"Gendjer-Gendjer" (1941) by Mohammad Arief. Song from Indonesia, performed by Gamelan Son of Lion.

Discovering Gendjer-Gendjer
I followed a tweet from Vincent Bevins, author of The Jakarta Method 1 to an informal performance of Genjer-Genjer by Bedjo Untung. 2 Bedjo Untung is one of the founders of the Murder Victims Research Foundation, a decorated human rights activist, and was imprisoned for nine years during the New Order regime of Suharto.3 In a lengthier performance on KZbin, Bedjo Untung explains that the song was written in 1941 by Mohammad Arief to promote a kind of lettuce which grows wild in ponds and rice fields and says the lettuce sustained the peasants during the Japanese occupation after the song was written and popularized. 4
I learned that Mohammad Arief, in addition to writing the song and many others, also established village gamelans in rural eastern Java, in Banyuwangi province. In 1962 what sounds like a field recording of the song, rendered “Gendjer - Gendjer” 5 by an ensemble called Gamelan Djawa Timur was recorded and archived in the state-owned recording studio, Lokananta. Gamalan Djawa Timur means simply East Java Gamelan and Lokananta is translated as gamelan from heaven. The rendition is in what musicologists refer to as congregational style, a style which allows the participation of all members of a congregation.
In 1965 officials of LEKRA, a cultural organization associated with the fiercely nationalist administration of President Sukarno, Guided Democracy, attended a concert in eastern Java and heard a performance of Genjer-Genjer. The officials were struck by the song, and thought the song might serve as the national anthem of the Guided Democracy, which had consolidated power by 1960. Also in 1965 prominent Indonesian recording artists Bing Slamet and Lilis Surjani recorded popular versions of the song which were widely distributed.
Scant months later, the Sukarno government was swept away, replaced by the New Order government, and it was dangerous to perform the song as it became associated with Guided Democracy and the Indonesian Communist Party. The song was effectively banned for 30 years. Mohammad Arief was arrested, imprisoned, and disappeared.
It was believed Lokananta officials destroyed the master recording and first pressing of the record by Gamelan Djawa Timur in order to conform to New Order expectations. But in 2020, as the Reformasi period relaxed the terror imposed by the New Order, a documentary of Lokananta 6 an in-depth television report and 7 have featured celebrations of the discovery of the original recording. One of the Lokananta employees says that for really important recordings, he surreptitiously hides them in his home, and in this way the Djawa Timur recording was rescued.
Currently there are many recorded versions of Genjer-Genjer. The song has been recorded in many languages and is enjoying a celebration of solidarity among mostly ensembles from South East Asia; there are heavy metal versions, some pensive, ruminative versions and lots of pastoral versions. The Bing Slamet and Lilis Suryani versions are well-known, the Djawa Timur version less so. This is a performance by New York based Gamelan Son of Lion of a transcription of the Djawa Timur recording.
David Demnitz
1: en.wikipedia.o...
2. / 1262520161585836033
3: gwangjunewsgic...
4: • Genjer - Genjer (Piano...
5: madrotter-trea...
6: • Riwayat Studio Lokanan...
7. • MIRIS..!! Begini Kondi...

[@androganzch4530]

Famous ,this sung written by M.Arif ,but on record they say NoName for writer , recorded on Lokananta records in near 1960 , with many version of that Describe the genjer was a plant that somebody can eat and find it in all rice field then someone can be lived by that ny selling in market/pasar thanks for uploading it :D

[@HYPERBOREA_TMG]

This is awesome, props to you guys for successfully playing this Banyuwangi gamelan classic. Respect bros

[@riyantowienq8150]

👉👍👍👍MANTHAAPP buat P ORANG2 EROPA yaa🙏terima kasih.,jika MINAT yang LAIN dibawakan LAGU INDONESIA 100RIBU👉LEBIH.,LANTUNAN GENRE yaa.,MR&MISS 👍👍👍

[@AbdulAziz-hl5hr]

