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| Project Pop Makes Dangdut Hip! |
by Farah 'Fairy' Mahdzan 
(16-Sep-2003) | Readers Say |
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Some folks are fast to give dangdut music a turn of the nose because the music is usually considered old-fashioned, kampungan and un-cool; furthermore it is supposedly the music of the lower social class bracket. Others are turned off simply by the music's typically coarse lyrics, underlying political messages and the sexual innuendos suggested by the erotic gyrating that is the signature of dangdut dancing. Dangdut is originally from Indonesia and has spread to neighboring countries such as Malaysia and some parts of the Philippines. The music is lively and has musical influences from different cultures namely Indian, Arabic and of course, Malay. The word "dangdut" is thought to have originated from the dang-dang-dut-dut sound that comes from the Indian drum tabla which gives the music its heartbeat. The lyrics given to the music are often blatant in issues such as life sufferings, love betrayals, and discontentment towards the political powers that be. In other words, dangdut is supposedly the voice of the poor and oppressed. Contrary to my preference in music, I would like to invite you to sample some dangdut music. But not just any ordinary type of dangdut song; Project Pop's Dangdut is the Music of My Country, a song in which dangdut has been fused with nu metal music!
Project Pop! (P-O-P Go Go!)
Anyone who listens to Project Pop will tell you straight out that the hip band is nothing short of insane. It's not that their music is indecipherable; if anything the tunes the group churns out are very original, cool and catchy. What really set Project Pop apart from the average Indonesian music band are their unbelievably comedic and rib-tickling lyrics, and their seriousness to not be serious!
Needless to say when I heard that the Bandung band was going to incorporate some dangdut into their latest album PopOK, I was already laughing my intestines out even before listening to it! This is certainly not the first time that such amalgamations of dangdut and rock are done in Indonesia. Rhoma Irama was well-known in the 1970s for his renditions of rock dangdut, while Alam made headlines in the Indonesian music industry last year with his phenomenally successful metal dangdut songs, Mbah Dukun in particular. In Project Pop's case, mixing dangdut with their music posed an interesting question mark as the band is what young Indonesians consider gaul (trendy). People don't really expect hip and stereotypically old-fashioned music to go well together but this time Project Pop fans (myself included) were willing to make an exception. The new Metal-Dangdut single is not without agenda; apart from entertaining the masses, Project Pop attempts to remind Indonesia, young and old, that despite the notorious misunderstandings that occur among the many different ethnic groups in the nation, there is one thing that all Indonesians supposedly have in common: dangdut music!
The Video Clip Review Despite the song title, Dangdut is the Music of My Country is sung entirely in Bahasa Indonesia (minus the chorus, which just comprises the title being repeated a few times). The video clip starts off in rock metal music style as two groups of hooligans round up to meet for a big fight. Everyone's just feeling crazy and revved up for an evening of terrorizing and beating the crap out of their opponents for reasons that God only knows. (I bet it's because some dude was careless enough to get caught flirting with another gang member's girl. Like all manly fights, it's almost always about the girls. Ladies, bear with me.)
At this point the song is breaking into a one-liner verse before the chorus, in which the long-haired peace keeper asks "Apakah yang dapat menyatukan kita?" (What will bring us together?) Gugum's question is answered when you hear "Salah satunya dengan musik." (Music!) In a heart-beat-stopping moment, the mood of the song literally changes when Tika sets off a boom box while importantly declaring:
"DANGDUT IS THE MUSIC OF MY COUNTRY!"
I must admit however that my body went into all sorts of reaction when this dangdut chorus part came along; I was getting squeamish goosebumps (geli!) and yet at the same time I couldn't stop laughing (kocak abis!). It was one confusing biological reaction.
Because Oon and Yossi are unable comprehend and manage their emotions, they burst into tears of frustration and madness.
 Oh no, the music's contagious! Yossi has just fallen victim to the dang-dang-dut-dut music! He's wiggling his rearend in sync with the drum beats!
 The first dangdut chorus is ending, the rock music is kicked into gear again as the song goes into second verse. But what's happened to the gangs?
They've come out of their peaceful trance and are now back to bite each others' heads off! Oh, won't someone please turn the dangdut music back on?? This next set of screen captures are some of my favorite scenes from the video clip as Gugum dramatically reenacts the differences in people's appearances.
 Gugum tries to make peace again between the two gangs by making a weird appearance for the second time, this time by popping out from a crate box like a Jack-in-the-box toy! You know what that means right?
"DANGDUT IS THE MUSIC OF MY COUNTRY!"Everyone now is just raving mad. Not only are these punks dancing to dangdut music, but now they're doing it in unison, like those synchronized dancers in Hindi movies minus the sari and the rain!
My my, look which macho gang leader is having the time of his life... Well you get the gist of how the entire video clip is arranged. Of course, being Project Pop, they just had to end the video clip on a most peculiar note with Gugum cradling a toy baby that was actually hidden underneath his coat. If that wasn't strange enough, the lifeless thing wailed to the tune of the dangdut chorus whilst the huge crowd of gangsters clapped and cheered victoriously, thus putting a baffling closure to all the 4 minutes and 8 seconds of madness that is Project Pop's Dangdut is the Music of My Country music video!
 So is this my favorite Indonesian music video clip of the year, you ask? Oh, without a doubt!
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RELATED STORIES:
Dangdut is the Music of My Country
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| WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT Project Pop Makes Dangdut Hip!: |
#52. WOW! I love this song! It's so amazing and inspiring! I so wish I was Indoesian just because of this song! PROJECT POP FOR THE WIN! I especially loved that guy that popped out of the bin. He made me LMAO!  So good man, so good. This song is now my ring tone! Ch'yeeeah boi  Posted by RABZ on 16-Mar-2010, 07:09 MYT
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