RHYTHMIC TRANSNATIONALISM: A COMPARATIVE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF KERONCONG ACCOMPANIMENT PATTERNS IN INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22452/Keywords:
Keroncong, ethnomusicology, Indonesia, Malaysia, Langgam, cultural kinship, musical patternsAbstract
Keroncong in Indonesia and Malaysia reflect the longstanding cultural kinship that has developed across Southeast Asia. Despite its historical and cultural significance, an ethnomusicological study of keroncong as a shared musical tradition between the two countries is lacking. This study is necessitated by the transnational adaptability of keroncong, which has evolved through interactions with local musical traditions such as langgam Jawa, dangdut, and joget. A qualitative approach employing a comparative case study design was used to gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation of performances and musical notation in Semarang, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, and Selangor. The findings reveal that the core instrumental ensemble remains consistent across both countries, comprising cak, cuk, cello, contrabass, and guitar. However, significant variations occur in rhythmic structures and performance styles, particularly in the Cello and bass patterns. In Malaysia, keroncong performances often incorporate joget rhythms characterised by distinctive rhythmic shifts and adaptations of the ‘tak’ sound, whereas in Indonesia, keroncong is enriched through the influence of langgam Jawa and dangdut. These musical differences demonstrate how local aesthetic preferences shape the sonic expression of keroncong while maintaining its fundamental identity. Beyond these technical characteristics, the study also shows that keroncong functions as a social expression, a medium of cultural diplomacy, and a marker of collective identity. The findings position keroncong as a dynamic cultural practice through which local traditions and transnational influences are continually negotiated, fostering cultural connectivity and inter-ethnic exchange across Southeast Asia. More broadly, this study contributes to Southeast Asian studies by providing an ethnomusicological framework for understanding serumpun relations and demonstrating how shared musical heritage can facilitate intercultural dialogue and sustain cultural affinities that transcend contemporary national boundaries. To address these broader concerns, the study investigates three interrelated questions. First, what structural and technical differences characterise the instrumentation patterns of Indonesian and Malaysian keroncong? Second, how do local musical genres, particularly Langgam Jawa in Indonesia and joget in Malaysia, reshape and reinterpret these patterns within their respective cultural contexts? Third, what do these sonic adaptations reveal about the construction and negotiation of localised identities within Maritime Southeast Asia?
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