MUSICAL AMBIVALENCE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF SALUANG ORGEN IN WEST SUMATRA

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the musical ambivalence in the performance of saluangorgen in West Sumatra. Saluangorgen is a musical genre that is formed from the ‘cross-breeding’ of saluangdendang and keyboard (electone). Saluangdendang is a genre of traditional Minangkabau music which is made up of saluang (a wind instrument) and dendang (traditional vocal music), performed using a Minangkabau pentatonic scale. In the Minangkabau community of West Sumatra, especially amongst musicians, the keyboard is commonly referred to as the orgen (organ) and its music as “orgentunggal” (solo organ). The orgen is commonly used to accompany a variety of songs in the domain of popular music. The hybridization of these two musical genres has produced a music characterized by ambivalence. A qualitative method is used for this research because the descriptive-analytical principle is an important method in the discussion. The research results show that the tension that existsbetween the two musical genres creates a unique characteristic and dynamic in each performance, even though there is still a clash in the unification of the two genres. This not only influences the musical aspects but also affects the structure and form of the performance and even the audience. The development of this music has penetrated the domain of popularity of saluangdendang in the main cultural region of Minangkabau.

Keywords: Saluangdendang, saluangorgen, hybridization, musical, and ambivalence