Kompas Pagi
Song Indonesian music has developed rapidly since the public loved the physical era,
physical cassettes, and MP3s. Along with the times, all were abandoned and switched
to streaming. Indonesia’s 1945 independence brought its musical color. Keroncong
music, Malay rhythms, and kasidahan flourished during the reign of President
Soekarno. The Soekarno administration issued a ban on foreign-language songs
through the Indonesian political manifesto, which was set as the outline of the country’s
direction to oppose imperialism and colonialism. One of the senior singers, Titiek
Puspa, explained why Bung Karno banned foreign-language songs then. Music
observer Frans Sartono explained that the prohibition of music in foreign languages
made artists move around in their careers. In this era, regional songs became more
popular.
