Highlighting the genre’s strong potential and continuous growth through innovation, Zon noted that many countries have successfully made music a form of soft power.
“Like the United States with Hollywood, India with Bollywood, and South Korea with K-Pop. We want dangdut to become a global ‘Dangdut Waves’ as well,” he said in Jakarta on Saturday.
He emphasized that Indonesia is rich with dangdut talent, and the genre has naturally evolved into various stylistic fusions.
“For instance, dangdut koplo, and performances using regional languages—these will be easily accepted everywhere,” he added.
Zon underscored that dangdut is one of the most popular music genres and holds a special place in the hearts of the Indonesian people.
The minister also voiced strong support for the upcoming concert “Pandangan Pertama: Tribute to A. Rafiq,” which he described as an appreciation for the late A. Rafiq, a legendary dangdut singer who played a crucial role in the genre’s history and development.
Zon expressed hope that this tribute concert would serve as a moment to celebrate the diversity and resurgence of dangdut music in Indonesia, celebrating the spirit of the Indonesian music revival.
This, he believes, will help dangdut continue to grow, go global, and be welcomed on the international stage.
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Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Kuntum Khaira
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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