Malay Popular Songs of Deli, Minang and Minahasa: The Dynamism of Song Characteristics, the Identities of Linguistic, and Musical Expression

Triyono Bramantyo

Abstract


One of the varieties of popular music of Indonesia is the so-called Nyanyian Populer Daerah
(regional pop songs) which usually employs areal dialect, as well as characteristic melodic styles
and expression. The number of these genres in Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula is countless,
since there exist so many local dialects, and musical expression can be found in all of these
regions. This research focuses only on three areal pop songs, two found on the Sumatra Islands
and one found in North Sulawesi. The two genres found on the Sumatra islands (Deli and Minang)
are exceptional as being the chief genres which received its influences from the characteristics
of the original Malay songs, while the other one comes from Minahasa, the music of which has
possesses its own peculiar different melodic styles, but provides the same type of expression in
singing. This research employed fieldwork, as well as study of the selected recordings available
on various types of social media, including Youtube, etc. During the fieldwork, informal
interviews were taken from a number of selected local musicians and singers. The collected data
from the fieldwork then was interpreted and analysed (in the form of object analysis) by means
of musical theory perspectives and aesthetical criticism. As it is presented here, this research is
not in the least comparative, but allows the readers to enjoy the similarities and the differences
of the genres. It was discovered that all the genres shared similar Malay musical idioms in
traditional narratives, as well as oral cultures which demonstrate the dynamism of changes and
sustainability of the local dialects as linguistic expression. Suggestions for further research is
quite vital, since there are still many musical and aesthetical values waiting their turn to undergo
research for future documentation and enhancement of shared values.

Keywords: Malay pop songs, musical idioms, shared values, song characteristics and musical
expression.


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33779/2587-6341.2020.2.126-142

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