Author: Maria Dessy Fitriani, Student of Brawijaya University, Class of 2019

Maria Dessy Fitriani is one of the students of the Anthropology Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences from Brawijaya University who is currently in her 6th semester. She is participating in the KKN-M program or internship program at the Museum Musik Indonesia. This Gambang Kromong article became one of the tasks carried out during the internship.

Gambang Kromong is one of the traditional orchestras in Betawi that is heavily influenced by Chinese culture. There are many arts that were born in the Betawi tribe, such as Keroncong Tugu, Orkes Rebana, Gambus, Lenong, and Wayang Topeng. And there is one more art that is also presented in the Betawi tribe, that is Gambang Kromong, which became popular in 1880 when Bek Teng Tjoe, the regional head at that time, held the Gambang Kromong music performance to welcome guests. The birth of the Betawi tribe started in the colonial era in Batavia or what is now known as Jakarta. There was a mixing of cultures from abroad which inhabited Batavia, so it became an ethnic group with characteristics called Betawi. The music of Gambang Kromong appeared among the Benteng Chinese, namely the ethnic of Chinese and Betawinese who lived in Batavia and around the outskirts of Tangerang. The Museum Musik Indonesia itself has several collections of physical releases of Gambang Kromong's music such as compact discs, cassette tapes, and many more. As presented below, there is a Compact Disc containing 25 Betawi songs accompanied by Gambang Kromong music.

Gambang is one of the percussion instruments with 18 wooden bars in a Javanese gamelan set, while Kromong is a metal percussion instrument that looks like a Javanese Bonang. Meanwhile, Gambang Kromong is a musical ensemble consisting of Gambang, Kromong, Kongahyan, Tehyan, Sukong, Ningnong, Jutao, Kecrek, Flute/Basing, Gendang, Kempul, and Gong. Tehyan is the iconic stringed instrument of Gambang Kromong and is still used by the Betawi people in accompanying the Lenong theater. The songs played by Gambang Kromong are happy songs, full of humor as well as rhymes. There are three types of songs that are often performed by Gambang Kromong music, namely Pobin songs, Dalem songs, and Sayur songs.

Pobin's song is a classic Gambang Kromong’s song in which some contain only instrumentals and some contain poetry. Pobin songs that contain only instrumentals such as Pobin Kong Ji Liok and those with lyrics such as Pobin Mas Nona. Furthermore, the Dalem song accompanied by the Gambang Kromong’s music contains poetry or rhymes, such as the song Tanjung Burung, Kampung Melayu or Jali-jali Kacang Buncis. The song accompanied by Gambang Kromong is also a Sayur song, which this song is a more-modern song in the Gambang Kromong orchestra. This song begins with a rhyme that is the characteristic of the music’s intro, and the poem contained in the lyrics are unusual, such as Kincir-Kincir, Ondel-ondel, Jali-jali, and Surilang.

Gambang Kromong is a combination of several cultures, which can be seen in its instruments, such as string and woodwind instruments from China, Gendang drum from Sunda, and the Gambang, Kromong, Kempul, Kecrek, and Gong instruments from Java. Gambang Kromong’s music has two different types, old school and modern. The old school Gambang Kromong was used to perform Chinese songs and was only enjoyed by the Benteng Chinese, especially during wedding parties. As time goes by, the music of Gambang Kromong has joined into a modern genre, which is then used to accompany the Lenong theater. And the songs that are sung are also combined with Arab and Western culture, which can be seen from the Rebab and guitar. From Benteng Chinese’s exclusive performance, switched to multipurpose music performed at other celebrations such as Cap Gomeh, the anniversary of the City of Jakarta, and many more.

Gambang Kromong is increasingly recognized by the wider community, thanks to the Betawi artist, Benyamin Sueb. In the 1970s, Benyamin raised the art of Gambang Kromong by combining it with foreign music such as Rock and Blues, which were popular at the time. Not only does he combine it with foreign music, Benyamin also includes modern musical instruments such as organ, electric guitar, and bass guitar into Gambang Kromong's music. Aided by doing a duet with Ida Royani and Rita Zahara, Benyamin Sueb's musical career skyrocketed. In the Museum Musik Indonesia, there is also an album from Benyamin Sueb, which contains a collection of songs that he has brought that are still well-known to this day. Currently, the music of Gambang Kromong follows the development of an increasingly modern era by combining saxophone and drums so that it can perform dangdut, pop and gambus music. The Gambang Kromong artist who is still famous today is Suryahanda, the leader of the "Naga Mustika" group. There is a music group that still maintains the art of Gambang Kromong, namely Mustika Forkabi. Forkabi is an abbreviation of the Forum Komunikasi Anak Betawi (Betawi Children's Communication Forum) where they are willing to preserve Betawi cultural arts by creating a music group.

Conclusion

From generation to generation, there will always be changes, including the Gambang Kromong art orchestra. As in the musical instrument which is a fusion of Chinese, Betawi, Arabic, and Western. Not only that, at first, Gambang Kromong was only enjoyed by the Benteng Chinese, but from time to time, the more their music lovers expand regardless of certain groups. Even though it has many cultural mixes and expansions to the audience that have made many changes to Gambang Kromong's music, this does not prevent the Betawi people from maintaining their existence. Like the Mustika Forkabi music group, which always participates in preserving Betawi culture and arts.

References

Soekotjo. 2012. Musik Gambang Dalam Masyarakat Betawi Di Jakarta. Jurnal Etnomusikologi Indonesia. Vol. 1 No. 1. Yogyakarta.

Hasanah, Rizkiyah. 2012. Startegi Adaptasi Kelompok Musik Gambang Kromong Dalam Menghadapi Perubahan Sosial. Skripsi. Jakarta: UIN Syarif Hidayatullah

Faris, Naufal. Gunawan, Rudy & Qodariah, Lelly. 2019. Peran Benyamin Suaeb Dalam Modernisasi Kesenian Gambang Kromong Di Jakarta Tahun 1970 – 1975. Chronologia; Journal of History Education vol 1 no. 2. Hal 12 – 32.