Southeast Asia on Music Theory Print

Ayai

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The Ayai art form originated from popular routines, like many other Khmer traditions. In the past, Cambodian people would perform traditional games - which often included singing and dancing - in their villages, most often during the Khmer New Year festival and other celebrations. Because of the ribaldry of the language used, ayai singing was considered lewd and this type popular leisure was not recommended for well-bred women in the traditional code of the Chbab Srey. During the terror regime operated by the Khmer Rouge, most traditional forms of culture, including ayai, were controlled, if not banned. Occasionally, however, it survived as witnessed by Cambodian genocide survivor Daran Kravanh, who was asked to “sing a question and answer back and forth” by his guards feeling nostalgia for these ayai love songs. Khmer singer San Yoeun also confesses singing ayai for the regime’s propaganda. After the 1980s, culture was more free, small groups promoting traditional culture were set up in various provinces such as those by Chheng Phon, and ayai became a popular tool of political contestation, during the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia. During those years, Ayai icon Prum Manh rose to fame and some of his best pieces have become classics of Cambodian folklore music. Since 2010, ayai traditional chant has fallen in popularity, and “ayai is only heard at weddings or in small villages nowadays”. In 2009, another controversy erupted as the government broke down on the “pornographic” character of the ayai songs and the matter obtained attention of world media. However, others, such as Cambodian American rapper Prach Ly, see ayai as the inspiration for the new generation of Cambodian rappers in the 21st century as rap is also, a form of “wisdom competition in continuous rhymes.” Through rap, ayai is coming back to more popular topics and contemporary social concerns such as welfare and drug abuse.

Beleganjur

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Like the Western military band, the original purpose of beleganjur was to accompany armies into battle and strike fear into the hearts of the enemy. In fact, gamelan beleganjur literally means “gamelan of walking warriors”. Also like its Western counterpart, today beleganjur has mostly lost its association with warfare, and instead is associated with festivals, contests, and cremation ceremonies - modeled on the modern marching band and the Javanese tanjidor tradition to the west. Although the origin of beleganjur is uncertain, it bears resemblance to the now rare gamelan gong bheri.

Bolero

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

In Cuba, the bolero was perhaps the first great Cuban musical and vocal synthesis to win universal recognition. In time, this dance music spread to other countries, leaving behind what Ed Morales has called the “most popular lyric tradition in Latin America.” The Cuban bolero tradition originated in Santiago de Cuba in the last quarter of the 19th century; it does not owe its origin to the Spanish music and song of the same name. In the 19th century there grew up in Santiago de Cuba a group of itinerant musicians who moved around earning their living by singing and playing the guitar. Pepe Sanchez is known as the father of the trova style and the creator of the Cuban bolero. Untrained, but with remarkable natural talent, he composed numbers in his head and never wrote them down. As a result, most of these numbers are now lost, but two dozen or so survive because friends and students wrote them down. He was the model and teacher for the great trovadores who followed.

Burmese hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

First generation#

Until 2000, rock and roll was the dominant music genre in Myanmar. The Burmese hip hop scene started in the late 1980s with the rapper Myo Kyawt Myaing although songs were plain rapping music rather than typical hip hop. In late 1990s, a Yangon-based four-member crew named Acid started introducing old school hip hop in night clubs of Yangon, and became popular among Yangon’s youth. Acid, widely considered to be the pioneers of Burmese hip-hop, made their debut in 2000 with Sa-Tin-Gyin (Beginning). Their success attracted other hip-hop artists and groups, now known as the “first generation” of Burmese hip-hop, like Theory (Barbu and Thxa Soe), NS (Kyaw Thu Soe and Lin Lin) and Too Big. Most of the first generation artists used old school hip-hop. Still, hip hop was new to the Burmese and apart from Acid and Theory, not widely accepted yet by the public at large (or censors).

Ca Huế

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Discussing the origins of Ca Huế, poet Ưng Bình Thúc Giạ Thị wrote that the exact time when this art first appeared cannot be determined through history or poetry. It can only be inferred from the flourishing era of literature. The beginning of this art form is believed to date back to the time of Lord Hiếu Minh. Lord Hiếu Minh, also known as Thiên Túng Đạo Nhơn, was a great patron of literature and an accomplished poet. His son, Mr. Tứ (i.e., Đán), and his grandson, Mr. Dục, were both renowned for their literary talents. During that period of royal encouragement of literature, the royal court must have had its own musical ensemble. Talented individuals would gather and respond to one another through music and composing new songs. Songs for any occasion had already been developed based on the musical scale known as “Xàng Xê Xự”. As long as the performance was artistic and heartfelt with harmonious rhymes, smooth phrasing, clear meanings, and fluid rhythm, it would become a song that was both easy to sing and pass down into the royal court. According to Professor Dr. Trần Văn Khê, there is no historical record clearly indicating when Ca Huế originated. What is known, however, is that Ca Huế is not a form of folk music, as it was performed exclusively for the nobility or within the royal court. Therefore, it can be regarded as a genre of court music rather than folk music. Regarding the origin of the name, author Ưng Bình Thúc Giạ Thị explained that the term Ca Huế derives from the fact that the accents of people from Huế are particularly well suited to its melodies. He also noted that the accents of people from Quảng Trị and Quảng Bình provinces could suit it as well, while it is more difficult for those from north of Linh Giang and from south of the Hải Vân Pass to sing correctly.

Ca trù

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

There are different myths and theories related to ca trù’s conception. There is a theory points to a woman named Đào Thị, a talented musician who was beloved by the Lý Dynasty imperial court. This theory also claims that ever since the time of Đào Thị, in admiration of her, women who held a profession as singers (such as ca trù singers) were referred to as Đào nương (“nương” here refers roughly to “maiden” or “lady”). The latter is true although this term is no longer widely used in modern Vietnam. What is known for sure is that ca trù started off like many of Vietnam’s arts as being a form of entertainment for the royal court. Officially ca tru count the age of their profession since The Later Le dynasty (, 1428–1789), at that time musicians called performed only on religious court ceremonies. It was only later on that it branched out into being performed at small inns. Indeed, it was mainly scholars and other members of the elite who enjoyed the genre. In the 15th century ca tru spread through Northern Vietnam. The artists might be called to celebrate a son’s birth, or to celebrate the signing of a contract. Ca tru were outside of the caste system, so they could entertain the most noble clients. In the late 20th century, ca trù nearly died out. After the communists came to power following the 1945 August Revolution and the First Indochina War, ca trù was discouraged and even suppressed, being associated with prostitution, feudal romanticism, colonial decadence, and superstition. Consequently, before 1976 there were only two ca trù professionals: the musician Nguyễn Xuân Khoát Later they both started to revive the tradition of ca tru. In the past, men were allowed to have several wives and concubines. Thus, it was commonly known that many famous ca trù singers did indeed have affairs with important men, but it was just something to be accepted as a part of society back then, and not a part of the profession itself. As of 2009, extensive efforts are being made to invigorate the genre, including many festivals and events where several types of ca trù (among other related arts) are performed. Vietnam has also completed documents to have ca trù recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. By 2011 there were 140 ca tru from 23 clubs.

Cải lương

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History and description#

Cải lương originated in Southern Vietnam in the early 20th century and blossomed in the 1930s as a theatre of the middle class during the country’s French colonial period. Cải lương is now promoted as a national theatrical form. Unlike the other folk forms, it continued to prove popular with the masses as late as the 1970s and the 1980s especially with a “golden age” of “Cải lương” videos in the 1990s, although it is now in decline. Cải lương can be compared to a sort of play with the added aspect of Vọng cổ. This term literally means “nostalgia for the past”, it is a special type of singing with the background music often being the đàn tranh zither or the đàn ghi-ta (Vietnamized guitar). In a typical cải lương play, the actresses and actors would use a combination of regular spoken dialogue and vọng cổ to express their thoughts and emotions. Cải lương normally highlights/praises traditional Vietnamese moral values. There are mainly two genres of cải lương: ancient stories (tuồng cổ) and societal (xã hội). The societal genre (cải lương xã hội) consists of stories about modern Vietnamese society. The plots deal with a romantic love story blended with family or social relationships. The stories also explore cultural norms, social norms, and other aspects of Vietnamese society, e.g. Đời Cô Lựu, Tô Ánh Nguyệt. This genre can be somehow described as tragedy, but with a happy ending. However, a few societal plays such as “Ra Giêng Anh Cưới Em” are comedic and light-hearted. In the ancient stories, the actor/actress dresses in an old fashioned costume. The plot is based on a tale, legend or historical story of the feudal system, where kings and warriors still existed. For example, Bên Cầu Dệt Lụa, Lục Vân Tiên, Tiếng Trống Mê Linh etc. Many plots come from Chinese historic or ancient legends. Lương Sơn Bá-Chúc Anh Đài is based on the Chinese legend of butterfly lovers. In ancient stories, Hồ Quảng, a genre of Chinese opera may be mixed. Hence, some ancient stories may be called Cải lương Hồ Quảng, which is more like a musical. In addition to regular speech, ca cải lương, and vọng cổ, several melodies are incorporated into the play. These melodies are reused through different plays, however the words are changed to fit the context of the plays. Ancient stories can be characterized by beautiful, elaborate costumes comprising beautiful and colourful dress pieces; large, beautiful glittery hairpieces; elaborate warrior armour; and elaborate warrior head pieces.

