Publication Date

Spring 2025

Comments

Music has played a foundational role in shaping Indonesian national identity, beginning with the 1928 debut of Indonesia Raya, which galvanized anti-colonial sentiment and later became the national anthem. By following artists like Iwan Fals, Slank, Sukatani, and now the student scene, one can begin to understand the ways in which music and art have impacted national identity and politics- utilizing the collective voice to mobilize for change. This paper investigates how contemporary Indonesian musicians and art organizations—particularly in Y ogyakarta —employ music as a form of political resistance, blending Indonesian culture with modern genres to challenge dominant narratives and mobilize communities. I was particularly interested in the evolution of interest in politics and how that makes its way into artistic spaces, as well as how students are less interested in overt political messaging, as I concluded through my interviews. Using a qualitative, interdisciplinary approach rooted in ethnomusicology and cultural history, this research draws on interviews with student musicians, attendance at performances, and parallel research analysis. Fieldwork at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Institut Seni Indonesia, and local venues provided insight into how young Indonesians create and interpret protest music today. The findings show that music has been used, in various capacities and levels of clarity, since Indonesian inception. The implementation may have evolved but the general purpose remains the same. This research emphasizes the significance of cultural understanding when studying music, that the two are fundamentally inseparable when looking into intention, creation, and marketing.

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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