''Soleram'' or ''Suliram'' (also known as ''Soreram'', or ''Suriram''
) is a folk song from
Riau
Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accord ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
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.
The ''Soleram'' song has many variations in its lyrics. The song, thought to be a
lullaby of the
Riau
Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accord ...
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
Riau
Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accord ...
people.
The song is found in other regions outside Riau, and
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
where it is a popular lullaby spelt ''Suriram'' also lays claim to the song.
The verses may be in the form of a Malay ''
pantun'' with an ABAB
rhyming scheme, 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 (an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
folk music quartet) recorded the song in 1949. It was later adapted by singers such as
Pete Seeger
Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...
and
Miriam Makeba 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 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:
See also
*
Indonesian culture
*
Indonesian music
As it is a country with many different tribes and ethnic groups, the music of Indonesia ( id, Musik Indonesia) itself is also very diverse, coming in hundreds of different forms and styles. Every region have its own culture and art, and as a r ...
*
Chan Mali Chan
*
Rasa Sayang
References
{{reflist
Indonesian music
Indonesian folk songs
Indonesian culture
Indonesian pop songs
Malaysian folk songs
Malaysian children's songs