Cambodian rock (1960s–1970s)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Post-independence period#

Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953, under the leadership of young king Norodom Sihanouk. Sihanouk was a musician and songwriter, and fostered the development of homegrown popular music in the newly independent country. Under Sihanouk’s rule, it was common for government ministries to have their own orchestras or singing groups to perform at official state functions and royal receptions. For example, Sihanouk’s mother, Queen Sisowath Kossamak, sponsored the Vong Phleng Preah Reach Troap (the classical ensemble of the Royal Treasury), and in approximately 1957 invited the young Sinn Sisamouth to join the ensemble as his first professional music job. Cambodia’s international relations with France and various countries in Latin America fostered the importation of pop records into the country, while children from wealthy Cambodian families often attended school in France and returned with French pop records that were widely traded among fans in Phnom Penh. Latin jazz, cha cha cha, and À gogo records imported from Latin America also became popular in the capital city. By the late 1950s, these genres inspired a flourishing pop music scene in Phnom Penh, featuring singers who created a unique sound by combining traditional Cambodian music forms with these new international influences. Sinn Sisamouth, Mao Sareth, So Savoeun, Chhuon Malay, Sieng Di, and Sos Math were among the earliest stars in this pop scene, with Sisamouth in particular becoming a leader of popular trends in which Cambodian musicians absorbed more international influences, eventually leading to the development of Cambodian rock music. The band originally performed crooning vocal music inspired by Paul Anka and Pat Boone, then added inspiration from the guitar-driven music of The Ventures and Chuck Berry. Sisamouth fostered the careers of younger singers and musicians, writing songs for them while also utilizing them in many of his own songs. Pen Ran (also known as Pan Ron) was one of the earliest rock-oriented female singers in the Cambodian scene, first emerging in 1963 with traditional pop songs but moving into rock music by 1966 via duets with Sisamouth as well as her own songs. Pen Ran was particularly influential, known for her flirtatious dancing and risque lyrics that subverted traditional Khmer gender roles. Sisamouth was also instrumental in launching the career of Ros Serey Sothea, who had been singing at weddings and quickly became the leading female singer in the Cambodian rock scene after her emergence in 1967. Sothea received wide recognition for her high and clear singing voice, and her ability to convey emotions from mischief and flirtation to heartbreak and tragedy. Sothea maintained an active career with her own songs as well as many popular duets with Sisamouth. Sihanouk continued to support the Cambodian music scene through his patronage of the national radio station, allowing the station to promote local music. She became a popular singer as well, known particularly for highly personal lyrics that subverted the social expectations placed on Khmer women, and a melancholic voice that Sihanouk compared to Édith Piaf. Sisamouth, Ros Serey Sothea, Pen Ran and others also maintained separate music careers concurrently. Their rock n’ roll records, which were popular with younger people, were released alongside works in other genres including traditional Cambodian music, romantic ballads, and film music, with those latter genres remaining popular with the country’s older music fans. Ros Serey Sothea and Pen Ran are both believed to have sung on hundreds of songs, and Pen Ran wrote many of her songs herself.

Celempungan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Chầu văn

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External links#

*Additional information

Chèo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Hoa Lư – Ninh Bình is considered as the homeland of the Chèo, and its founder, Phạm Thị Trân, was a talented dancer in the royal palace during the Đinh dynasty of the tenth century. However, Chèo officially appears from the Lý dynasty (around the 11th century), flourished in the Trần dynasty (13th century). The development of Chèo has its origins when a Mongolian soldier was captured in Vietnam in the 14th century. Chèo’s performance only included speaking and reciting folk songs prior to this period but influenced by the captured soldier, Chèo now is sung. In the 15th century, Emperor Lê Thánh Tông did not allow Chèo to be performed in the royal court. Chèo was only performed by peasants as a usual musical entertainment activity up to the present-day in the villages. Chèo derives from folk music and dance, especially parody since the tenth century. Gradually, people developed various short stories based on these parodies into the longer, completed plays. Chèo was usually written by famous Confucian scholars, for example Vũ Trinh. From loyal area’s performance only, Chèo has been expanded to the North Delta and the North Central Coast (to Nghệ An province) and the Red River delta is the cradle of Vietnamese rice civilization. Whenever the crop is harvested, they organize festivals to entertain and thank the Gods for the harvest. From the first millennium BC, ancestors performed the first Chèo in the Đình yard in their village.

Dangdut

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Development#

The term dangdut is an onomatopoeia for the sound of the tabla (also known as gendang) drum, which is written dang and ndut. Modern Minangkabau music is also the forerunner of dangdut, along with Malay music. The transformation of Malay music by M. Mashabi (1932–1967) and Munif Bahasuan (1935–2021) with the Orkes Kelana Ria in the 1960s with several songs such as Ya Mustafa, Ya Mahmud and Patah Kasih which, according to ethnomusicologist Andrew N. Weintraub, are considered “proto-dangdut” and pioneered the form of dangdut as it is known today. Orkes Melayu singer Ellya Khadam switched to dangdut in the 1970s, and by 1972, she was the number-one artist in Indonesia. Her success, along with that of Rhoma Irama, meant that by 1975, 75 per cent of all recorded music in Indonesia was of the dangdut genre, with pop bands such as Koes Plus adopting the style.

Dikir barat

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

is typically performed by groups of ten to fifteen members, though there is no actual set size, even in competitive environments. A group usually sits cross-legged on a platform, sometimes surrounded by the audience. Where the is performed competitively, the two competing groups will both be on the stage at the same time. who is often the person in charge of the musical training of the group. This first segment usually contains the more complex musical arrangements, and will likely feature the (lit. ‘crew’, chorus) singing in unison with the , as well as responsorial segments of singing, similar to what the (‘weaving master’) does with the , later in the performance. Though musically more complex than what will follow, the first segment is seen as the “low-key” segment of the performance. (Pantuns are an oral poetry form indigenous to the Malay region, and are not exclusive to the .) That the uses does not mean that it is a performance of poetry. Like any poet, the is expected to create lyrics that touch upon everyday life, but he can also address social issues, legal matters, politics, government regulations, and human foibles. Historically, dikir barat performances have been all-male. However, in recent years, especially with groups based in urban areas, female performers are beginning to appear. While most musical instruments are excluded from , some groups employ percussion instruments, including the rebana, maracas, or a shallow gong.

Đờn ca tài tử

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term comes from the Sino-Vietnamese terms nhạc (樂, literally “music”) and tài tử (才子, literally “virtuoso”; the original Chinese meaning was “gifted scholar”).

Performance#

The ensemble commonly uses five instruments, often referred to as the “Ngũ Tuyệt” (Five Treasures), which include the đàn tranh (16-string zither), đàn tỳ bà (pear-shaped lute), đàn kìm (moon lute), đàn cò (spike fiddle), and đàn tam (three-string lute). These are often accompanied by the sound of the seven-hole bamboo flute. In terms of attire, most performers of Đờn ca tài tử are friends and neighbors, so they typically wear casual clothing during performances. Only when performing at temples, communal houses, or on formal stages do they wear traditional performance costumes. In recent years, to meet the demands of tourism, tài tử music groups have organized into semi-professional clubs. Alongside their main occupations, they perform music upon request. Some people say the term “tài tử” means “amateur.” In reality, it means “talented,” and implies that these individuals do not pursue music for a living, but rather as a passion or for spontaneous enjoyment. However, this does not mean they lack expertise. On the contrary, to become a true tài tử artist, one must undergo years of dedicated practice. Musically, the roles of singers and instrumentalists are equal. In ca trù, a traditional form of northern and central Vietnamese singing, the performers are usually women, whereas đờn ca tài tử includes both male and female singers who participate equally. Đờn ca tài tử uses instruments such as the đàn cò, đàn nguyệt, đàn tranh, the song lan (a wooden percussion instrument for rhythm), and sometimes the lõm guitar (a modified guitar used in southern Vietnamese music). This form of music is performed not only at festivals and gatherings but also after harvest seasons. It can be played under the shade of a tree, on a boat, or on a bright moonlit night.

Dondang Sayang

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

Sarkissian, Margaret. Kantiga di Padri sa chang. From the collection “Viagem dos Sons”, Tradisom, Vila Verde, Portugal, 1998
Silva Rego, Padre António da. “Apontamentos para o estudo do dialecto português de Malaca”. Boletim Geral das Colônias, Lisboa, Portugal, 1941.
Musical Malaysia/SYNCRETIC SONG BASED FORMS: Dondang Sayang
PUBLICATIONS RELATED TO MALAYSIAN MUSIC (TDC Malaysia 1996)

Funkot

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Funkot was born in 1990 by a music group from Indonesia, Barakatak. Barakatak was initially recruited by Doel Sumbang, a Sundanese musician from West Java, hence, Barakatak made Sundanese music. However, Barakatak changed their genre to House after moving to Jakarta and working with Rony Loan. They were invited to a discotheque in Jakarta called Diskotik Zodiak, where they tried to take drugs (No anti-narcotics law exist yet in Indonesia at that time). This influenced them to attempt making music with new lyrics and musical styles. They came up with a song titled Musiknya Asyik, inspired by the sensation of taking drugs (previously titled Sudah or Belum?). This song is regarded as the origin of Funkot music, which became popular in the country.

Gambang kromong

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instruments#

Gambang kromong orchestral instruments consist of: gambang kayu (a xylophone-like instrument), kromong (a set of 5 toned bonang), two Chinese rebab-like instruments called ohyan and gihyan with its resonator made out of a small coconut shell, a diatonic pitched flute that is blown crosswise, kenong and gendang drums. Western instruments such as trumpets, guitars, violins, and saxophones may also be included.

History#

Nie Hoe Kong, Kapitein der Chinezen, a musician and Dutch-appointed leader of the Chinese community in mid-18th-century Batavia, is considered one of the early figures who developed the Gambang kromong. In its first appearance in Batavia, the orchestra was called gambang. Later in the beginning of the 20th century, they began to use additional instruments, the bonang or kromong, so it is called gambang kromong. During that period, almost every part of Batavia had a gambang kromong orchestra. Gambang Kromong reached its peak of popularity around 1937. One of the popular groups was Gambang Kromong Ngo Hong Lao, whose players were all ethnic Chinese people. The instruments used in the orchestral group were considered to be the most extensive. For the wealthy Chinese, it was a custom to liven up a party by calling a gambang kromong orchestra, usually accompanying a song. Gambang kromong was also performed during the Cap Go Meh festival, sometimes with plays.

Gamelan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The word comes from the Javanese word () in the ngoko register, which refers to playing of percussion instruments or the act of striking with a mallet, and the noun-forming suffix . The gamelan in the Sundanese is Degung (), the word Degung apparently is an old Sundanese term, which refers to gongs and gong ensembles. For this reason, the words degung and gong are essentially synonyms for the word . At the same time, the expression gamelan degung may be a way to point at a gamelan ensemble tuned to degung scale. The term () refers to classical gamelan music and performance practice, and comes from the Javanese word () of Sanskrit origin, meaning ‘intricate’ or ‘finely worked’,

Gamelan gender wayang

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Religious and cultural context#

I Wayan Loceng reports that “Gender wayang, one of the most ancient musical ensembles existing in Bali, accompanies shadow theatre as well as tooth filings, cremations, and other religious ceremonies.” He describes repertoire from Sukawati, noting that the area is famous for shadow play and the development and maintenance of the gender wayang tradition. The ensemble is ubiquitous in Bali, however, due to its ritual importance, and distinct regional styles feature divergent repertoire.

