Choice Reviews Online · 1998 · 79 citations · 0 references
MusicSouth Asian CulturePhilosophy Of MusicNationalismEast Asian StudiesMusic FandomOrientalismPopular CultureCultural StudiesMusicologyRegional Music StudiesCultural AnalysisCultural PolicyLanguage StudiesCentral Asian StudyPop DanceDancePopular Music GenresDance HistoryPopular MusicCultureKorean Popular CultureSoutheast AsiaPolitical PluralismArtsMusic History
Popular music has long been a powerful social and cultural force worldwide, and in Southeast Asia it has resonated with superstars like Indonesia’s Rhoma Irama, articulating powerless citizens’ views and aligning with mass sociopolitical movements. The study examines how popular music genres intersect with politics across Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. The authors conduct a comparative analysis of popular music genres and political contexts in these five countries.
Whatever its current role and significance in Anglo-American society, popular music has been and remains a tremendous social and cultural force in many parts of the world. This text explores the connections between popular music genres and politics in Southeast Asia, with particular emphasis on Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Over the past few decades, the countries of Southeast Asia have reverberated to the music of superstars like Indonesia's Rhoma Irama. Articulating the views of powerless citizens, they provided a critical discourse on national and international affairs. Some were even identified with mass-based sociopolitical movements seeking change.