Tanjidor Betawi in the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Area

Tanjidor is an ensemble, akin to a military band, and a musical genre that is practised by the orang Betawi (Betawi people) of Indonesia. The orang Betawi derive their name from the colonial-era Dutch East Indian capital of Batavia and are native to the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. This project adopts the theme of continuity and change, presenting the first comprehensive study of tanjidor Betawi through integrated historical, musicological and sociological analyses. This study bolsters foundational historical research into tanjidor Betawi regarding the genre’s emergence through music-making at Batavian slaveowners’ estates. I expand upon this basis to contextualise the genre within the larger field of colonial-military-band-derived genres worldwide. Based on field recordings, musical transcription and detailed analysis, I address a significant musicological gap in the research of tanjidor Betawi by providing a comprehensive account of repertoires and musical techniques of the genre. Moreover, I have identified aspects of rehearsal technique, performance practice and the transmission of repertoire through participant observation during in situ fieldwork. Sociologically, interviews and focus groups with practitioners reveal how the genre reflects issues of perception and social interaction within Betawi society. Furthermore, a digital ethnography examines the intersection of cultural heritage and popular culture by studying the portrayal of the genre on the Internet. I argue that the colonial origins of tanjidor gave rise to a legacy of complex musical hybridities that have been shaped by the diverse socio-cultural-musical networks of the orang Betawi. Through mimetic processes, a uniquely localised musical form has developed, continuously evolving from the period of Dutch rule to the present day. Moreover, dwindling performance opportunities for ritual and entertainment situate tanjidor as not only a synecdoche – where specific musical practices or instruments symbolise the wider Betawi cultural expression – but also a form of heritage, highlighting cultural practices that maintain relevance despite their shrinking visibility in public life. This study finds that tanjidor Betawi is undergoing a process of localisation, which requires practical strategies in music sustainability of incorporating the younger generation of performers, through the sharing of musical and cultural knowledge, to ensure the viability of the genre in the twenty-first century.