Ondel-Ondel Counter Stigmas

Refusing to stand on the sidelines, ondel-ondel buskers continue to make their way through the streets of Jakarta. Street busking using ondel-ondel is among the only legacies left of Jakarta’s Betawi culture.

KOMPAS/AGUIDO ADRI

A lone ondel-ondel (Betawi street performer) makes the rounds near the Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters in Cipayung, East Jakarta, Monday (10/2/2020). Tatan and his friends are making an effort to keep the Betawi cultural performance alive, despite the negative public stigma.

On a sidewalk in Cipayung, East Jakarta, on Monday (10/2/2020) at around 2 p.m., 23-year-old Tatan was pulling a wagon of loudspeakers. Meanwhile, Yudi, 18, was carrying a used paint can filled with small change and Soleh, 21, was inside an ondel-ondel effigy, making it dance. Soon afterward, Tatan turned off the recording of the song “Sirih Kuning” (Yellow Betel) in traditional Betawi music gambang kromong. Alongside Yudi, he helped Soleh get out of the ondel-ondel (giant Betawi effigies).

After walking around for almost four hours, the three young men from Pulo Gebang in Cakung, East Jakarta, were drenched in sweat, hungry and thirsty. Yudi then squatted and counted their earnings. “It’s not bad, we got Rp 93,200 [US$6.81]. I’ll take Rp 35,000, OK? I’m hungry,” Yudi said, before darting to the nearest streetside food stall.