Gamelan gong gede

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Style#

Usually performed by a temple orchestra of over forty musicians, music written for the gong gede is sedate and graceful, following an andante tempo. It fluctuates in cycles, one fast, one slow, one loud, and one soft. The beat is provided by the largest gong.

Popularity#

During their colonization of Bali in the late nineteenth century, the Dutch dissolved the courts. The use of the gong gede became limited to temple music. It was later superseded in popularity by gong kebyar, a more up-tempo form of gamelan played with smaller gongs, that originated in Balinese villages in the late 19th century and became widely popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

Gamelan gong kebyar

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History#

Gamelan gong kebyar was first documented to exist in North Bali in the early 1900s. The first public performance was in December 1915 at a gamelan gong competition in Jagaraga, North Bali. Following their invasion of the island, Dutch occupiers responded to international criticism by building cultural institutions. They sponsored these competitions until Japanese forces ended their rule in World War II.

Religious and cultural significance#

In addition to island-wide arts competitions, gamelan gong kebyar has become an essential part of modern Bali Hindu ceremonies. They are required for annual birthday ceremonies for temples, odalan, as well as major holidays as accompaniment for sacred dances. They are also appropriate for the class of rituals centered around human life, Putra Manusia, such as weddings.

Gamelan jegog

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instruments#

Jegog instruments have a four-note scale that roughly corresponds to the four pitches of a dominant 7th chord in Western music. All instruments have eight bamboo keys. Some instruments have two keys for each pitch slightly detuned so that the pitches beat when they are played together. Other instruments have a two octave range with four pitches in a low octave and the same four pitches an octave higher. In this case the instrument will be paired with another instrument that is slightly detuned. Taken together the ensemble has a range of five octaves. Most Jegog ensembles have instruments that have keys that are made of bamboo that are split at one end and then half of the tube is removed. The other end remains intact and functions as a resonator for the split part. The keys are suspended on a wooden frame and struck with mallets (called pangguls), made out of wood or rubber. There are also Jegog ensembles with instruments called Jegog Tingklik. These smaller instruments are used primarily with children. The keys are made of bamboo slats mounted above a resonator box.

Gamelan joged bumbung

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External links#

Gamelan Kori Mas
Gamelan Sekar Jaya

Gamelan semar pegulingan

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Discography#

(1972/January 28, 2003). Indonesia: Bali: Gamelan Semar Pegulingan: Gamelan of the Love God. Nonesuch Explorer Series. Recorded in Teges Kanyinan, Pliatan, Bali by Robert E. Brown.
(2009). Bali: Semara Pagulingan: Antique Balinese Court Gamelan. Mekar Bhuana. Recorded in Sanur, Bali by Vaughan Hatch (Antida Studio).

References#

- Mekar Bhuana about Gamelan Semar Pagulingan by Vaughan Hatch

Ghazal

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Etymology and pronunciation#

The word ghazal originates from the Arabic word (ġazal). This genre of Arabic poetry is derived from (ḡazal) or (ḡazila) - To sweet-talk, to flirt, to display amorous gestures. The Arabic word ġazal is pronounced . In English, the word is pronounced or .

Poetic form#

The ghazal is a short poem consisting of rhyming couplets, called bayt or sher. Most ghazals have between seven and twelve bayts. For a poem to be considered a true ghazal, it must have no fewer than five couplets. Almost all ghazals confine themselves to less than fifteen couplets (poems that exceed this length are more accurately considered as qasidas). Ghazal couplets end with the same rhyming pattern and are expected to have the same meter. The ghazal’s uniqueness arises from its rhyme and refrain rules, referred to as the qafiya and radif respectively. A ghazal’s rhyming pattern may be described as AA BA CA DA, and so on. In its strictest structural form, a classical ghazal follows a number of rules: # Matla: The first sher in a ghazal is called the matla. Both lines of the matla must contain the qafiya and radif. The matla sets the tone of the ghazal, as well as its rhyming and refrain pattern. # Radif: The refrain word or phrase. Both lines of the matla and the second lines of all subsequent shers must end in the same refrain word called the radif. # Qafiya: The rhyming pattern. The radif is immediately preceded by words or phrases with the same end rhyme pattern, called the qafiya. # Maqta: The last couplet of the ghazal is called the maqta. It is common in ghazals for the poet’s nom de plume, known as takhallus to be featured in the maqta. The maqta is typically more personal than the other couplets in a ghazal. # Bahr: Each line of a ghazal must follow the same metrical pattern and syllabic (or morae) count. Unlike in a nazm, a ghazal’s couplets do not need a common theme or continuity. Each verse is self-contained and independent from the others, containing the complete expression of an idea. However, the verses all contain a thematic or tonal connection to each other, which may be highly allusive. Abdolhamid Ziaei considers the content of old Persian ghazal to include four elements: love, mysticism, education or excellence, and Qalandari.

Harana (serenade)

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Form#

Harana is widely practiced in many parts of the Philippines with a set of protocols, a code of conduct, and a specific style of music. The formula of Harana follows three parts: pagatawag (to call out), pagtug-an or pagsugid (to confess), and finally pagtubag (to reply). Traditionally, the suitor or manliligaw will visit the house of the girl he is trying to woo, and sing by her window until she comes out to either accept or deny him. Such, is the act of pagatawag. The suitor may or may not be accompanied, but usually his companions will be playing a guitar or provide back up vocals as he sings (pagtug-an or pagsugid). Ideally, the dalaga or young lass will choose to accept him in her act of pagtubag. If serenaders are successful, the house’s family may feel inclined to invite them in for food and drink. More often than not, the serenaded and their families show little interest in the serenader, with some going to the extent of vocally voicing their disapproval. Regardless of result, the serenaded often becomes the subject of teasing among members of their close community.

Hipdut

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The combination of hip-hop and dangdut developed before the popular use of the term hipdut. The style is connected to earlier experiments in dangdut that incorporated rap, disco, electronic beats, and regional performance styles. The term gained wider attention in late 2024 and early 2025 through “Garam & Madu (Sakit Dadaku)”, released on 20 December 2024 by Tenxi, Jemsii, and Naykilla. The song blends dangdut, hip hop, and koplo, and became popular among younger listeners on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. Other songs were part of the same trend, including “Aku Dah Lupa” by Mikky and Zia. In 2025, “Garam & Madu” received further media attention after winning the Best Production Work category at the Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards. The award coverage again linked the song to the growing public use of the term hip-dut.

Hò khoan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Indo pop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

One of the earliest form of Indonesian pop can be traced back to Orkes Melayu (“Malay orchestra”) bands in Medan starting in the 1930s to its peak in 1950s Jakarta and Surabaya mishmashing musical traditions of bangsawan theatre from the Riau Islands with Indian and Arabic influences filtered through Western instrumentation. The Jakarta stream especially took heavy influences from Bollywood laying the groundwork for a branching new genre named dangdut.

Indonesian rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1940s - 1960s#

Rock music began to enter Indonesia around the 1950s during the western rock fever. However, the heyday of rock music in Indonesia was preceded by the band The Rolles (1967) with the genre of jazz rock music. They brought music with different concepts so that they were able to play with the tastes of music lovers at that time. The band was also able to survive and was still popular until the 1980s. In that era, Indonesian-Dutch rock bands were also very popular, such as The Tielman Brothers, which was founded in 1947 by several youths from Kupang (Reggy, Ponthon, Andy and Loulou Tielman). The band is generally seen as the founder of Indorock, although other Indorock bands have existed before them. Being ethnically Indonesian and playing Western music for white audiences in the Netherlands and Germany. During that time, Dara Puspita emerged as a pop rock group consisting of women from Surabaya, Indonesia, which was active in the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was formed in 1964, with Titiek Rachman and his sister Lies on guitar. Apart from that, Ani Kusuma is a rhythm guitarist, and Susy Nander is a drummer. When Lies left the band for a month in 1965 to complete his education, his bass position was replaced by Titiek Hamzah. When Lies returned, Ani Kusuma left the band, and Lies became a rhythm guitarist. This female rock band was also influential in the early development of rock music in Indonesia. In fact, not only the rock scene, Indonesian pop was also quite influenced by the Dara Puspita band. In July 1968, the band left Indonesia, and toured to Europe and Asia, including West Germany, Hungary, England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Iran, and Turkey. Touring for three years, before returning to Indonesia on 3 December 1971. In this way, Dara Puspita also gained international popularity even though the support base was still larger in the local music scene.

Indorock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The guitar was imported to the East Indies by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century. The traditional Portuguese song styles, saudade and fado, played with guitar accompaniment, later became kroncong music. Many Indorock musicians had a predilection for Hawaiian music, which was popular in the Netherlands at the time. Other significant influences include American country & western, and the rock & roll repertoire played on radio stations in Indonesia via American (AFN) stations from the Philippines and Australia. While Dutch audience were interested in Rock & Roll, white Dutch musicians did not perform the genre in the mid-1950s, and Indonesians and Moluccans filled the void at that time, and bands such as the Bellboys, the Room Rockers, the Hap Cats, and the Hot Jumpers performing to a mixed audience in venues such as pubs. Since the Dutch music industry offered few venues for Indorock artists, many of them went to Germany where it quickly became highly popular, at least until the advent of British beat music. The Indorock scene had largely faded in the Netherlands by the mid-1960s, as it was superseded in popularity by British rock as a result of the British Invasion. However, it would continue to be an influence in Indonesian rock music. Indorock has also been considered by some to be an early form of proto-punk, as some of its stylistic elements are similar to those in the punk rock movement of the 1970s.

