indonesian music appreciation
Read the following excerpt from the article “Learning How to Listen: Kroncong Music in a Javanese Neighborhood” by Steve Ferzacca.
Then, listen to and watch this example of kroncong music titled “Bengawan Solo.” This video is quite similar to the way the author may have experienced kroncong music in the kampung:
When you are done, respond to at least one of the following prompts.
Indicate which prompt you are responding to. Your post should be a minimum of 200 words long and clearly demonstrate that you read the article.
1. In describing the soundscape of the urban kampung in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the author states “these soundings of daily life only began to make sense to me after some time had passed, and after my attunements to this soundscape depreciated under the spell of familiarity.” What does that mean, and how does this statement relate to your own experiences with the soundscape you described in module 1?
2. Explain the differences between the way the men and the women in the kampung responded to kroncong. What was its significance for each gender? Can you think of other examples of gender differences in musical forms or genres?
3. What does the author mean by “sensibilia“? Explain and give an example of sensibilia from your own life.
4. The author states that kroncong shares a heritage with fado. Find a musical example of fado on YouTube. Post the link and compare it to kroncong. How are they similar? How are they different?
5. The author claims that the most obvious feature of kroncong is its “sense of place.” What does he mean by this statement?
6. The author of this article is not a native of Indonesia. How might the way he perceives and describes the kampung and kroncong differ from the way an Indonesian native perceives it?
7. The author states that in kroncong, “we begin to see ways in which various forms of social hierarchy, past and present, fold into one another.” What does he mean by this statement?