The Music Ecosystem Advancement Work Team And The Ministry Of Education Propose Malls To Hotels To Play Christmas Songs From Indonesian Musicians

This year's Christmas and New Year's Moments will be used by the Music Ecosystem Advancement Team with the Ministry of Culture (Kemenbud) to support Indonesian spiritual musicians.

The Music Ecosystem Advancement Work Team which works in a volatile manner was formed to carry out recommendations for the results of the 2025 Indonesian Music Conference which was held in Jakarta, last October.

In this case, Barry Likumahuwa as a musician and member of the Working Team who takes care of Spiritual Music, Traditional Music, and Tourism, revealed that there are proposals for public spaces to play Christmas-themed songs written and produced by local musicians.

Barry said the proposal had been discussed in a Working Team meeting with Deputy Minister of Culture (Wamenbud) Giring Ganesha last week.

"This is a suggestion from the Deputy Minister (Giring), which we think is very good. That is, he gave directions, why not just local Christmas songs (which were played), where indeed many Indonesian musicians also release Christmas songs, almost every year, at every (moment) Christmas," said Barry, when contacted by VOI on Thursday, November 27.

The reason is, as has become a habit, public spaces such as malls, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and airports 'rap playing Christmas-themed songs from foreign musicians, such as Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' and 'Last Christmas' from Wham!.

With the proposal to use songs from local musicians, said Barry, the economic benefits of 'royalti performing rights' from playing songs in public spaces, can be accepted by domestic musicians.

"So, in terms of economic rights, instead of royalties entering outside, why not to domestic musicians," said the bassist who is also the son of Benny Likumahuwa.

However, for now, Barry underlined that this proposal is not coercive, but provides alternatives for mall and hotel managers to take part in realizing a better Indonesian music ecosystem.

"We actually only have a job to recommend." said Barry. We provide recommendations through playlists (songs), which we have prepared, we have already composed the songs.

He added, Later it will also be made per category. For example, there is a mall that doesn't really like its music that is too excited, it wants it to be calmer, so later we will prepare a playlist that is calmer. Or there may also be people who want the music to be excited, which is festive, yes, we will also prepare the playlist.

For this recommendation, the Working Team will communicate with the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) and the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI), in the hope that these recommendations can be implemented.

"So, the goal is for Indonesian music to host in their own country. So, one of the most important ways is through this Christmas," said Barry.

Meanwhile, the proposal to play the work of Indonesian musicians at the moment of Christmas and New Year is an experimental step (pilot project), so that Religious Holidays in the coming years will also be a 'celebration' for Indonesian culture.

"But this is still a pilot project. In the future, we want to apply it for Vesak, we also want to apply it for Eid al-Fitr, even for Chinese New Year celebrations, and others," said Barry.

"Because we know that the culture in which there is music is an important part for the advancement of national culture," he said.