honeygotchi

As an Indonesian, my 2 cents.

1. We don't live in huts like monkeys with no Internet. Though some people still live traditionally, many cities and towns have Internet and mobile phones, as well as water and television and electricity/modern lights.

2. There are THOUSANDS of tribes in Indonesia, with differing cultures, stories, and languages--that means, yes, the songs can also be very different. Even as an Indonesian, I can't name more than ten or twenty tribes.

3. Many of the songs that Palmer records have incredible cultural significance. They are not performed to make money. Many traditional cultures and songs are dying out due to a somewhat forced shift to Islam, and I personally am concerned about the erasure of traditional Indonesian cultures across the archipelago (though that is only one aspect of cultural erasure, and a balance needs to be maintained between preserving culture + forcing our own ideas onto it).

4. Because these songs are not performed for money or for the sake of performance (rather, to worship a deity or celebrate a particular seasonal event, or simply for pleasure), many Indonesian people view the sharing of our culture as an overwhelming positive thing. This is different from indie musicians who are trying to make money. In many cases, accepting money for these songs (many of which are religious in nature) would be akin to blasphemy. Other songs and instruments are used to simply pass the time, and commodifying depictions of everyday life is exactly what we don't need happening.

5. As long as Palmer isn't trying to sell these songs, and instead is using aural archipelago as a free online resource for people to learn more about our peoples' incredibly rich history and culture, then why not? Some comments are pointing blame to him, as if he's a typical whitey trying to make money off of poor Indonesian people. And from what I've seen as I've followed his journey, that's not at all true. Don't get so concerned about social justice that you fail to see the situation from actual Indonesian people's perspectives. This is a gift of preservation of traditions that one day soon may no longer exist. This is absolutely a gift and a blessing.

How did you feel last month after achieving fusion? Were you aware of what happened? I think I’d start running around screaming if something so monumental happened for me! Congratulations, by the way!

Hi Kimbra! Hi Kimbra! Hey Kimbra! Hey Kimbra!