TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno on Wednesday revealed the reason he proposed the ‘dangdut’ music genre to be included as UNESCO’s world cultural heritage.

“Dangdut is the music of my country. Now we should relaunch dangdut as a part of UNESCO’s music heritage,” said Sandiaga Uno in his statement on Wednesday, February 17.

He believes the dangdut music industry has the potential to attract a large number of jobs. In general, there are 18 million Indonesians that rely on the creative economy sector as a source of livelihood, which includes dangdut.

The minister argues that the jobs that can potentially be created by the dangdut industry not only refer to fan-related activities, but also business activities that are connected to the shows. Uno mentioned the boom of ‘campursari’ that was made popular again by the late music legend Didi Kempot.

“Dangdut is also widely used to accompany exercises and other similar activities which brings the concept [of music] as mood boosters for those listening to [the music] and the musicians,” he said.

Sandiaga Uno said he has communicated with Rhoma Irama, a notable dangdut figure, to support the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry’s plan, hoping that it would help artists recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

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FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA