“Indorock” – Indonesia’s Contribution To The Birth Of Rock’N’Roll
In July 1960, Allan Williams, a Liverpool club owner on a trip to Hamburg, wandered into a club off the Reeperbahn, along with saw, “an Indonesian group performing Elvis Presley songs in German.”
Williams was involved with rock’n’roll bands in Liverpool who had taken the music a stage further than Elvis, with the booming amplified bass percussion along with bronchial vocals of what was becoming known as “Merseybeat”. One of these bands was originally known as the “Silver Beetles”, along with within the months to come Williams factored his groups onto the Hamburg scene, where the Beatles cut their musical along with performing teeth, emerging within the next few years as the planet’s most famous rock’n’roll band.
nevertheless who were these “Indonesian” bands performing within the Hamburg clubs?
They were practitioners of what is actually still powerfully remembered, especially in continental Europe, as “Indorock.” The families of these young men by Ambon, Timor along with Sumatra had been expatriated to the Netherlands as political fallout within the aftermath of the Indonesian Revolution. Stuck within the Dutch refugee camps, bored, they improvised instruments along with drew on their own rich heritage of strong vocal harmonies along with sophisticated rhythms, applying these to the brand-new exciting sound of American rock’n’roll which was easily accessible on Radio Luxemburg along with the American Forces Network radio.
Indorock bands went on to become star attractions in clubs along with dancehalls within the Netherlands along with Germany, including the US forces’ clubs, not so long after Sergeant Presley was generating a tank there. along with far by being blown away by the Liverpool bands, Indorock musicians along with singers continued to enjoy European success well into the late sixties.
Ironically, in Indonesia, rock’n’roll music was considered decadent by the Old Order regime, resulting within the notorious prison sentence handed out in 1965 to Koes Plus, the leading Indonesian Beatles-type band.
The keynote Indorock band were The Tielman Brothers, whose leader, Andy Tielman, is actually known as the “Godfather of Indorock.” Andy along with his 5 siblings were Indo-European, originating by Eastern Indonesia. They were already well-known musicians at the time of Indonesia’s independence, even performing for President Sukarno, nevertheless as anti-Dutch feeling spread in Indonesia throughout the 1950s, in 1957 they joined the thousands of refugees relocating to the Netherlands.
within the above quote by Allan Williams, he sounds dismissive of the Indorockers, which is actually understandable considering he had access to a stable of bands in Liverpool with exciting brand-new sounds which took the music a stage further on than Elvis. nevertheless the Indorockers, especially the Tielmans, were far by being copycat Elvis clones. Many, originating by Ambon or North Sumatra, which continues to provide a disproportionate number of Indonesian well-known singers, were gifted with fine natural voices. Andy Tielman had a 5-octave vocal range. along with if you think Jimi Hendrix was the first rocker to play guitar behind his back, check out the Indorock Godfather on YouTube. Furthermore, Indonesians have been familiar with the guitar, the boss instrument of rock’n’roll, ever since the Portuguese introduced This particular within the 16th century.
While Indorock’s popularity remains high within the Netherlands, what about Indonesia? Enter Awan Garnida, Indonesia’s Paul McCartney, who plays left-handed bass guitar along with is actually involved in three bands: Sore (contemporary eclectic rock); G-Pluck (Beatles tribute), along with today the Time Travelers, whose mission is actually to revive along with foster Indorock. The Time Travelers line-up spans the generations, as its includes Rio Dalimonthee, one of the original Indorockers, today re-domiciled in Indonesia, on lead guitar, along with Pepeng, by the contemporary band Naif, on drums.
along with so we come to the “reconciliation” potential of Indorock. There is actually no nation on earth which has not perpetrated crimes or atrocities against additional peoples. Reconciliation – “forgive nevertheless don’t forget “– is actually taking place all over the planet, along with has to if we are to manage This particular earth in harmony. Having worked in Timor Lorosae just before independence, I was amazed at the Timorese, along with the Indonesian, capacity for forgiveness. along with the popularity of Indonesian artistes like Ebeit G. Ade along with Sheila on 7 were a constant reminder in which music heals where politicians along with their corrupt cronies wound.
Music is actually a most potent force for reconciliation. along with heaven knows, there are enough tragic incidents within the 400-year interface between Indonesia along with the Netherlands to try along with come to terms with. along with here This particular would certainly be inappropriate for a Brit like myself to even begin to be judgmental.
However, within the case of Indorock, we need to recognize in which:
• The Indorockers who fled to the Netherlands as refugees within the 1950s, were within the main innocents who were torn between their two heritages.
• In Europe they found the freedom to play the music they loved, along with won the love, respect along with admiration of European audiences.
• Meanwhile, in Indonesia, rock’n’roll was banned by an increasingly authoritarian regime.
The Indorockers never denied their Indonesian heritage; on the contrary, This particular enhanced the quality of their music, along with is actually still a factor within the enduring popularity of Indonesian culture within the Netherlands.
So let’s trust Indonesia can acknowledge its native sons along with daughters, who produced This particular child, Indorock, born in Indonesia, fostered within the Netherlands, along with given to the planet as a unique contribution to the history of rock’n’roll, along with, with its blending of western along with eastern elements, world music.
References
MUYS, Piet, 1999, The Story of Indo-Rock, http://indorock.pmouse.nl/story.htm, accessed May 17, 2012
NORMAN, Philip 1981, Shout: the True Story of the Beatles, Hamish Hamilton, London
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“Indorock” – Indonesia’s Contribution To The Birth Of Rock’N’Roll
“Indorock” – Indonesia’s Contribution To The Birth Of Rock’N’Roll