Hello everyone..To discuss Aceh music more specifically, this is quite complicated because to start very difficult to determine the desired time period. Music in Aceh does not have a formula that can be used as a benchmark in the development of the music world, because Aceh never review the music to completion. There are arguments that sometimes are not suitable for Aceh music itself.
In a small note, I illustrate that Aceh is the poorest region with music. In fact, Aceh has a strong cultural diversity and fragmented. Payung Aceh itself has several tribes such as ureueng Aceh (tribe living in large districts), Ureueng Gayo (settled in Aceh Tengah, Aceh Tenggara, East Aceh), Ureueng Alaih (Alas people living in Southeast Aceh), Ureueng Teumieng Tamiang people living in the eastern part of Aceh bordering North Sumatra), Ureueng Singke (Singkil Hulu, living in Hulu Singkel-South Aceh), Ureueng Kluet (settled in the upper reaches of Kluet Kiabamatan Aceh Selatan sub-district), Ureueng Pulo (Pulau Pulau Simeulue and Pulau Banyak) and Aneuk Jamee that bleed in most of South Aceh and partly in Aceh Barat.
His artistic powers are diverse. Gayo tribe for example, has a great art of syaer. This area is inhabited by many trademarked artists, so it's no wonder that songs born in this area are more than the population. While in the western and southern hemispheres of Aceh are hidden many of the art of Zikir, and all the umbrellas are to a region called 'Aceh. "From each of the different arts, both on bits and poems, depending on the natural conditions of the area.
Art such as Rapa-i, Seudati Dance, Zikr and saga are the most popular art on the Aceh coast, which also includes islands such as Sabang. While areas like the island of Siemeulue are more to Pantun and Nandong, it is poetry and music art in the form of violins. For the Alas region, Aceh Tenggara is both more dancing and poetry. While Gayo, a mountainous area famous for vocal art named Didong.
In prominent dance seudati is poetry and bebuyian body like a blow to the chest, knocking fingers, and tapping the foot. While Didong Gayo is a traditional art that only uses vocals and applause and pillows. But usually, the power of Seudati, saga and Didong lies in poetry.
So it can be concluded that the ideal musical instruments of Aceh are Vocal (Sound), Percusi (Rebana, Gegedem, Rapa'i, Drum Aceh), Blowing Instruments (Flute and Serune Kale), Pillows, and Body Musical (Finger Pick and Stomach Punch) while music that once flourished in Aceh in the 40s such as Gambus, Orkes and Qasidah was a widespread Islamic influence, and Aceh failed to make it distinctively different, making it a common music.
While choosing a tool such as a guitar is not found as part of a common instrument to play, let alone pianos and Keyboards that have church relevance. While the Violin, Hareubab, and Gambus are among the most frequently played on the old order. This violin is known as an Aceh violin commonly used to accompany poetry and comedy affirmed by Nyak Maneh in Pidie area, but other Aceh violins are played in East Aceh, but in East Aceh more as musical accompaniment with Cord that runs like rhythmic rhythms exactly with Nazam . Hareubab (Aceh Arbab) Aceh friction instruments found in Pidie, Aceh Barat and Aceh Besar areas. The Aceh arbab is made of a large shell, fitted with a 50 cm long wooden stem, and fitted with a metal rope. Usually used to accompany the cute rhyme. The singer was a man dressed in a woman named Fatimah Abi. While the gambus is a musical instrument originating from Arabia. This tool is commonly used in Indonesia and better known as a musical instrument of the desert.
In folk music that used to play the people of Aceh such as wind instruments made of dry rice straw or straw (wa), whistles made of betel leaf that resembles the sound of birds (peuleupeuek), a brass made of red soil (pib - pib) ), a musical instrument made of small and thin iron (genggong), an inflatable tool (buloh) resembling a high-pitched flute (bansi), and a fine flute of bansi. All instruments are now almost lost and unpopular, so it is not played to be part of the Aceh musical instrument. As a result these types are also lost in that era.
The Aceh song discussed was only known during the New Order period, which began with the birth of pop songs such as Bungong Jeumpa, Bungong Seulanga, and Dibabah Pinto. Previously, the Aceh song but in a format called the song seudati. Meanwhile, to accompany dance remains in traditional format such as Ranup Lampuan which is only accompanied by percussion music Rapai, Drum, and Seurune Kale. Likewise, new songwriters were born in the 70s, in which Ibn Arhas included the figure who created the song, although the poem was derived from the habit of writing Aceh poetry.