Di tahun 1965 lagu ini populer di daerahku Muncar Banyuwangi, memang kejadian 62 pemuda Ansor Muncar dibantai PKI di sarang PKI dengan cara diracun di makanan yg disajikan oleh Gerwani yg berpakaian fatayat NU

[@Sonisudrajatdrajat-uh3ry]

Saya juga asli Banyuwangi deso gintangan kecamatan blimbingsari , baru satu tahun lalu 2022i saya mendengar lagu ini terus mendengar cerita awal mula lagu ini, lucu juga wong cuma sejenis lagu yang Artinya seperti dolanan gitu di anggap tabu ya kan aneh Bin ajaib dunia ini?? Kok bisa Di putar balik ceritanya

[@muliasyah4874]

Lagu yg mengiringi petaka besar penghianatan terhadap bangsa ini.....Org asing tak tau mereka cuma mengapresiasi budaya bgsa lain...

[@trisyanisrimurwanti2357]

Genjer ..singkatan Gerakan Numpas Jenderal ...tokoh pemerannya adalah Gerwani...kt ibu ku.singkatan.dari Gerakan Wanita Indonesia......mrk menyanyikan lg ini sambil menari ikut ambil bagian menyiksa pr jenderal...apa iya org eropa yg nabuh gamelan ini tdk tahu klo lagu tsb dilarang dikumandanglan di indonesia ..semoga mereka segera tahu makn lg ini.m

[@rizkykurniawan1600]

Doktrin Orba. Genjer-genjer Itu Lagu Dari Bayuwangi Tercipta Atas Penderitaan Rakyat Bayuwangi Terhadap Penjajahan Jepang. Dimana Rakyat Waktu Itu Makan Genjer Sangking Miskinnya.

[@fikripratama3705]

Kita semua hanya korban politik masa lalu,rakyat lah yg menjadi tumbal politik,mereka bukan orang yg paham tentang politik,tapi mereka selalu menjadi korban,1965 tragedi kemanusiaan yg sangat memilukan,bagi keluarga korban

[@sriumiyatsih2394]

Nggak jelas

[@yayongmarjono5023]

rasabangga aku wong solo tinggal di kalimantan melihat gamelan imainkan bule.hahahaha

[@eddietaichianimation]

Setelah nonton film G30/PKI Saya emoh nyanyi lagu ndjer gendjer 😅

[@hirmantodjamal2027]

Sebagai orang indonesia merasa tersanjung kebudayaan jawa dimainkan oleh orang luar negri....

[@nurwasisto9494]

Lagu gendjer genjer inilah yang dulu ditahun 1965 menyemangati perjuangan kaum komunis Indonesia,kata genjer adalah diambil dari nama gulma sawah yg biasa buat sayur rebus, namun dulu ada yg memaknai tersirat dari akronim gen - djer,ejaan lama = ganyang jendral ???

[@nurazis2883]

Gerakan Dewan Jendral

[@sariyonosar9804]

Betul sekali tuhan tidak tidur rakyatlah yang jadi tumbalnya

[@mochsubagyo5178]

Lagu banyuwangi yg sempat dilarang, dinyanyikan bingung Slamet, lilis suryani dll sekarang sudah bebas

[@HYPERBOREA_TMG]

Song starts at 5:55

[@daviddemnitz3925]

Thank you.

[@suwartasuwarta6080]

I am sorry mck when i am.vhildren i am.very like this song so in orfe lama my brother.made this song in kaum marhaemis from.party.pni front msrhaenis.made in bungkarno

[@HYPERBOREA_TMG]

@@suwartasuwarta6080 ya ya saya setuju bosku

[@arfankholis3161]

Genjer genjer ini sangat parno di daerah pencipta nya Banyuwangi....sampai sekarang, orang tua melarang nya di sana.