Kecak

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Kecak was originally a trance ritual accompanied by a male chorus. In the 1930s, Walter Spies, a German painter and musician, became deeply interested in the ritual while living in Bali. He adapted it as a drama based on the Hindu Ramayana and including dance, intended for performance before Western tourist audiences. Walter Spies worked with Indonesian dancer Wayan Limbak, who popularized the dance by arranging internationally touring performances by Balinese groups. These tours helped make the kecak internationally known. This is an example of what James Clifford describes as part of the “modern art-culture system” in which “the West or the central power adopts, transforms, and consumes non-Western or peripheral cultural elements, while making ‘art,’ which was once embedded in the culture as a whole, into a separate entity”. I Wayan Dibia, a performer, choreographer and scholar, suggests, by contrast, that the Balinese were already developing this form when Spies arrived on the island. For example, during the 1920s, Limbak had incorporated baris movements into the cak leader role. “Spies liked this innovation,” and he suggested that Limbak “devise a spectacle based on the Ramayana,” accompanied by cak chorus rather than gamelan, as would have been usual.

Khrueang sai

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Playing context#

The khrueang sai is one of the quietest and most intimate ensembles in Thai classical music. It is used to accompany singing, dances, and holidays. It also used in impromptu occasions requiring music.

Varieties#

The following are some of the ensemble types, depending on the occasion: *Khrueang sai wong lek *Khrueang sai khrueang khu *Khrueang sai pi chawa *Khrueang sai prasom http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Thai/music/classical/thaiensemble/Khryang_Sai_Ensemble.htm Here is the definition of the khrueang sai according to the NIU South East Asia Studies department: Sound clips are available at the website above for all Thai ensembles.

Koplo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

The drum is the most important element of koplo. According to Cak Met, a popular koplo drummer, the regular dangdut is played in 3/4 bar while koplo is played in a faster 4/4 bar, thus requiring a more complex drumming technique. The standard drum pattern of dangdut is called chalte which consists of five types of sound, including three that are played by the large drum that is placed on the left side of the drummer and two that are produced by the small drum on the right. According to Andrew N. Weintraub of the University of Pittsburgh, the koplo drum pattern multiplies all of these sound elements and contains twice the sound of the large drum than the chalte of the standard dangdut. Weintraub traces the origin of these complex drum patterns to Sundanese drum players in West Java who played the traditional jaipongan music. The jaipongan drum pattern was reinterpreted by dangdut musicians in Surabaya and Banyuwangi, thus the making of koplo drum patterns went through a cross-cultural process between different ethnic groups. Because of the vital position of the drums in the koplo live performances, drum players often become icons. Among the well-known koplo drummers are Cak Met (also known as Ki Ageng), Waryo from OM Armega, and Cak Juri from OM Montana. Each region in East Java has its own style of koplo drums. Unique koplo drums can be seen in Sidoarjo, Gresik, Nganjuk, Madiun, Ponorogo, and Sragen. Dangdut, which employs these regional drums, is also called jaranan dangdut or jandhut. While drum patterns and rhythm are no different from the regular koplo, jandhut style uses additional drums called sabet and bem. Well known jandhut drummer includes Mas Malik from OM Lagista, hailed from Nganjuk.

Kroncong

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

The name “Kroncong” may be derived from the jingling sound of the kerincing rebana, as heard in the rhythmic background of the music created by the interlocking of instruments playing on or off beat. This background rhythm runs faster than the often slow vocals or melody, and is created, typically, by two ukuleles, a cello, a guitar and a bass. These instruments, especially the pair of ukuleles, interlock as do the instruments in a gamelan orchestra, and it is clear that the musical traditions of Indonesia have been applied to an orchestra of European instruments. Previously, they also used the Portuguese musical instrument called cavaquinho, a four steel stringed musical instrument that looks like a guitar; however, cavaquinho was then modified into a prounga, a 3 nylon stringed instrument with low pitch, and a macina, a 4 nylon stringed instrument with high pitch. One ukulele, called the “cak” (pronounced “chak”), maybe steel-stringed. The instrumentalist strums chords with up to 8 strums per beat in 4/4 rhythm. The off-beat strums are often accentuated. The other ukulele, called the “cuk” (pronounced “chook”), is larger and has 3 gut or nylon strings. The instrumentalist may pluck arpeggios and tremoloes using a plectrum, and the on-beat is emphasised. As a set, the cak and cuk form an interlocking pair that mostly gives Kroncong its characteristic kron and chong. The cello may have 3 gut or nylon strings and the chords are plucked rapidly, often with a unique skipped-beat using the thumb and one finger. This instrument then adds both rhythm and tone. The guitar may play similarly to either cak or cuk, but plays are often extended scalar runs that provide an undulating background to a chord or bridge chord changes. The bass is often played in a minimalist style reminiscent of the large gongs in a gamelan. On top of this rhythmic layer, the melody and elaborate ornamentation are carried by a voice, flute, or violin. The violin or flute is used to play introductory passages that are often elaborate. The fills and scalar runs are both faster and more elaborate than the guitar’s. The vocalist sings the melody which is slow with sustained notes in traditional Kroncong. The repertoire largely uses the Western major key with some arrangements in the minor. One departure from this occurs when Kroncong orchestras play Javanese songs (Langgam Jawa). Javanese music ordinarily uses scales and intervals that do not occur in Western music. Kroncong Jawa maintains Western intervals but adopts a 5-tone scale that approximates one of the main Javanese septatonic scales. When playing this style, cak and cuk leave their characteristic interplay and both play arpeggios to approximate the sound and style of the Javanese instrument the siter, a kind of zither. The cello adopts a different rhythmic style as well.

Kulintang

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

Technically, kulintang is the Maguindanaon, Lumad Ternate, Moluccas, and Timor term for the idiophone of metal gong kettles which are laid horizontally upon a rack to create an entire kulintang set. It is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. Due to its use across a wide variety groups and languages, the kulintang is also called kolintang by the people of Maranao and Sulawesi, kulintango by Mongondow, totobuang by those in central Maluku, kulintangan and gulintangan by those in Brunei, Sabah, North Kalimantan and the Sulu Archipelago. Gulintangan or gulingtangan literally means rolling hands in Brunei, Sabah and Sulu. By the twentieth century, the term kulintang had a come to denote an entire Maguindanao ensemble of five or six instruments. Traditionally the Maguindanao term for the entire ensemble is basalen or palabunibunyan, the latter term meaning “an ensemble of loud instruments” or “music-making” or in this case “music-making using a kulintang.”

Lao music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Khene#

The Khene () is the instrument most identified with Laotian music. A national proverb says that “a person living under a stilted house, eating sticky rice, listening to any music related to Lam () or Morlam, and playing the Khene is likely to be Lao or associated with Lao people.” Khenes are made from a special kind of bamboo. It looks slightly Andean in appearance with its sets of bamboo and reed pipes of various lengths, which are strapped together, and then blown into by the player. It can be played solo as in traditional Lao music or in combination with other musical instruments to accompany modern songs.

Lao pop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Lao pop music started forming itself in the late 1980s, when Laos started benefiting from an economic growth that has lasted till nowadays. Before the reforms implemented by the government, the entertainment industry was completely limited due to the tight censorship and the widespread poverty, which prevented the music scene from flourishing. From the 1970s to the late 1980s, the strictly patriotic songs, sponsored by the communist government, and the traditional Mor Lam genre were the only genres available to listen. At the start of the 1990s, the Lao music scene started transformating. The first private music labels started emerging in Vientiane, the capital city, and some live music pubs appeared. However, these labels, at first, were financially weak and had a very limited capacity to promote their artists. Although at first the traditional Lao music, was still the most popular genre, the foreign influence of Korean K-Pop music, Japanese J-Pop music, and the pop music made in the neighbouring Thailand started being felt, not only in the fashion trends, but also in the local musical scene. From the start of the 2000s, Lao pop saw a dramatic increase of popularity due to the growing strength of the mainly Vientiane based music labels such as Lao-Pride Records, KPY Entertainment, Indee Records and Muanson Media. Lao pop gained local and international spotlight through Alexandra Bounxouei, who is considered to be the first Lao pop princess. Other Lao artists popular with the younger generation include Cells, L.O.G, Overdance, Princess, Caramel, Pull-T Club, Super One, Genii, Xtreme, Dozo, Tik Keoprasert, MAY, Annita, and Aluna. From the mid-2000s, Lao Pop started benefiting itself from the growing number of musical events held in the country. For example, in 2008, was held from first time, the first edition of the Lao Music Awards, which was broadcast live by the Lao National Television. In this event, the most outstanding Lao Pop, rock and Mor Lam singers are awarded in its different categories. Since then on, this gala has been held almost annually in the National Cultural Hall of Vientiane. Apart from this event, other kinds of shows also encouraged the growth of the local music scene. Lao pop today embraces a wide variety of styles that are mainly based in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. There are also a number of Lao artists from Luang Prabang, Laos.

Mahāgīta

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The Mahāgīta evolved into a single style from Pyu, Mon, and Burman musical traditions. The Mahāgīta also incorporates musical traditions of conquered kingdoms; the Yodaya songs are modeled on the musical style of the Ayutthaya kingdom, while the Talaing songs are based on the songs of the Mon people.

Pre-colonial origins#

Kyo, bwe, and songs are considered to constitute the oldest parts of the Mahāgīta repertoire, serving as the main court music before the Konbaung dynasty. The oldest songs of the kyo genre are the “Three Barge Songs,” which describe a king’s passage up the Irrawaddy River to Tagaung in , have variously been dated to the late Toungoo period (1531–1752). Bwe songs honor the king, while songs honor the Buddha or the king as a protector of the Sāsana. Both genres date to the Konbaung dynasty, . Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa was the most prominent composer of songs in the bwe and genres. Patpyo songs were popular in the late Konbaung dynasty, and are the most numerous in the corpus. These songs have a rhythmic foundation resembling drumbeats, and require the highest level of performance technique and knowledge. Ledwethankhat songs constitute a minor genre, and are characteristically sharp and active, with fast, short rhythms. These songs are always followed by songs traditionally performed at equestrian, martial arts, and archery events. Bawle songs, which are plaintive songs, date to the 1800s; the earliest song, “Sein Chu Kya Naung” (), composed by a Konbaung princess to persuade her husband to return to her side, was composed after 1838.