The music industry
Lately we have seen many Aceh recordings recorded with different types of music, but very few typical touches of Aceh. Of course this is called industrial music. If music has touched the industry, many things can happen there, such as the consideration of incorporating more traditional elements because they require relatively high cost, so the line taken is effectiveness, cheap and sold.
As a result, the stamina of Aceh's musical search becomes small due to the economically selected direction, such as the use of a keyboard that can easily bear a variety of music even though it does not produce the maximum music. Keyboard is a musical instrument that is played by one person only. The sounds that were born from the keyboard sounded stiff and did not even touch the original tool.
This recording industry began with the birth of Jen Jok Jok's album in the 80s, in which Singer A Bakar became the first singer to successfully popularize the music industry in Aceh. After the album was circulated and accepted in Aceh market, then born some kind of music that was indented.
Because the Keyboard music is also unique in Aceh. The music rhythm that still survives to this day is a remix combined with various other rhythms such as Remix Dangdut, Disco Dut, Cha-cha Dut and others. As a result, Aceh's music does not move and only dwells around the same thing-that's all, easily absorbed and imitated.
During Jen Jen Jok, there is still more tolerance in cargo such as poetry directed Aceh. Not yet in the form of a common poet like Indonesian songs. The debate about Aceh's poetry emerged when Nyawoung, a contemporary Aceh tape, managed to load old Acehnese poems in accordance with the lyrics of Aceh's lyrics. Since then, poetry has become important in Aceh's songs. The famous cassette in Aceh Hasan Husen is proof that poetry is important. The songs are sung by Rafly, it's not for music, but the lyrics used are much more familiar, with the right writing formula.
This lyrical problem is a separate study when talking about Aceh music, because it has its own history in the development of art in Aceh, as well as its power in channeling messages to the public. The people of Aceh are always deeper in their lyrics, as evidenced by the great development of the art of syaer.
The study of the lyrics can start from the growing parliament of Aceh in the 19th century, where the lyrics are important in the long war against the Company. In the Aceh war, the life of a famous Aceh poet and singer named Dolkarim. He brought poetry songs in the midst of the fighters to burn the spirit of the people against colonialism.
By giving examples of lyrics to do with the spirit of the struggle, it is not always subtle in artistic, because it is open to look at the lyrics with more reasons, and from that comes a kind of hold, that poetry is sung to political purposes, or related to often unfettered political views as an art, and more captivated in clichés. But the role of Dokarim in singing poetry struggle, at least provide assurance of validity good value kawirasa. It must be seen as a literary aesthetic impulse, because of its continuing literary tradition. That the literary tradition of Aceh takes place as an element of the Arabian lyrics tradition of the Islamic Age.
The lyrical tradition was then followed by a famous poet in the 80s era of the 19th century, namely Teungku Cik Pante Kulu. What is the reason he succeeded in developing the lyrics of tradition among the people of Aceh, because the theme he works closely with Islam, which lives in the way God blesses-or in the words commonly called 'fi sabilillah'.
From the study of lyrical tradition above, may be a reference if the people of Aceh are only faithful to the lyrics that touch the social life of society and religion. Hasan Husen needs to be seen as an example of the lyrical tradition that lives today, proved to be responded by many, both by clerics and scholars. In the lyrical tradition, Hasan Husen's album is not only about religious issues, but goes on to tell the social life of the people that took place in Aceh.
Itupula then that makes us more convinced, that the approach to society is absolute in giving birth to the art tradition of a region, not least in Aceh. So, if carefully examined, there is no excessive pride in the music that is in Aceh - even until its development until now. Though serious about Aceh musical excavations, the absolute and important thing to do is to approach the Aceh song and rhythm, as is typical of Aceh. In addition to the lyrics, it is also important that the vocals become strong and rhythmic. If that is achieved, then speaking Aceh music is no longer an ordinary thing, but has become an important reference in the development of world music tradition, following India, Arab, and China that most contribute to world music, and Aceh needs to try me t !! !!