Indonesian Music

During our stay in Indonesia we really enjoyed the music scene. Most nights as we ate dinner there would be buskers who would come around play a song or two while we ate. It didn't seem to matter if we ate a food stall or restaurant it would usually include live music at some point.The busking is a little different than at home. The musician plays a song and then goes around to collect money. If the musician is good they usually finish the song and then collect from most people. If they are less than desirable someone usually pays them a lesser amount to go before they finish. Some of the bands busking can get very large. I remember one band had eight people including a poor guy who drew the short straw and had to carry around the double bass. On the ship we took from Kalimantan to Java we they had a band that played during our lunch. The second day the crew decided to join in on the singing and we were treated to a couple songs by the chief engineer. There is a mix of Indonesian music and old music from the west like guns and roses for example. Like in other countries Indonesia has one song that almost everybody knows and we can instantly recognize due to it's high usage. A few times I have heard shop keeps singing this song as we go through their store. Fun.