Mahori

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Mahori is a form of Thai classical music that has a long history in Thailand, dating back to at least the Ayutthaya period. Although it was already a well-established form of music in Thailand during that time, in 1931, Prince Damrong, the author of the History of Thai Music had asserted that the Thai mahori was of Khmer origin and created by the ancient Khmer and later adopted and elaborated in Thai society. However, historical records indicate that the mahori music “Say Samon” (later called “Sansoen Phra Narai”) was already recorded in the Du Royaume de Siam in 1687 by Simon de La Loubère, a French envoy who visited Ayutthaya at that time. And also, Nicolas Gervaise, a French priest and traveler who had visited Ayutthaya, recorded a Mahori music called “Sout Chai” in the book Histoire Naturelle et Politique du Royaume de Siam in 1688. Initially, only men were permitted to play mahori; however, as its popularity grew, women from royal backgrounds began to play as well. In the Ayuthaya period, women were not permitted to act onstage outside royal service, and women were trained only to play in the mahori. However, King Rama IV removed this restriction and allowed women to act onstage, which caused women’s mahori to decline as women increasingly chose to act instead. Traditionally, the ensemble consisted of four players: the krajappi, a saw sam si, a thone, and a singer. The Wong Mahori consists of both the string and piphat instruments, often reduced in size to accommodate female performers. While Thai classical music was somewhat discouraged as being outmoded and backward-looking during Thailand’s aggressively nationalistic modernization policies of the mid-twentieth century, the classical arts have benefited recently from increased governmental sponsorship and funding as well as popular interest as expressed in such films as Homrong: The Overture (2003), a popular fictionalized biography of a famous early 20th century ranat ek player and composer Luang Pradit Phairao.

Malay gamelan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Terminology#

The term gamelan refers to a family of Southeast Asian percussion-based ensemble traditions characterised by metallophones, gongs, drums and related instruments. It is derived from the Javanese word gamel, meaning “to strike” or “to hammer”, a reference to the predominantly struck percussion instruments typical of these ensembles. In maritime Southeast Asia, the term has historically been used for a range of related musical traditions with regional variations in instrumentation, repertoire and performance practice. In the Malay world, gamelan came to denote a distinct court ensemble tradition associated with the royal courts of Johor-Riau, Riau–Lingga, Pahang and later Terengganu, from which the modern Malay gamelan tradition developed. The nomenclature of the tradition has varied over time in accordance with its principal centres of patronage. Historical sources most commonly refer to gamelan Pahang, reflecting the development of the tradition within the Pahang royal court during the nineteenth century. The term gamelan Melayu (“Malay gamelan”) became increasingly common during the late twentieth century and is now the designation most widely used in Malaysia, particularly in academic writing, cultural institutions and heritage discourse. In contemporary usage, the term generally refers to the court gamelan tradition historically associated with the royal courts of Pahang and Terengganu rather than to gamelan music more broadly. Its wider adoption coincided with the revival of the tradition after the 1960s, when performances expanded beyond the royal courts into universities, cultural organisations and public arts programmes. Although Malay gamelan shares historical connections with the broader gamelan traditions of the Southeast Asian archipelago, particularly those of Central Java, it developed distinctive characteristics in repertoire, instrumentation, musical structure, choreography and performance practice. Compared with Central Javanese gamelan, Malay gamelan generally employs a smaller ensemble and places greater emphasis on accompanying court dance performance, while differing from Balinese gamelan in its musical texture, tempo and ceremonial function.

Malaysian contemporary music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

The MPO forum brought together six talented young composers, Ahmad Muriz Che Rose, Chong Kee Yong, Vivian Chua, Johan Othman, Tay Poh Gek and Adeline Wong, from around the country and abroad, to Kuala Lumpur, to compose music for the orchestra. Spread over two years, the forum introduced six new compositions for chamber orchestra and four for full orchestra. Chong Kee Yong, who had won numerous awards in Europe, emerged as the winner of the forum and won the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra International Composers Award 2004 with his symphony work The Starry Night’s Ripples. The Forum was also a success from the audience standpoint, as all concerts were well attended and enthusiastically received by the music-going public as well as by the media. The success of the Forum is a key factor in raising the profile on Malaysian contemporary music in Malaysia, although the composers who participated, as well as a number of others who were not represented, have been composing music in this medium for a number of years, the majority of their output having been premiered abroad. That is to say, this does not mean that there was no activity in the field prior to the Forum, only that such efforts were not highly visible or organised. Information on serious composition in the 1980s through to the 1990s by composers such as Tazul Tajuddin (whose Etudes for chamber orchestra was performed in 1995 in USA), Dr Valerie Ross (who was awarded Malaysian Young Composer (1988) by the Asian Composers’ League in Hong Kong), Razak Abdul Aziz (who began composing vocal works as early as 1980) is only now slowly becoming available, although a comprehensive survey of the pre-millennium period is still in need. As cited by a Malaysian research paper in the late 1990s, the lack of such musical activities in Malaysia prior to the 21st Century is largely attributed to the absence of professional ensembles in the country who were able to support composers, although key issue has been one of a total absence of infrastructure rather than one of talent. Fortunately for the Malaysian art music scene progress in the current period has been brisk, and the number of serious composers and compositions in this field is increasing. The 2006-2007 series of Composers Forums in Kuala Lumpur, for example, introduced new voices such as Ng Chong Lim, Teh Tze Siew, Yii Kah Hoe and Mohd Yazid Zakaria. In 2008 Off The Edge magazine based in Kuala Lumpur collaborated with the Malaysian Composers Collective and HSBC Bank Malaysia Ltd to produce the country’s first CD anthology of contemporary Malaysian music called Faith, Hope & Chaos. In 2009 the Malaysian Composers Collective collaborated with Goethe Institut to hold the country’s first ever three-day contemporary music festival, the KL Contemporary Music Festival 09. Titled Urban Soundscapes, the festival featured guest composers from around the country and the South East Asia region and Germany, with music performed by international new music groups Ensemble Mosaik and Hong Kong New Music Ensemble with a host of Malaysian musicians. The festival held concerts, workshops and a two-day conference at Segi University College Kota Damansara, and also included a late night electroacoustic concert at the Central Market Annexe and an art exhibition on the theme of the city. KLCMF 09 also held the region’s first ever Southeast Asian Young Composers Competition which received over 60 entries from Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand. This article offers only a brief introduction to Malaysia’s growing contemporary music movement, in the absence of a full study on the subject. It also places emphasis on the western-based formal tradition, and on composers largely trained in this tradition, purely as a matter of focus on an area that is particularly lacking in information, notwithstanding the very notions of art music or western-based music is itself evolving rapidly today with the blurring of lines between western and eastern instruments and the smearing of borders between various genres such as avant-garde, minimalism, world music and jazz, amongst others.

Malaysian hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Malaysian hip hop music started in the late 1980s and early 1990s with rap groups such as KRU, 4U2C, NICO (later Nico G), Naughtius Maximus, and HQA. Their so-called “rap music” was not accepted by the mainstream media which was dominated by government-owned stations; 4U2C gathered a cult following despite this while other acts had to change to a more pop-ish sound. In 1991, local rapper HQA released the classic album Baguvix. At around the same time, another group called Krash Kozz was the only group to introduce the new jack swing hip hop sound to Malaysian listeners, but they disbanded after their third album, New Jack the Street Beat was released. Nico G produced Malaysia’s first fully Malay-language fully rap album in 1993. Malaysian 1990s were trying times, when the pioneers of the local hip hop scene were trying hard to break the monotony of rock music, love ballads and pop sounds, which are staples in the Malaysian music scene, with the fans of these genres refusing to accept this new form of music. However, the younger generation, especially those in the urban areas, were more curious and receptive; they were more positively in-tuned to receive this new culture that was creating waves across the globe, which was further expedited and cemented by the introduction of records from American hip hop artists like the N.W.A, Brand Nubian, Gang Starr, Cypress Hill, and many others. In 1994, Naughtius Maximus, Malaysia’s first genuine hip hop collective, was formed by the merger of four hip hop groups - Whyness, Deceased, Reffugeez and Under Pressure. A year later, they release their only self-titled album which was touted as Malaysia’s first genuine hip hop album. However, not long after its release, Malaysian public broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) banned 9 of the album’s 13 tracks because it is too “westernized”. There were also groups from the underground scene that have established themselves such as The Rebel Scum, but it was Poetic Ammo that “made it big”. Yogi B’s repertoire in general pioneered the subculture of Malaysian Indian hip-hop which developed as a medium of grievances for the socioeconomically disenfranchised Indian community as well as expressions of cultural pride. One of the “powerhouses” of hip hop in Malaysia is Too Phat, which consists of Malique and Joe Flizzow. They were signed to EMI International’s Positive Tone division and produced their first hit album, Whutthadilly?, and their first single was “Too Phat Baby”. Hip-hop has come a long way in Malaysia as seen from its growing industry and the success it has garnered in the mainstream music landscape. In 2010, three of Malaysia’s biggest rappers—SonaOne, Joe Flizzow and Altimet—collaborated on a track called “Who Do It Better”. In the song, Altimet, who was wearing an Eric B & Rakim T-shirt, raps in Malay about being schooled by hip-hop’s earliest stars. In 2014, Joe Flizzow and SonaOne worked together on a track called “Apa Khabar” that talks about how far hip-hop has come in Malaysia. The track won two national music awards. That same year, SonaOne, was awarded the best song for “No More”, the first time an English song managed to clinch the title at the Malaysian Anugerah Industri Muzik.

Malaysian popular music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin and influences#

Malaysian popular music has its origin in local musical traditions and popular European music styles. Some early musical styles, performers, and songs of kroncong and lagu-lagu rakyat (folk songs) were common to the musical cultures of Malaysia and Indonesia. Starting in the 1920s, local social dance and entertainment music such as asli, inang, joget, dondang sayang, zapin, and masri were adapted by bangsawan troupes to Anglo-American dance band arrangements but retained a local folk character, eventually developing into modern Malay popular music. Bangsawan troupes originated in the 19th century as a form of opera called wayang parsi that developed as an adaptation of Persian theatre brought to Malaya by performers from Bombay. They portrayed stories from diverse groups such as Indian, Western, Islamic, Chinese, Indonesian, and Malay, with music, dance, and costumed acting. The musicians were mostly local Malays, Filipinos, and Goans, and they often incorporated Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian elements in their songs. Western popular music has continually influenced Malaysian popular music since its early days. In the pre-World War II era, songs based on Anglo-American and Latin American dance music sung in Malay were popular. These songs were accompanied by dance bands that became known as orkes Melayu (Malay orchestra). The orkes Melayu, which influenced dangdut, was played at dance halls in amusement parks, bangsawan shows, and other festivities. Early singers were often Filipinos originally brought to Malaya by the British to form the Selangor State Band, a military band. In the 1960s and 1970s, influenced by Western rock bands, a modified rock combo called kugiran (an acronym of “kumpulan gitar rancak”, meaning rhythmic guitar bands) often accompanied singers. From the 1970s to the 1980s, a Western orchestral sound also became popular as musical accompaniment on albums, which is widely assumed to be due to the influence of RTM Orchestra.

