Dangdut facts for kids

Dangdut is a lively type of dance and folk music from Indonesia. It started on the island of Java. This music style mixes sounds from Hindustani (Indian) and Arabic music. It also includes some local folk music.

Dangdut is super popular in Indonesia and other Malay World countries. People love its catchy tunes and singing. A special beat from the tabla and gendang drums makes Dangdut unique.

Some of the most famous Dangdut singers include Rhoma Irama, often called the "King of Dangdut." Other popular artists are Mansyur S., Meggy Z, and Ellya Khadam. Their songs often have strong Indian music influences in their melodies and rhythms.

A typical Dangdut band has a main singer, who can be male or female. They are backed by four to eight musicians. The instruments usually include a tabla, gendang, flute, mandolin, guitars, sitar, drum machines, and synthesizers. Over time, Dangdut has grown to include many different musical styles. Modern Dangdut now mixes in sounds from Middle Eastern pop, Western rock, house music, hip hop, disco, contemporary R&B, and reggae.

Dangdut was most popular in the 1990s. By 2012, it was still very well-liked in western Indonesia. However, it became less common in the eastern parts, except for the Maluku. Meanwhile, faster and more regional types of Dangdut grew in popularity. These new styles were different from the slower, Bollywood-influenced Dangdut.

How Dangdut Developed

A modern Dangdut performance

The word dangdut sounds like the drums used in the music. It's an onomatopoeia for the sounds dang and ndut made by the tabla or gendang drum.

A writer named Putu Wijaya first mentioned the term in a magazine called Tempo in 1972. He said that a popular song from India sounded like a mix of Malay songs, desert rhythms, and Indian "dang-ding-dut." The music magazine Aktuil also used the term.

However, Rhoma Irama said that rich people first used the word to make fun of the music of poorer people. Even though it started as a joke, the musicians playing it liked the name. Rhoma Irama even used the term in his famous 1973 Dangdut song, Terajana:

Sulingnya suling bambu - The flute, a bamboo flute

Gendangnya kulit lembu - The drum, from cow hide

Dangdut suara gendang rasa ingin berdendang - Dangdut's drum sound makes you want to sing

The term Dangdut helped tell the music of Javanese people apart from Orkes Melayu (Malay orchestra) music from North Sumatra. Besides Orkes Melayu, a big influence on Dangdut was Indian Bollywood music, also known as Filmi. The song "Terajana" even honors a Bollywood hit from 1959 called "Tera Jana Ke." Even though most Dangdut songs are in Indonesian, they still show respect for their Indian roots. The next part of "Terajana" goes like this:

Terajana... Terajana - Terajana, Terajana

Ini lagunya... lagu India - This is the song, song of India

In the 1970s, Orkes Melayu singer Ellya Khadam started singing Dangdut. By 1972, she was the most popular artist in Indonesia. Her success, along with Rhoma Irama's, meant that by 1975, 75% of all recorded music in Indonesia was Dangdut. Even pop bands like Koes Plus started playing in the Dangdut style.

Dangdut in Culture

Most big cities in Indonesia, especially on Java, have places where you can see a Dangdut show several times a week. Concerts by famous Dangdut stars are also shown on television.

Dangdut is still a very important part of Indonesian life and pop culture. Some people have different views on certain performance styles. However, Dangdut remains widely loved.

Because the music is so popular, some movies and TV shows are all about Dangdut. Examples include movies starring Rhoma Irama and Rudy Soedjarwo's film Mendadak Dangdut.

Gallery

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  Rhoma Irama is known as "Raja Dangdut" (the King of Dangdut)

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  The tabla is one of the most important and main percussion instrument in Dangdut

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  Koplo singer in Yogyakarta

See also

In Spanish: Dangdut para niños