[@Dude_whattheflip123]

Diluar negri: 😁😁😁 Dalam negri: 💀💀💀 Aslinya gpp lagunya tapi diambil PKI

[@arwanti931]

Orang2 pki di kampung saya membuat lubang yg besar dan mereka membakar ujung2 kampung tapi tidak terlaksana karna di jawa sdh terbongkar dan sdh ada yg di tangkap, waktu sy kecil sy tidak di bolehin bermain sama anak2 yg orang tuanya yg terlibat pki oleh kalek sy

[@johnbrandalle1526]

Lagu yang di larang di nyanyikan di era rezim soeharto/orde baru ( 1966 -1998 ),karena di anggap sebagai lagu komunis indonesia /PKI yang liriknya sarat makna kiasan dan sindiran kepada lawan2 politik PKI.

[@ahmadi4729]

lha kalau lagu tante sun dan bento juga sempat dilarang katanya karena nyindir keluarga suharto

[@marwokomarwoki-rj3yh]

tuntunan kang disingitno yo iku arane opo

[@dipo8492]

Nanti ada yg kebakaran JENGGOT looooo kalau lagu GENJER² di dengungkan lagi......

[@yatnojastro1186]

Lagu Gendjer2 Kuwi Sinamun samudono sejatine Arti Lagu Wilosifine . Genjer2 Bapakne Genjer cemplung.e EMBER . ember wadah banyu berarti SUMUR . . Artinya mereka PKI sudah Siap2 Mau bunuh Jendral kalu di masukin ke dalam SUMUR. . itu Lagu GENDJER GENDJER.

[@hadiwaluyo8482]

Salah dul aslinya lagu genjer2 itu suatu kritik terhadap penjajah jepang di kala thn 1942 jauh sebelum ada pki krna saking tenarnya di manfa,atkan oleh pki dul

[@solihinhj7038]

Gaada kerjaan jar jar

[@Yanto-ku6xg]

Pki di tumpas rakyat kecil jadi korban yang untung suharto jabat presiden 32 th semua itu politik perebutan kekuasaan

[@riyantowienq8150]

Untung ajee diMAINkan diINGGRIS coba jika diINDONESIA👉😄😀😆kaLoo kagaa diBUBARIN URUSAN'e 👉😄😄😆👉yaaa.,yaaa TERIMA KASIH buat ORANG EROPA sudah menghargai LAGU INDONESIA namun jika MENGERTI LAGU ituu.,yaa MEREKA TELUSURI LEBIH JAUH LAGII😄😀😆

[@hadiwaluyo8482]

Kata siapa lagu ini tidak di kumandangkan di indonesia tapi kelakuan pki marak di negri ini

[@riyantowienq8150]

Yaa mau gimana juga dah pada jadi PEJABAT.,kita hanya RAKYAT JELATA tidak bisa berbuat banyak

[@hadiwaluyo8482]

@@riyantowienq8150 ya kayanya lebih bagus pemerintah pki beneran dari pada sekarang semi pki da jelas

[@riyantowienq8150]

Itu dia SODARA.,ALZAYTUN ga beres-serta keLuarga KORBAN G30S👉sebut PGB.,👉😇 kita cuma bisa berDOA.,karena DEMO ending juga tidak ada perubahan

[@hadiwaluyo8482]

@@riyantowienq8150 di negri ini asal orang kuat sekaipun salah tetap aman apalagi al,zaitun fahamnya sama dengan penguasa islam ya yahudi jga ada komunis juga iya maka ya aman coba ingat fpi karena orangnya bener ibadahnya tekun anti dengan kemungkaran pemerintah getol untuk bubarin karena islam beneran,

[@samjangsshi9619]

Jijih rasanya mendengar lagu genjret genjrrt. Kaya kurang kerjaan saja.

[@suparnowijoyo1322]

Intinya yang pro lagu genjer genjer adalah orang pki.

[@sariyonosar9804]

Ya tidak tentu

[@iksannudin5487]

Genjer--genjer dilarang untuk di lantunkan di era orba bahkan ssmpeksekarang Itu slogan PKI(GENJER =GERAKAN MENUMPAS JENDRAL)😂😂😂

[@marwokomarwoki-rj3yh]

not tois

[@ahmadahmed6461]

saya orang sunda yang tidak mengerti arti lagu genjer genjer sejarah dilarang dilagukan

[@ahmadahmed6461]

aku tahu dilarang nya melagukan genjer 2 dari thn 1965