Malaysian rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Rock kapak#

Rock kapak is considered one of the most iconic and popular types of rock in Malaysia. Emerging in the late 1980s, it is characterized by its heavy guitar riffs, melodic vocals, and often emotionally charged lyrics. Pioneering bands such as Search, Wings, XPDC, and helped define this genre, combining elements of classic rock with local musical influences. These bands enjoyed massive popularity throughout the 1990s and became a cornerstone of the Malaysian rock scene.

Minangkabau music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Traditional Minang music#

Traditional Minang music whose origins are related to Malay music is characterized by the Minang style or rent and traditional Minang musical instruments. Minang traditional musical instruments (see description below), namely: saluang, agung (gong), gondang, rebana, serunai, talempong, Minang rabab, gambus, and bansi. However, for traditional events such as weddings, Islamic rebana or gambus are never used. Apart from kaba, dendang with musical instruments accompanies such oral genres as pantun and salawat dulang, and some dances too. Modern Minang music. Minang pop The emergence of modern Minang popular music that sometimes generally called Minang pop traced to the late 19th century, when traditional Talempong gong style ensembles incorporated into thear repertoire Minang pop songs. Contemporary Minang music was born around 1955 with Orkes Gumarang. During 1950s–60s Minang pop created by the composers Ibenzani Usman and Yusaf Rahman, the lyricist Syahrul Tarun Yusuf and others and played by Orkes Kumbang Tjari together with its leading workers Nuskan Sjarif and Elly Kasim, singers-songwriters Oslan Husein with his encemble Teruna Ria and Tiar Ramon, singers Fetty and Nurseha, and Zaenal Combo group. It is influenced by Latin music with bongo punches and marakas games, usually a rhythm similar to rumba, cha-cha-cha, or mambo. Modern Minang music is also the forerunner of Dangdut along with Malay music. The musical instruments used developed with the entry of European musical instruments such as accordion, violin, guitar, piano or keyboard, bass, drums, bongo, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, flute, maracas, and so on. In the 1970s, a more traditional music genre emerged, namely Gamad with Minang-style vocals and Portuguese musical instruments. Albums by songwriter and singer Yan Juneid Sarunai Aceh and Bunga Tanjuang are referred to as albums of the revival of Minang music which was previously dominated by Western and Indonesian songs. Among other figures, singer-songwriter Rustam Raschani and singer Upik Saunang. Two legendary figures of Minang pop from the 1970s who did not mix the traditional Dendang singing style with non-Minang music (Malay, Arabic, Indian, Western) were songwriters and singers Adjis Sutan Sati and Sawir Sutan Mudo. Minang-language songs of the 20th – 21st century are very open in their form to the influence of other forms of music, starting from (1) Pop (songwriters Agusli Taher and B. Andoeska, singers-songwriters Alkawi, Asben and Nedi Gampo, singers Zalmon, Ajo Buset, Alwi Oslan, Amelda Lesty, Amriz Arifin, An Roys, Asman, Beniqno, Betharia Sonatha, Boy Shandy, Christin Aziz, Eddy Silitonga, Efrinon, Elda, Elvia, Fauzana, Hetty Koes Endang, Irni Yusnita, Iyeth Bustami, Jhon Kinawa, Joni Linggo, Kardi Tanjung, Kintani, Lily Syarif, Ocha Oktavia, Ratu Sikumbang, Rayola, Ria Amelia, Rina Fhasma, Rosinda YS, Roza, Ruskam, Seruni Pilang, Upiak Isil, Vanny Vabiola, Vivied Yuza, Waty Tanjung, Wirdaningsih, Wisye Pranadewi, Yan Bastian, Yen Rustam, Yenny Puspita, and Carano’s Band), (2) Dangdut, both in the regional subgenre of dendang saluang dangdut (Cimpago group together with Erri Tamala and Mel Rah Cani, Adjis Sutan Sati, Asben, Ellyzamiarti, Gafur Syah, Misramolai, Nisya Laila, Sawir Sutan Mudo, Upik Malay, Yenny Mustika) and common dangdut (singer and songwriter Ujang Virgo, singers Amriz Arifin, Beniqno, Daniel Saniara, Devi Rose, Dhinda Rozi, Fani Sun, Leni Alvin, Liza Tania, Ralmi Muas, Riri Anjeli, Sahar Panker, Tety Liany), (3) Reggae (Melati, Upik Saunang, Yan Juneid, and others), (4) Pop rock, rock-n-roll and rock (Andra Respati, Chika Andriani, Fabian, Elsa Pitaloka, Eno Viola, Ipank, Ovhi Firsty, Rayola, Sultan Tanjung, Thomas Arya), even (5) Disco, dance-pop dan electronic dance music similar to Indonesian Funkot (Chika Andriani, Elda, Fani Sun, Jushia, Liza Tania, Misramolai, Mita Viose, Novi Barat, Ratu Sikumbang, Regina, Ria Amelia, Riri Anjeli, Uria Novita, Yenny Mustika, and duet Ririn Trichani & Asnaria Jambak). In contemporary music, two trends coexist: (1) an ethnic pop, the use of traditional Minang musical elements in works (for example, some songs of the young singers Amelda Lesty and Joni Linggo are accompanied by the sound of the rabab) or (2) full adherence to national and international musical standards while maintaining the lyrics in the Minangkabau language, such as a number of sentimental ballads.

Minus-One recordings

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Record production genre#

As a genre of record production in the Philippines, the inclusion of a ‘minus-one’ Side-B reduced the production cost of a 45 RPM 7-inch “single” by foregoing the need for yet another song to occupy the 7-inch record’s flip side. It also encouraged buyers to “sing along” with the bonus accompaniment of the “hit single”. A “minus-one mix” would not necessarily be wholly instrumental, as backing vocals of the song’s original mix may be retained. The concept of instrumental B-sides to complement their full versions became a production trend of the Philippine record industry of the 1980s, which was replicated overseas. In the ensuing years, tracks from minus-one flip sides were assembled by production houses for their inclusion in compilations.

Mor lam

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Appellation#

In Laos, morlam / mor lam/ molam /mo lam refers to the traditional folk music genre and also the singer, and when referencing the subgenre, the word ລຳ, lam is used followed by the specific genre/beat/region name, ex: lam salavan. In northern Laos, the regional folk music styles are referred to as ຂັບ, khap , and signifies ’to sing’ or a ‘song’. The Lao-speaking people across the river in Isan call the music หมอลำ, mo lam, , Laos, the equivalent term ໝໍລຳ, molam Lao ໝໍ and Isan หมอ, both mo , (as well as Thai หมอ, mo ) refers specifically to an ’expert’, ‘shaman’, or ‘doctor’. The northern Lao terms ขับ, khap and mokhap , are not used in Isan, but are likely still used in some Lao-speaking parts of Loei, Uttaradit, and Phitsanulok that were settled by people originally from northern Laos, however, khap is understood as a rarer word for ’to sing’ or ‘song’ and in reference to specifically northern styles of lam. Northern Lao areas refer to the khène/khaen player as the mokhène/mokhaen just as in the rest of Laos and Isan. In standard Thai, the music and the singer, as adopted from Isan usage, is also known as หมอลำ, molam, but because of the tone differences is generally pronounced . It is also common to “correct” or “translate” the Isan term into standard Thai as หมอรำ, mo ram , as Thai รำ, ram , is cognate to Lao ລຳ and Isan ลำ and shares the same meaning. Although Thai ขับ khap

Music of Java

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Gamelan#

The gamelan orchestra, based on metallic idiophones and drums, is perhaps the form which is most readily identified as being distinctly “Javanese” by outsiders. In various forms, it is ubiquitous to Southeast Asia. In Java, the full gamelan also adds a bowed string instrument (the rebab, a name illustrative of Islamic influence), plucked siter, vertical flute suling and voices. The rebab is one of the main melodic instruments of the ensemble, together with the metallophone gendér; these and the kendang drums are often played by the most experienced musicians. Voices usually consist of a male chorus gerong, together with a female soloist pesindhen; however, the voices are not usually featured in court gamelan (as opposed to wayang kulit, shadow puppet theatre) and are supposed to be heard discreetly in the middle of the orchestral sound. In these abstract pieces, the words are largely secondary to the music itself. There are two tuning systems in Javanese gamelan music, slendro (pentatonic) and pelog (heptatonic in full, but focusing on a pentatonic group). Tuning is not standard, rather each gamelan set will have a distinctive tuning. There are also distinct melodic modes (pathet) associated with each tuning system. A complete gamelan consists of two of sets of instrument, one in each tuning system. Different gamelan sets have different sonorities, and are used for different pieces of music; many are very old, and used for only one specific piece. Musical forms are defined by the rhythmic cycles. These consist of major cycles punctuated by the large gong, subdivided by smaller divisions marked by the striking of smaller gongs such as kenong, kempul and kethuk. The melodic interplay takes place within this framework (technically called “colotomic structure”).

Nanguan music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Repertoire#

Nanguan repertory () falls into three overlapping styles, called , and (, and in Mandarin), differentiated by the contexts in which they occur, by their function, the value accorded them by musicians and by their formal and timbral natures. * () or () literally means “finger set”, is the longest repertoire: it is normally half to one hour in length, of two to five sections usually, each section being known as a or (“piece”). There are currently 48 sets of , consisting of the original 36 sets (inner sets) and the 12 sets (outer sets) added later. It runs through long pieces with a strong timbre, contains a lot of high and long notes, and has no resting sections. Each is associated with a lyric that alludes to a story. The content of the lyrics mainly comes from historical stories, mostly describing the joys and sorrows of love between men and women. Although, this may denote origins in song or opera, today is an important and respected instrumental repertory. However, the song text significantly eases the memorising of the piece. * () or () literally means “notation”, more formally as (“refined notation”), are purely instrumental and typically performed by a 5-instrument ensemble. The content tends to describe the scenery and objects, and express feelings through objects. is considered to be a representative of the elegance and solemnity of Nanguan. * () or () “verse”, is a vocal repertory: two thousand pieces exist in manuscript. The singer is the main character during performance. The tune of each comes from the tune of the Nanguan tune system (). It is lighter and less conservative in repertory and performance than . Most popular pieces today are in a fast common metre and last around five minutes.

