Dangdut, the sound of Indonesia

Andrew N. Weintraub, 2010. Dangdut Stories: A Social and Musical History of Indonesia’s Most Popular Music. New York: Oxford University Press. 258pp + iv, ISBN 978 0 19 539567 9 (paperback)

Until recently, studies of Indonesian pop culture invariably dealt with the state. The formation of modern pop culture coincided with the New Order (1966-1998) fostered by the economic growth and development that the regime oversaw. Once it was established that the New Order was an authoritarian regime, the state was taken to be the determining institution in the production and regulation of culture.

Download PDF from menu on right to read full review »