Here's an English translation, buttonhead.
Dangdut is the populair music of Indonesia. It originates from an an original mixture of music styles from Java, India and Europe. Dangdut is recognisable music even for crossing the the boundries of the Indonesian isles.
If somewhere else than in Southeast Asia a dangbut band is started, it must be the Netherlands, because so many people from Indonesia live there.
Dangbut Bule is initiated by singer Haroen Berghuis and bass player Marc Doornweerd. Those two met in January 1998 in a dangbut disco in Jakarta. Haroen lived in Jakarta at the time and was working as a guitar player in a jazz-band in a big hotel. "After the hotel gig we'd always: dress up en hit the town to look for live dangkut". Most of the time I was the only Western person in the place, but one night I met this Dutch guy. He seemed to be friends with one of the girl singers. We started talking and at the end of the evening - half sober - we decided that for sure we would start a dangbut-band in Holland, later that year.
When Dutch Haroen and Indo Marc met up again in January 1999, it was during a jam session in Amsterdam. They talked about the old plan again.
Together with two other Indo musicians, who were there at the time: guitar player Patrick Kerger and Keyboard player Pieterbas Schutte, the decision was made tot start up the only existing dangdut-band in Holland.
Dangdut Bale (which means as mush as: palednose dangdut) took over the essence of Indonesian dangdut, but at the same has a style of it's own. The result is a unique, modern sound. Their mix of Oriental and Western dancemusic made them very popular, as well on cultural festivals as on dance party's.
At the end of 1999 the band did some succesful performances in Indonesia.
In June 2000 the band played at the Pasar Malam Besar, together with a guest singer from Surabaya, called Inul Daratista.
Dangbut Bule developed their characteristic sound even more after that and on top of that added two percussionists to the band.
Earlier this year Dangbut Bule made some studio recordings for a new cd, on which Oriental en Western sounds meet again in some stimulating music.
It's the follow up cd for their debut cd from 2000: Awet Muda.
This new cd will be presented during the 43rd Pasar Malam Besar.
The dates at the bottom speak for themselves I guess, so I didn't bother to translate those...
Hope this helps, buttonhead.
Bye for now,
Sonny



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