Bimbim Slank Reveals the Impact of the Soaring Dollar on Musicians' Operating Costs

JAKARTA - The weakening of the rupiah exchange rate which has penetrated a new psychological level above Rp18,000 per US dollar (USD) is increasingly having a real impact on various sectors in the country. The creative industry sector, especially the Indonesian music world, is one of the lines that has begun to be affected by the surge in foreign currencies. This economic condition triggered the attention of musicians and the leader of Slank, Bimbim, who confirmed that the volatility of the US dollar exchange rate greatly affected the operational costs of his music group, considering that most of the supporting instruments for music performances are still supplied through the import scheme.

"Yes, drum sticks, guitar strings, what else? (If) the dollar goes up, we'll get it all. Import all of it," said Bimbim when met at the Slank Headquarters in Pancoran, South Jakarta, Friday, June 5.

The drummer further explained that the domino effect of the rupiah depreciation not only burdened the aspect of music production, but also spread to a decrease in people's purchasing power for daily logistics fulfillment based on imported products. Bimbim told his experience when he found out that the exchange rate of the rupiah was increasingly eroded when used to transact to buy imported food at premium supermarkets.

Despite the significant swelling of operational and stage production costs, Slank expressed an attitude of not raising their rates or contract values.

Bimbim emphasized that the management chose to maintain the standardization of prices so as not to provide additional financial burden to the promoters and event organizers.

"It's not possible (to raise prices). I feel sorry for those who want to call Slank," he said.

Responding to the current economic fluctuations, Bimbim compared the current monetary situation with the memory of the financial crisis that hit Indonesia in 1998, when the US dollar exchange rate touched the range of Rp. 16,000 to trigger reforms.

According to his analysis, there is a fundamental difference in the way people express criticism of public policy in this modern era.

Bimbim assessed that social stability and tranquility in the community can be maintained well if the faucet of democracy, freedom of opinion, and space for expression for cultural art actors is not restricted by the relevant authorities.

On the contrary, he gave a critical note regarding the potential for social unrest if these fundamental rights begin to be restricted.

"As long as art, culture, songs, freedom of expression, not silenced, I think it can still calm the community. But if it is banned, silenced, it may explode," concluded Bimbim.