Nhã nhạc

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Nhã Nhạc#

Vietnamese court music was performed at annual ceremonies, including anniversaries and religious holidays, as well as special events such as coronations, funerals or official receptions, by highly trained and skilled court musicians. Along with the musicians, a number of intricate court dances also exist (see Traditional Vietnamese dance). Both musicians and dancers wore elaborately designed costumes during their performances. File:The-chamber-music-ensemble-performing-at-Queen-Nam-Phuongs-Dien-Tho-Palace.jpg Imperial court musicians in 1937 File:The-orchestra-of-the-Nguyen-dynasty-court.jpg Imperial musicians File:The-orchestra-of-Hue-Royal-Court-Music-in-the-past.jpg Court lady musicians While the largest foreign influence on nhã nhạc came from the Ming dynasty court of China, later on there were also adapted a few elements from the music of Champa, which the Vietnamese court found intriguing.

Pinpeat

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

According to Chuon Nath’s Khmer dictionary, the ‘Pinpeat’ is composed of the Sanskrit terms vina/ pin () referring to the pin (harp), which was formerly used as the premiere instrument in this ensemble, and vadya/ padya/ peat () referring to an ensemble of instruments. According to Sonankavei, the professor from the Department of Music of the Cambodian Royal University of Fine Art, the word pinpeat is derived from the combination of two musical instruments including pin (harp) and vadya/ peat, referring to a genre of kong called kongpeat. The Laotian adoption of Khmer pinpeat is called pinphat. The term piphat was also used among Cambodians familiar with the Thai language; this can be attributed to the former annexation of the northern provinces of Cambodia, however, Pinpeat in fact originated from Cambodia.

Piphat

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Types of piphat#

The smallest piphat, called piphat khrueang ha, is composed of six instruments: pi nai (oboe); ranat ek (xylophone); khong wong yai (gong circle); taphon or other Thai drums; glong thad, a set of two large barrel drums beaten with sticks; and ching (small cymbals). Often other small percussion instruments such as krap or chap are used. A slightly larger piphat ensemble is called piphat khrueang khu, and consists of eight musical instruments. The other two instruments are the ranat thum (xylophone), which produces a deeper sound than the ranat ek, and khong wong lek, a gong circle that is higher in pitch than the khong wong yai. The largest form of piphat ensemble is the piphat khrueang yai, which consists of ten musical instruments. Another ones are ranat ek lek and ranat thum lek; these are almost the same as their ancestors, the ranat ek and ranat thum, but they have keys made from metal instead of wood.

Pop kreatif

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition#

The term “pop kreatif” first appeared in Indonesian media in the 1980s. Other terms associated with the genre include “contemporary pop,” “trendy pop,” and “high-class pop” (pop kelas atas). The ban on pop melankolis had created an opportunity for musicians experimenting with jazz fusion and new wave styles, characterized by heavy use of synthesizers, to rise to prominence. To academic Kitano, he draws parallels between pop kreatif and the work of Japanese artists like Yamashita Tatsuro, likening it to the evolution of Japanese pop into what is often referred to as “new music.” He suggests that pop kreatif represents a form of contemporary or trendy pop, characterized by its innovative approach. Whilst at its core, pop kreatif stands out as a genre that caters to urban, cosmopolitan audiences, reflecting modern influences and tastes that set it apart from traditional mainstream music.

Pop melankolis

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition#

The term “pop melankolis” was coined by Indonesian songwriter Rinto Harahap to describe his style of music, which was described as “cengeng” (whiny or weepy) by Harmoko. It is also known as “pop manis” (sweet pop). The music of pop melankolis is characterized by elementary chord progressions harkening back to American traditional pop from the 1950s-1960s, as heard in songs like “Unchained Melody”, which follows the progression of C major – A minor – F major – G major, sometimes with additional variations like E minor or D minor. This structure gives pop melankolis its signature sentimental and sorrowful feel, making songs in this genre easily recognizable for their evocative and poignant mood. Instruments used include guitars, keyboards and drums, and often include synthesizers especially in the 1980s. Answer songs, a staple of country music in the 1950s, was also a common trend in this subgenre.

Pop melayu

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The progenitor of this genre is the frequent movement of bangsawan acts between Malaya, Deli (now Medan), Riau Islands and Java which later developed into Orkes Melayu (“Malay orchestra”) starting in the 1930s, their compositions took from Indian and Arabic influences played with Western instruments, while their song lyrics often took from pantun. Malayan-Singaporean cinema was often a huge inspiration, especially from P. Ramlee. In 1960s Singapore, many ‘fast guitar groups’ (kumpulan gitar rancak, abbreviated as kugiran) sprung among the Malay community there influenced by contemporary Western music incorporating similar traditions. Since the 2010s, There are two pop melayu streams including the classification which is popular in Malaysia and the other is in Indonesia. In Indonesia early, pop melayu was popular in the mid-2000s which was pioneered by ST12. Until now, there have been many popular music groups with this genre. Those that managed to penetrate the domestic and international markets included ST12, Wali, Kangen Band, Armada, Radja, Hijau Daun, Dadali, Repvblik, Demeises, and others. The success of the pop melayu genre in dominating the market share in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei in general has also changed the color of the arrangements of pop genre music groups which were originally popular.

Quan họ

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

Quan Ho, folk song, MP3, Video
Quan ho MP3, Video
Nhac dan ca
Dan Ca Viet

Rock kapak

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The Malay term kapak literally translates to “axe” in English. However, in this instance, it is considered to be a corruption of the English term, “car park”. Many early Malaysian rock bands would put on performances, also known as “fun fairs”, in car parks, as they were a readily available and affordable urban public space. The name “rock kapak” was thus adopted as a somewhat ironic term, distinguishing local, Malaysian rock artists from more established, “foreign” rock artists performing in stadiums. A major subset of rock kapak music is labelled as “jiwang”, a Malay slang term used to denote (an often extravagant or excessive level of) romanticism or sentimentalism, in a similar way to the English slang terms “soppy” or “schmaltzy”. The term gained popularity in tandem with the elaborate, romantic rock kapak ballads that dominated Malaysian pop charts and popular culture throughout the 1990s.

Senja (genre)

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Background#

Historically, the term “indie” means independent, referring to musicians or bands that produce and distribute their work independently, without the auspices of a major label. In Indonesia itself, the independent music scene has been around since the 1970s, when rock band God Bless worked without a major label (called underground at the time). In Indonesia, the 1990s marked a shift in terminology as the term “indie” gradually supplanted “underground” to describe independent music movements. During this period, several influential bands emerged and became cornerstones of the Indonesian indie scene. Among them were Mocca, Pas Band, Pure Saturday, NAIF, Efek Rumah Kaca (ERK), Goodnight Electric, and numerous others. These groups contributed to the diversification and popularization of indie music in Indonesia, each bringing distinct sounds and identities that broadened the genre’s appeal. However, the “indie” genre as a musical style with a “non-mainstream” connotation only developed later; especially in the 2000s, many independent bands emerged with a variety of genres (from alternative rock to jazz). The tradition of musicalising poetry in the previous decade also provided the foundation for the birth of Senja music. The senior folk duo AriReda (Ari Malibu & Reda Gaudiamo), who since the 1980s have consistently turned poems by writers into acoustic songs, inspired a new generation of poetic indie musicians. Young musicians such as Payung Teduh, the duo Teman Sebangku, Banda Neira, and soloist Frau recognise that AriReda’s musical approach has influenced their works, paving the way for the development of the senja indie genre in the present era.

Singapore hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Singlish surfaced from the earliest hip-hop music liberation of Singapore from a nonexistent band called “Kopi Kat Klan”. In the 1990s, rap duo Construction Sight, consisting of Sheikh Heikel and Ashidiq Ghazali, after winning Asia Bagus Grand Championship, a talent show, was credited as “Singapore’s first ever rap group”. After winning the Grand Championship, they released a few rap albums. Sheikh was considered the god-father of the Singapore’s rap scene. In Canada, Masiah One of Merdek’s music is cited as the most successful Singapore-born, female rapper in the island’s music industry. In 2011, there was a year, graffiti got the most brilliance, as AsNo Doink and Clogtwo represented in Taiwan and took the 2nd Asian Wall-Lords finals for Singapore, which was the highest honour any artist graffiti have achieved in Singapore. And in 2014, Asno Doink represented Singapore & Asia in a meeting of the Styles of the World to meet in Wisbeden Germany as part of the Made from Skratch Eurotour. He was awarded the “Best Text Writer” Award for his Javi inspired text. He together Made from Skratch, and his crew #ProjectBurnerz, collaborate with the *scape on a graffiti wall mural in August 2014, so that they would leave a mark on the most prominent wall in Singapore. Negotiations of another mural was planned in 2020. In 2012, 2 beatboxers represented Singapore at the Beatbox Battle World Championship held in Berlin. They were Zul Mystroe (showcase category) and Dharni (battle category). Dharni, which earlier in 2009, was placed 4th in the Beatbox Battle World Championship and has been crowned World Champion in 2015

Sundanese music

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Traditional instruments#

In Sundanese music the term musical instrument or musical sound produced in various ways is called Waditra. In Sundanese music, there are several Waditra, namely Waditra Tiup (inflatable), Waditra Takol (beat), Waditra Tepak (tap), Waditra Keset (mat) and Waditra Geter (vibrate).

Aerophones#

Suling, are made mainly of “tamiang” bamboo (Schizostachyum blumei, Nees), a long, thin-walled bamboo tube. The mouthpiece of the suling is circled with a thin band made of rattan near a small hole.
Toleat, similar to a Suling, but the sound produced is similar to a Saxophone and differs from blowing techniques.
Tarompét, a kind of trumpet sound, a typical variant of Sundanese music, which is made of wood and has seven sound holes.
Goong Awi, a narrow open tube of bamboo about 4 cm in diameter and 110 cm long is placed inside a larger bamboo tube about 15 cm in diameter and of similar length, closed by a natural node at the lower end.

