I’ve got to make this very quickly for there are monsters looming large and their shadows are hovering ominously above us.In a long and boring commute, people would do anything to occupy their mind. Some are busy reading paper, some are listening to audio player, a few stare vacantly to the window outside, but most people prefer sleeping.
One phenomenon that are striving in Jakarta’s shambolic but unique transportation system are a group of street performers called Pengamen.
They are ever present in every big buses and trains traveling to and from the megapolitan area.
During my short experience on buses from Jakarta to Bekasi, I have made some classification over these street smart band.
The best would be a group of men, in an ensemble, using more than one music instruments such as guitar, violin, and even percussions. They range between good and very good. Often times they are enterprising and entertaining with songs selection from the latest Indonesian top forty to rock classics. At one time they performed Vanessa Mae's Toccata & Fugue which blew passengers out of the water.
The second ones is a single adult male performer with a guitar or ukulele. In this group you can sometime stumble with few with very good technical ability. They have astonishing voice and several even have this unique knack communicating with their audience ala radio DJ. These are rare breed though and you wouldn’t hesitate to spare some thousand rupiahs for these street entertainers.
The third ones and they currently make the most frequent appearances, are pure incomprehensible noises. Typically they are tone deaf under age and teenagers. You gave them spare change out of compassion and or primordial preferences, depend on whether they are singing your religion’s song book.
The fourth group are beggars and muggers masquerading as pengamen. From clapping hands and pleading money for their sick friend, or claiming to have just got out prison. They’re in short a disgrace to their kind.
Recent sudden fame of Aris (Januarisman), pengamen turned finalist of Indonesian Idol, shot to stardom from his incredible rendition of ST12 hit, would encourage fellow pengamen alike cracking to improve their fortune.
Like it or not, they will always be there, when the employment field and opportunities in the big city still difficult to find.
As for me, they have been an interesting company in my long and winding road home.
Kalau ada pengamen biasa aku kasih 200-an seh, apalagi kalau pengamennya masih cempe2, nyanyinya bintang kecil dari rumah ke rumah...mana maksa lagi...untung dikaruniai wajah bak preman..hehehehe
ReplyDeleteAku pernah di Surabaya di bus ke arah Perak ... ngasih 500 :D uangnya di buang loh ... pengamen nya high class. Mau nya uang kertas aja.
ReplyDeleteKasi aja duit monopoli...yang gambar Megawati...hehehehee
ReplyDeleteHahaha ide bagus :D
ReplyDeletei hate to see little kids doing ngamen on the street like that.
ReplyDeletei always thought that giving them spare change no matter how little or how big, might give away the 'wrong' idea that ngamen on streets is the fastest & 'less challenging' way to seek for employment. And im talking about little kids here, age 9 and below.. Talk about child labor slash slavery. But what i hate the most is the fact that the government is letting this problem lingers for far too long.
Such heartbreaking dilemma..
Agree with you Irma, there was a blog movement back then suggesting people to stop giving money to kids in the street as that will encourage them more to skip school and opt for easy money.
ReplyDeleteMany people can't stand it though, especially if the scene they saw was so heartbreaking ... in the rain with their little doe eyes ...
Anyway, thank you for the comment :) I'll write some more about this stuff.