Music
This eclectic compilation of Indonesian music arose out of 7 years of studio and field recordings looking at culture and mental illness in Bali and Java. Many of the films, spanning up to a decade in the lives of their central characters, are still in the process of being shot and edited. But the songs, gathered and recorded during downtime in Indonesia and at home in the US, gradually increased in number, eventually becoming a project of its own.
40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy Soundtrack
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MUSIC COMPOSER, Malcolm Cross
Malcolm Cross studied music performance and composition in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He also completed additional postgraduate studies in Jazz and Studio Music. Malcolm’s past work includes original film scores for “Insomniac Obsessions" directed by Paul Cameron Carter, “Oh Saigon” documentary directed by Doan Hoang, “I Dream of Dog” directed by Jessica Rice, and “The Grey” by Norman Trotter IV.
MUSIC EDITOR, Richard Henderson
Richard Henderson attended S.U.N.Y. Buffalo in the late 70’s and studied film history. Richard’s vibrant career path led him to work as a music editor and music supervisor on such acclaimed films like Borat, The Life Aquatic, and Into The Wild, which won him the Golden Reel Award. He is currently working on the sequel to Borat called Bruno with Sacha Baron Cohen.
Genjer Genjer by Dengue Fever
Dengue Fever is a Los Angeles based band that combines Cambodian pop music with psychedelic rock. Their rendition of the song “Genjer Genjer” is featured in the film. The song “Genjer Genjer” was initially written about women who gather the genjer plant, tie it in bunches, and sell it in the market. The song later became associated with the Indonesian communist party, and the government banned its performance.
THEME SONG, Genjer-Genjer
(Click play above to listen to a version of the song)
Inspired to write about the economic conditions of his town, Banyuwangi, Muhammed Arief wrote the song "Genjer Genjer," the theme song in the "40 Years of Silence." In 1942, the Japanese held colonial rule over Indonesia. The Japanese took all the crops grown in the town, which resulted in conditions of poverty and famine. The townspeople resorted to eating a weed that grew in the paddies, called the genjer plant (limnocharis flava). The lyrics of the song "Genjer Genjer" are about women who pick the young genjer leaves, tie them in bunches, and sell them in the market.
Arief later joined Lekra (Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat), an artists group that shared ideology with the Communist party. The artists in Lekra began to sing and perform the song, and the song quickly became popular among Indonesians of all political leanings. The song became even more popular when two famous singers, Bing Slamet and Lilis Suryani, began to perform and record the song everywhere. The song later was sung at Communist political rallies, and its presumed association with the PKI increased.
Later, a college newspaper called Harian KAMI (Kesatuan Aksi Mahasiswa Indonesia), published altered lyrics to "Genjer Genjer." Instead of describing how the genjer plant was picked, sold, and eaten with rice, this version described how it was Communist supporters that were responsible for the coup that led to the death of the six military generals on September 30, 1965. These lyrics also implicated Gerwani, a women's organization, of being involved in torturing the generals. Although these were not the original lyrics, the publication of this version of the song further strengthened the public perception that the "Genjer Genjer" was associated with the Communist party.
As a result, the Indonesian government banned the song entirely. Anyone who was known to have performed or recorded the song was subject to suspicion and often arrest. Thus, the song "Genjer Genjer" now holds great significance for Indonesia's political history.