The term is known campursari early 1970s, when the station RRI Surabaya introduce a new event, the songs are accompanied by musical instruments blend tone pentatonic scale (traditional Indonesian) and the tone of the diatonic scale (West).
But in fact, a blend of traditional Indonesian music with Western music is not something new. Long before there campursari, many world-class musicians who've done it, among others Claude Achille Debussy (French composer, 1862-1918), composer Hunggaria Bella Bartok, 1881-1945).
Then Colin Mc Phee (American composer 1930s) a composition titled "Tabuh-tabuhan". Wheeler Backet then, in the 1960s makes the alloy composition between Indonesian and Western music are staged in the United States. Wheeler displays a set of gamelan orchestra. The title composition "The Dedication to Indonesia".
In 1975, Soekarno Putra thunder with group "Guruh Gipsy" introduced alloy Balinese music and Western music. His songs, among others, Indonesia Mahardika, Barong Gundah, and others.
Of course, we're hearing now campursari different campursari 1970s. Especially with campursari of Debussy, Bartok, or Mc Phee.
Campursari is still looking for its raw form. Indeed, campursari is the result of the marriage of music hybrid cross between western music and traditional Indonesian music.
It helps us notice Ki Hajar Dewantara (national hero of Indonesia) formulation of Culture:
(1) born, grow, developed, bear fruit, sick, old, backward and eventually die;
(2) mating and multiplying, not united together, assimilated, united spawned a new form;
(3) Experiencing selection, a strong will to live, the weak shall die;
(4) For the purposes of nature and time (society).
Referring to this, the incoming campursari category number 2 (two) mating and multiplying, united spawned a new form.
Now, we observe further bezzeting (supplies / equipment) campursari music. Campursari equipment comprises between 12 to 15 instruments, consisting of 5 to 6 diatonic instrument (I and II keyboards, bass guitar, choke / ukulele, cak / banjo and a drum set). The rest pentonis tone scale musical instrument, such as gender, drum sets, saron, peking, and others.
The question then, how to unite the two systems Javanese pentatonic scales with different western diatonic pitch ladder system is that?
Ladder Pentatonic Melodies
Let's take apart the scale difference between the two systems earlier. In Karawitan Javanese traditional music (pentatonic) comprising two scales / tunings: pelog and slendro (approximately equal to the major and minor) unit of distance is called "cent", the distance between one tone with another tone called "Sruti" (interval).
In one gembyang (similar to diatonic music: an octave) are 1,200 cent, it is equal to one octave too is 1.200 cents too. The difference lies in the Sruti division between one tone with another tone.
In the system of the Javanese karawitan gamut, both slendro or pelog contained only five tone ie 1 (ji) - 2 (ro) - 3 (lu) - 5 (mo) - 6 (nem) 1 (ji). The difference lies in its sruti. To have the slendro equal Sruti, ie 240 cents each. As for pelog no difference distances, great and small.
Diatonic scales
Meanwhile in scales diatonic scale tones have 1,200 cents as well, but there are 12 tones (white and black board) has interval / Sruti same, ie 100 cents each. Difference interval/sruti between two systems of gamut (pentatonic and diatonic) this resulted in elevation tone (pitch) is also different, so when the two tones of two different systems are combined / integrated alloy will sound dissonant sounds (sounds that blend gives the impression of not quiet and restless).
Comparison Scale Tone
1 (ji) 2 (ro) 3 (lu) 5 (mo) 6 (nem)
Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si
In the diagram above the apparent height difference tone (pitch) between the tuning system. Here, (as already noted above) a blend of dissonant sound. Although a contemporary musician friend of mine said, "In the matter dissonant contemporary music's not something that is taboo".
Then, what about the solution? Way out that many musicians do campursari is a musical instrument re change the tone of diatonic scale. Thus, the sound of musical instruments will be integrated with diatonic instruments.
But the problem does not stop there. Because, there is the essence of real music tone ladder system. Many objected to the tradition among musicians repeated tunings musical instrument that became diatonic scale pentatonic melodies. Because the characteristics of a musical instrument is a tone ladder system.
It's still tasteless musical tone color, but it does not have a 'soul' and 'spirit' musical. Like the European girls were given traditional Javanese clothes, wear jarit, wear Suweng, Scarf, hair in a bun, but when it goes invisible not look as Javanese daughter. Invisible as well (like the one poem in one song style java: "Mlakune koyo macan luwe", that means her step like a hungry tiger).
