Delve into Keroncong Music for Years, This Singer Wants to Introduce Keroncong to the World

Kapanlagi.com - The name Joana Sarah Pinontoan may still be unfamiliar to Indonesian music lovers. In 2008, Joana released a Pop single. The result can be said to be quite satisfying. Now, Joana prefers to delve into Keroncong music.

For about eight years, Joana has been struggling in Keroncong music. Initially, she only became a presenter in a Keroncong show on TVRI. As time went by, she became interested and tried to delve into Keroncong music until she fell in love with it.

"Because it has been too long and accustomed to Keroncong music, I have fallen in love with Keroncong music of course. It is not impossible that after completing my Pop album, I can release a Keroncong album. I also have many friends in the Keroncong community," said Joana when met in South Jakarta recently.

1. Learn Singing Techniques

Kapanlagi/Matias Purwanto

Diving into keroncong music, Joana also had to learn about singing techniques. Fortunately, pop and keroncong do not have too far and different characteristics to be explored.

"Singing techniques are the same. It starts with the same breathing. But singing techniques for keroncong and pop songs are different. For pop, maybe the vibrato is a little and the sustained notes are not as long and are often cut," she said.

"For keroncong, most of the vibrato is long and the emotions are more carefully maintained, and the keroncong songs have a fixed pattern, they cannot be changed. So any genre of song can be accompanied by keroncong music but it must not deviate from the keroncong pattern," she continued.

2. Introducing Keroncong

Joana now wants to further expand the presence of keroncong music among young people or millennials. She admitted that initially it was very difficult to introduce keroncong music to young people. However, over time, keroncong music has been accepted by young people or millennials. She hopes that keroncong music will be heard widely throughout the world.

"Over time, finally the young people of Indonesia realize that we must have an identity in terms of music. The nation has many identities, for example, Batik. There are dances, nature, or handicrafts. What is the iconic and ancestral heritage of Indonesian culture in terms of music? It is none other than keroncong. For me, it is more precisely 'Keroncong Is The Music Of My Country'," she said.

"Now I have a project with one artist to record a keroncong song. Still promoting Indonesia. Want to bring or enhance the reputation of the nation through keroncong music," she concluded.

(kpl/pur/frs)