Beyond Dangdut: Documentation of WAWES Music Creativity in Yogyakarta

Abstract

Wawes Bukan Dangdut Biasa” is a documentary film that explores a unique phenomenon in Yogyakarta’s alternative music scene, highlighting the transformation of dangdut music. Traditionally, dangdut was linked to working-class entertainment and influenced by Malay-Indian musical traditions. Today, it is being reinterpreted through creative innovation and modern styles of performance. The term Wawes means “waves,” symbolizing the breaking of boundaries and representing the creativity of younger generations who reshape dangdut to fit contemporary urban tastes. This study approaches the phenomenon through ethnomusicology and visual anthropology, focusing on how musical innovation emerges from the blending of traditional dangdut instruments such as ketipung and kendang with modern elements like electric guitar, brass sections, and electronic sequencers. A central aspect of the research is the performativity of Gaseng as a biduan lanang (male singer), which challenges conventional gender norms within dangdut traditions.The findings suggest that Wawes is not only a form of entertainment but also an adaptive strategy to reposition dangdut socially, countering stigmas related to class and modernity. By documenting performances through an observational film, this research shows how cultural negotiation takes place between traditional dangdut and Yogyakarta’s alternative music scene. It demonstrates that music can act as a medium of social change and solely by genre labels. Instead, it can be achieved through creative practices that remain relevant to social contexts and contemporary aesthetic values.