From an Explosion One Afternoon
Acehnese music is music of yonder aloof like the pining vocal rendition in the saman and seudati traditional dance performances. The music almost died out especially at the time when Jakarta imposed a military operation theatre (DOM) status on the land that fondly revered as the Veranda of Mecca. DOM is over now ushering forth two shining stars in Acehnese music: Rafly, a former Koran teacher, now enjoying immense popularity among avid fans; and the Komunitas Nyawoung, a singing group with a large repertoire of musical innovations that continues to actively explore the rich local verbal traditions. The following articles look into recent developments in Acehnese music.
July 20, 2004
Di Krueng Arakundo mayet dum apong/ Lheuh nyan meusambong simpang KKA/ Tengku Bantaqiah di Ateuh Beutong/ Di rumoh geudong ureung disiksa(Corpses float down the Arakundo River/ On to the KKA junction/Tengku Bantaqiah in Ateung Beutong/Many are tortured in the Huge Mansion.
A woman sings the above lyrics. Her voice like a rushing rapid in the mountains sounds clear amidst the noisy shrill of the Acehnese flute, serune kale, and the intermittent bea
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