Sunday is rehearsal day for keroncong music group Gema Lansia, which has performed since 1992.

From the group’s name, Gema Lansia (Echo of the Elderly), it can be easily guessed that the group members are senior citizens. Consisting of Slamet, 56, on the guitar; Maryono, 65, on the cuk (three-stringed ukulele); Harto, 53, on the cello; Budi Mulyono, 77, on the double bass; Muhajir, 66, on the violin; and vocalists Herawati and Mrs. Sardjono. The youngest member in the group is Fajar, 21, who plays the cak (four-stringed ukulele).

That Sunday afternoon, Gema Lansia practiced prominent old songs such as “Sepasang Mata Bola” (Round eyes); “Setulus Hati” (Sincere heart) and “Keroncong Tanah Air” (Home soil keroncong).

Amid this noisy world that glorifies popularity for profit, Gema Lansia is a refreshing oasis that refuses to submit to the power of capital. They persist with keroncong music for aesthetic satisfaction and to preserve the cultural heritage.

We live in the peak of the age of capitalism where everything is measured by monetary profits, including music. Pop music is raised and taken care of like a golden child, because this is what sells best and can immediately generate profits. On the contrary, keroncong does not generate the excitement of popular music, and is under-reported, perhaps enduring marginalization.

Indeed, several theories say there is no original music because every genre is a refinement of another or borrows certain elements from music that already existed.