''Soleram'' or ''Suliram'' (also known as ''Soreram'', or ''Suriram'') is a folk song from

Riau Riau (Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of the island of Sumatra, and extends from the eastern slopes of the Barisan Mountains to the Malacca Strait, including s ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. It is also a well-known folk song in Malaysia. This song is melodious and sung in a gentle rhythm, with lyrics that are relatively short and easy to remember. A version popular in Indonesia was written by Muhammad Arief, a musician from

Banyuwangi Banyuwangi, previously known as Banjoewangi, is a large town and an administrative district (''kecamat5an'') which serves as the capital of Banyuwangi Regency at the far eastern end of the island of Java, Indonesia. It had a population of 106,000 ...

. The ''Soleram'' song has many variations in its lyrics. The song, thought to be a

lullaby A lullaby (), or a cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies, they are used to pass down cultural knowl ...

of the

people, may contain messages that parents want to convey to their children at bedtime, such as words of endearment, being modest and holding on to old friends.

Background

''Soleram'' or ''Suliram'' is a traditional song of the

people. The song is found in other regions outside Riau. In

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, it is a popular lullaby spelt ''Suriram'', and the country also lays claim to the song. The verses may be in the form of a Malay ''

pantun ''Pantun'' ( Jawi: ) is a Malayic oral poetic form used to express intricate ideas and emotions. It generally consists of an even number of lines and is based on ABAB rhyming schemes. The shortest consists of two lines, known as the in Mal ...

'' with an ABAB

rhyming scheme A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other. An example of the ABAB rh ...

, there are, however, variations in lyrics and rhymes in different versions. ''Soleram'' or ''Suliram'' is one of the Indonesian folk songs that caught the international interest, notably since

The Weavers The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City originally consisting of Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman. Founded in 1948, the group sang traditional folk songs from ...

(an American folk music quartet) recorded the song in 1949.

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...

who was a member of The Weavers also performed the song. and

Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba ( , ; 4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including African popular music, Afropop, ja ...

recorded a version in 1960. In Indonesia, the song has been recorded by music groups such as Orkes Irama in 1965 and D'lloyd in 1970. The song has been recorded in Malaysia by singers such as Dayang Nurfaizah and

Siti Nurhaliza Siti Nurhaliza binti Tarudin (Jawi script, Jawi: سيتي نورهاليزا بنت تارودين, ; born 11 January 1979) is a renowned Malaysian singer, songwriter, and actress, celebrated for her significant contributions to the music and ...

in albums of children's songs.

Lyrics

There are many variations in the lyrics found in Indonesia and Malaysia, a version recorded by singers such as Pete Seeger and Miriam Makeba is as follows: Some versions popular in Indonesia are variants of the following:

References

{{Authority control Music of Indonesia Indonesian folk songs Culture of Indonesia Indonesian pop songs Malaysian folk songs Malaysian children's songs

Background

Lyrics

See also

References