Idiophones#

Angklung, instrument consisting of two to four bamboo tubes suspended in a bamboo frame, bound with rattan cords. The tubes are carefully whittled and cut by a master craftsperson to produce certain notes when the bamboo frame is shaken or tapped. Each Angklung produces a single note or chord, so several players must collaborate in order to play melodies. On November 18, 2010, UNESCO officially recognized the Indonesian angklung as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
Gamelan Sunda, a multi-timbre ensemble consisting of metallophones, xylophones, flutes, gongs, voices, as well as bowed and plucked strings.
Calung, consists of multiple bamboo tubes which are struck at the base to produce a woody sound.
Karinding, a musical instrument made of a tube of bambu about one foot long and one inch in bore, at the end of which is held a small instrument with a tongue to it . This instrument is struck by the finger and blown upon, when a sound like a Jew’s harp.

Membranophones#

Kendang, instruments are to be made from the wood of jackfruit, coconuts or cempedak. Buffalo hide is often used for the bam (inferior surface which emits low-pitch beats) while soft goatskin is used for the chang (superior surface which emits high-pitch beats).
Dogdog, a wooden musical instrument in the shape of a cylinder, the center is made of a hole, with one side covered with a Goat Skin membrane, which consists of 4 sets of instruments with different beats.
Dogdog Lojor, a wooden musical instrument is in the form of an elongated cylinder. The center is made of a hollow, with one side covered with a membrane of Goatskin. This goat skin is stretched by being tied with a rope made of bamboo skin. The degree of stretching of the goat skin determines the sound produced.
Celempung, a musical instrument made of sharp cut bamboo, which utilizes the resonant waves present in the segment of the bamboo culm.

Chordophones#

Kacapi, the instrument has a resonance box with the bottom exposed to allow the sound to come out, the sides of this type of kacapi taper inward from top to bottom, which gives the instrument the shape of a boat. In ancient times, it was made directly from solid wood by means of a hole. This is on par with Guzheng.
Jentreng, a kind of lute instrument with seven strings. The size is much smaller when compared to kacapi in general. Made from flower wood (ylang) or jackfruit wood.
Tarawangsa, stringed instruments have a resonator made of wood with a long neck with the number of strings between 2 and 3 strands.

Sundanese Daminatila#

It’s a kind of numbered musical notation like the solfège, but it uses a different system: high numbers correspond to low tones, and vice versa. This system might seem to be counterintuitive to people who are already familiar with the western solfège. There are only 5 notes used in each scales: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, read as da, mi, na, ti, and la. The absolute tones depend on the scale used and the base frequency, which don’t adhere to western standards. Traditional angklung have some common scales: saléndro, degung/pélog, and sorog/madenda.

Talempong

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Cultural contexts#

There are many different styles of talempong. Those that are considered older include talempong pacik (“handheld talempong”) and talempong duduak (“seated talempong”). Those that are newer include talempong kreasi (new creation talempong) which evolved in the late 1960s and early 70s from the institution known at the time as Akademi Seni Karawitan Indonesia (ASKI) which is now known as Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Padang Panjang. A later development includes talempong goyang (“talempong that shakes or rocks”) which brings in pop influences. These ensembles can be used to accompany dance or welcoming performances, such as the typical Tari Piring, Tari Pasambahan, Tari Alang, Tari Suntiang Pangulu and Tari Gelombang. Depending on the style, a variety of instruments can be added to the talempong themselves: accordion, synthesizer, saluang, gandang, serunai and other traditional Minangkabau instruments. Talempong can be used to play a wide variety of music traditional and modern. Talempong have also been used in some experimental gamelan pieces composed at Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia Surakarta, which has West Sumatran instructors and students.

Tifa totobuang

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Tifa#

The tifa drums used for the tifa totobuang have been classed into five sizes. These include, from smallest to largest: *tifa jekir *tifa dasar (basic tifa) *tifa potong *tifa jekir potong *tifa bas (bass tifa) Each size of instrument has a different sound, and they are blended together in the orchestra. Different images and videos of the tifas being played show them drummed with empty hands, with sticks and with a combination of the two.

V-pop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

During the early 1970s, the youth music of Saigon, known as nhạc trẻ Sài Gòn or kích động nhạc (“exciting music”), was popular. After 1975, this musical scene was outlawed. In the 1990s, Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism promoted the term nhạc xanh (literally “green music”) as part of an effort to steer audiences away from nhạc vàng (“yellow music”), the sentimental South Vietnamese pop that remained politically sensitive after reunification. Also in the 1990s, the phrase nhạc nhẹ (soft music) appeared when Vietnam was opening up to the world. Nhạc trẻ (youth music) was used in the early 2000s. The phrase V-pop was created by artists from the North, including Hanoi.

Vè

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

It is used primarily in satirical poems, and is also performed with the accompaniment of percussion instruments. It is often used to make humorous observations about a certain topic, as a form of social criticism. A vè poem or song consists of rhyming couplets, in which the final syllable of every other row rhymes with the final syllable in the next row. The rhyme scheme () is therefore : #xxxa #xxxb #xxxb #xxxc #xxxc #xxxd :etc. The following is an example of vè, in which the words that rhyme are highlighted. Some examples:

Vietnamese diasporic music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin#

This branch of music was generated from the yellow music in Vietnam. Yellow music (nhạc vàng) refers to music produced in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, named in opposition to red music (nhạc đỏ) endorsed by the socialist government of North Vietnam during the era of the Vietnamese War. Oftentimes, yellow music is also referred to as new music (tân nhạc), or sugary music (nhạc sến). These terms are reserved for songs that could be considered as popular music, opposed to ritual (like chầu văn), classical or folk music. Most yellow music has been associated with the bolero genre. The term continues to be used by Communist officials in Vietnam to describe songs that they find too sentimental, for example, love songs, that “lead people into a state of suffering over love, the opposite of the ideal happiness that people expect to find in it.” For Communist revolutionaries, the term “yellow music” has always had a pejorative meaning. However, some music sellers in Saigon, used it as a positive term, stamping “yellow music” on their tape and records to identify the sentimental music they were peddling.

Vinahouse

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Xẩm

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History and performers#

The origin of xẩm was dated from the Trần dynasty in the 14th century. During the dynastic time, xẩm was popular in the Northern region of Vietnam. At the beginning of the 20th century, xẩm artists performed on the trams of the public transport system of Hanoi, so this type of folk music was sometimes called xẩm tàu điện (tram xẩm). When the tram lines were abandoned in the 1980s, xẩm tàu điện disappeared and xẩm gradually fell into oblivion. Nowadays, xẩm is considered an endangered form of Vietnamese traditional music because the number of experienced artists rapidly declines while the younger generation usually prefers modern types of music. She was one of the few artisans who was honoured by the title Nghệ sĩ ưu tú (Outstanding Artist of Vietnam). There are several efforts to preserve and propagate xẩm, such as the introduction of xẩm performance in the Đồng Xuân night market, and encouraging young artists to learn xẩm from old artisans.

Xinyao

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Birth#

The local xinyao movement started in the early 1980s by students from secondary schools, junior colleges and polytechnics. They were influenced primarily by minyao (民謠), a Taiwanese folk songs movement in the 1970s, school campus songs (校園民歌) from Taiwan. The Taiwanese folk genre sought an authentic native Taiwan identity exemplified by songs such as “Grandma’s Penghu Bay” (外婆的澎湖灣). The rise in popularity of the campus folk song especially among the Chinese students and schools came at a time of major education reforms led by Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Goh Keng Swee which sought to streamline and align Chinese education into the national syllabus. Xinyao groups had their first exposure on radio and television in April 1982, on the half-hour Chinese radio programme, Our Song Writers, in April 1982. In September the same year, Nanyang Technological University’s Chinese-language newspaper, Nanyang Business Daily, organised a seminar titled The Songs We Sing (我們唱著歌). The seminar revolved around discussing the trend of xinyao’s emergence.

Xoan singing

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External links#

Media services: “Viet Nam: Xoan singing of Phú Thọ Province”, UNESCO.org.
“Xoan Singing”, Vietnam-Culture.com.
“Xoan singing in Phu Tho Province”, VietnamTourism.com.
“Xoan singing is heritage in need of preservation: UNESCO”, ThanhNienNews.com.

Yellow music

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China#

Yellow music () or yellow songs () was a label used to describe early generations of shidaiqu, i.e. Chinese popular music in Shanghai from the 1920s to the 1940s. The color yellow is associated with eroticism and sex in the country, since 黄, huáng, the Mandarin character for “yellow”, also means “erotic”. The Chinese Communist Party saw pop music as sexually indecent and labeled the C-pop genre as such. These restrictions prompted many Shanghai artists to flee to Hong Kong, where it reached its height in the 1950s until the late 1960s, when it was displaced by Mandarin-language Taiwanese pop (and later by Cantopop). The term was used continually up to the Cultural Revolution. By the early 1980s, however, yellow music could be performed again.

Southeast Asia on Music Theory Print

Ayai

History#

Beleganjur

History#

Bolero

Origins#

Burmese hip-hop

First generation#

Ca Huế

History#

Ca trù

History#

Cải lương

History and description#

Cambodian rock (1960s–1970s)

Post-independence period#

Celempungan

Chầu văn

External links#

Chèo

History#

Dangdut

Development#

Dikir barat

Description#

Đờn ca tài tử

Etymology#

Performance#

Dondang Sayang

See also#

External links#

Funkot

History#

Gambang kromong

Instruments#

History#

Gamelan

Etymology#

Gamelan gender wayang

Religious and cultural context#

Gamelan gong gede

Style#

Popularity#

Gamelan gong kebyar

History#

Religious and cultural significance#

Gamelan jegog

Instruments#

Gamelan joged bumbung

See also#

External links#

Gamelan semar pegulingan

See also#

Discography#

References#

Ghazal

Etymology and pronunciation#

Poetic form#

Harana (serenade)

Form#

Hipdut

History#

Hò khoan

Indo pop

History#

Indonesian rock

1940s - 1960s#

Indorock

History#

Kecak

History#

Khrueang sai

Playing context#

Varieties#

Koplo

Characteristics#

Kroncong

Characteristics#

Kulintang