"Kebyar-Kebyar" (also spelled "Gebyar-Gebyar") is a 1979 patriotic song by the singer Gombloh. In 2009 it was listed by ''

Rolling Stone Indonesia ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cove ...

'' as the second best Indonesian song of all time.

Themes and styles

"Kebyar-Kebyar" deals with heroism and patriotism, two themes common in Gombloh's early work. It also draws heavily on local tradition, reminiscent of

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. Born ...

's work with Yes. The beat is melodious, with heavy

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

influences. The lyrics are reminiscent of traditional ''

syair Syair ( Jawi: شعير) is a form of traditional Malay (also subsequently modern Indonesian and Malaysian) poetry that is made up of four-line stanzas or quatrains. The syair can be a narrative poem, a didactic poem, a poem used to convey ideas ...

'' and are aloof, leading the listener to consider Gombloh is making a statement that his nationalism is inherently a part of his creative process. It is written in

time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

Release and reception

"Kebyar-Kebyar" was released on the album of the same name, issued by Golden Hand, in 1979. It continues to be used during Independence Day ceremonies in Indonesia, both official and unofficial ones, and on or around 17 August it is often played on the radio and television. The Indonesian pop singer

Fariz RM Fariz Rustam Munaf or better known as Fariz RM (born in Jakarta, Indonesia on 5 January 1959) is an Indonesian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of mixed ethnic Betawi, Dutch and Minangkabau descent. He is the uncle of Indonesian s ...

writes that "Kebyar-Kebyar" is the only pop song which receives this treatment in the country. In its December 2009 issue, ''

'' listed "Kebyar-Kebyar" as the second best Indonesian song of all time. Denny MR, in the write-up, described the song as Gombloh's most monumental work, deriving its strength from its "melodic" beat, one which went against the common "heroic" beat used in other patriotic songs. Another of Gombloh's songs, "Berita Cuaca", was ranked 98th. Asrat Ginting, in his overview of Indonesian music, writes that whoever sings the song tends to perform full of emotion; Ginting suggests it may be nationalism, or may be the pride of being on stage.

References

Footnotes Bibliography * * * *

External links

* Contains Indonesian and English lyrics {{authority control 1979 singles Indonesian patriotic songs 1979 songs