Reviving Tugu's Portuguese Heritage

Iste korsang yo kere intra
Buska filu yo kere kaja

Gatu Matu, Keroncong Tugu Cafrinho

OVER 200 spectators gave a thundering applause in the yard of the Bank Indonesia Museum in the Old Town zone of West Jakarta when the Tugu Cafrinho keroncong group finished the opening song Gatu Matu at the end of July. That afternoon, love songs in the Tugu creole language were presented with violin and cello, macina (four-stringed guitar), jiteira (six-stringed guitar), prounga (smaller six-stringed guitar) and contrabass accompaniment. The lyrics were indeed unfamiliar but the audience seemed to enjoy the show.

The Tugu creole, the language used in the lyrics, is in fact no longer spoken at Tugu Village, or Kampung Tugu, North Jakarta. The blend of Portuguese and Malay is more frequently used in the keroncong (Indonesian genre inspired by Portuguese songs) songs that can still be found in Jakarta's Old Town. The keroncong verses, for instance, have many similar sounds that are shared by Portuguese and Tugu creole. The difference lies in the writing of letters, such as 'o' and 'c', which in creole are written as 'u' and 'k'. The word gato (cat), for example, in Tugu creole becomes gatu, or, corto (face) becomes korto.