Reflection of Islamic musical culture in an Indonesian Malay secular song as evidence of local identity

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 239 - 260, 30.09.2025

Suryati Suryati Sevi Qurrotul A'yun Andre Indrawan

https://doi.org/10.12975/rastmd.20251331

Abstract

This study explores the cultural production of Indonesian folk song performances, particularly those celebrated within the Malay community. It focuses on understanding the influence of Islamic musical culture on the musical structure and style of these songs. In regions where Islam is the dominant religion, music often reflects and inherits Islamic cultural values, even when the lyrical content is secular. This research employs qualitative musicology methods to analyze and interpret the interplay between musical phenomena and cultural identity, highlighting how Islamic influences manifest in local music traditions. The research centres on the melody of Laksmana Raja di Laut, as performed by renowned Indonesian singer Iyeth Bustami. The study utilizes music transcription as a primary data collection method, supported by detailed observations of the song’s music video. Analysis of the transcription reveals that despite the song’s secular lyrics, it incorporates distinct elements of Islamic musical culture. These elements include using Arabic maqam scales, a prologue characterized by free improvisation that closely resembles the melodic style of Qur’anic recitation, and harmonic progressions similar to Flamenco musical traditions. The findings of this study underscore the inextricable link between music and cultural identity in Islamic societies. Music in these contexts often serves as a vehicle for expressing cultural heritage and locality, blending traditional Islamic elements with regional influences. This research contributes to Islamic music studies by providing musicological evidence of Islamic cultural influences within the Indonesian archipelago. Moreover, it highlights how these influences extend beyond the examined song to impact other Malay folk songs, enriching the broader discourse on the role of Islamic culture in shaping regional music traditions. By bridging musicology and cultural studies, this research offers valuable insights into the dynamic relationship between music, religion, and Southeast Asian identity.

Keywords

Islamic music , cultural identity , Malay folk song , maqam , musicological analysis

Ethical Statement

This study does not require the approval of an ethics committee.

Supporting Institution

Coordinator of the Study Program at the Department of Music, Faculty of Performing Arts, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta

Thanks

We extend our sincere appreciation to the Coordinator of the Study Program at the Department of Music, Faculty of Performing Arts, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, for their continuous support throughout the research and publication process. Our gratitude also goes to the Research Institute, as well as the leadership at both the Rectorate and faculty levels, for providing financial incentive programs that actively encourage and support academic staff in disseminating their research findings through scholarly publications.

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