The Left supported Confrontation, but so did the majority of the Indonesian public many also liked Western-influenced music and a number of Confrontation songs are not so dissimilar to the popular Western music of the day. It is argued, however, that the Left by no means had a monopoly on the propagation of national pride. This led to frequent public statements against the perils of Western ‘cultural imperialism’, especially through rock and roll.
At the time, the creation of an ‘Indonesian identity’ based on cultural practices was a matter considered of the utmost importance by Soekarno and his left-wing supporters. This article examines the contents of many of those songs and discusses the reasons for their creation and popularity. By far the most referenced policy was Indonesia’s Confrontation with Malaysia. Many political policies of Soekarno-era Indonesia were celebrated in popular song.
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