Soneta, a band Rhoma fronted that combined Malay music with rock.
The genre has stood tall through every decade, largely thanks to its ability to blend with other genres of music and themes ranging from love and politics to religion and life in general. Local television stations have spewed countless dangdut singing competitions, whose winners are now stars in the music scene.
Read also: Rhoma Irama, Nasida Ria to perform at Synchronize Festival
During an interview with kompas.com on Jan. 11, Rhoma said he was determined to raise awareness of dangdut music throughout the rest of the world. “In order to do that, I’m planning to collaborate with Dangdut Cowboys from the United States. Insya Allah (God willing), this March they will perform in a number of cities in Indonesia,” said Rhoma. He added that he planned to meet the members to map out the ways to introduce dangdut to other countries.
Dangdut Cowboys was founded by Andrew Weintraub, a professor of music at the University of Pittsburgh in the US. He is also the author of Dangdut Stories: A Social and Musical History of Indonesia's Most Popular Music.
“I’d like to meet Andrew and discuss how to create dangdut of the world, as we already have dangdut of Asia,” said Rhoma. He also said that dangdut musicians and singers must adapt with the changing times. “Dangdut cannot be stuck in a particular way, it cannot be stagnant. Dangdut should always adapt to the times as it must always be universal and aspirational.” (wng)
