Feature: The Words “Keep Working!” For Cover Singer Is A Wrong Address

Illustration (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Covering songs and then uploading them on social media is a common activity these days. This trend has popular among musicians who are not well-known to try their luck with the aim of gaining success and popularity more quickly. But, it can also only be limited to appreciating the work of the songwriter.

We're not going to talk about copyright. This chapter is too snaking to describe in detail which in the end will trigger new problems. We also won't talk about whose version of the song is more popular. The original singer's version or the cover singer? This matter is not interesting to discuss.

We want to touch on funny things that are often found in the comments column for uploading a cover song on social media. Whether it's on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube medium. There are netizens who comment "Great, keep working!" or “Cool, bro. Keep working!" and such. You know, that's someone else's song that was sung again. Why did he say "keep working" anyway?

According to Wikipedia, a cover is a recording or new appearance of a song that has previously been released commercially. The new recording, was performed by different musicians than the original version. According to various sources, the history of covering in Indonesia has been known since the 1980s. At that time, the record label Ria Cipta Abadi released an album titled Seleksi Pop Hits Indonesia in 1985-1986.

Cover singer illustration (Photo: Pixabay)

In the album, there are a number of songs belonging to certain singers sung by other people. However, the album was withdrawn from circulation in 1988. Nevertheless, the cover version in Indonesia seems to have not died down. Furthermore, other record labels released album cassettes containing songs from abroad that were covered.

On the cover, there is a stamp indicating the existence of a license on the album cover cassette. The singer who often performed foreign cover songs at that time was named Johan Untung, who was known to be adept at imitating various types of voices from world-renowned singers.

Following the success of foreign cover singers, bands from Indonesia, such as the Bharata Band, Cockpit Band, Acid Speed ​​Band, and El Pamas also did the same thing. They brought foreign songs according to their version.

In Jakarta, in particular, in various art performances (pensi) at schools around the late 1990s, local music groups emerged that performed cover versions of foreign songs, for example: Band Tor which covered Jimi Hendrix's songs, Rastafari which covered Bob Marley songs then T-Five covers songs of Korn and Limp Bizkit; at that time the cover version was delivered not only in terms of musical composition but also in terms of stage action.

Until now, cover singers are increasing in Indonesia, and uploading is rife through the YouTube site. But still. It's not an original work, but a cover of another artist's work. So, it's the wrong address if we congratulate or encourage this cover singer by saying "keep up the good work!".

Work, according to KBBI, is work or the result of an act; artificial; creations (especially essays). In this case of course his own. Not someone else's made or – especially songs – sung again. To create is to make something from raw to ripe. Regardless of it being assisted by other people or continuing to experience ups and downs with various input of ideas from many parties, work is a pure idea from humans.

Cover singer illustration (Photo: Pixabay)

So, a more suitable comment for cover singers is; “Cool, keep creating!” or it could be; "Very creative, great!" The reason is, covering other people's songs is not work even though in it there is a process of rearranging songs and changing them drastically. For example, from the genre of dangdut or keroncong to rock or metal. But, still, it's a finished work that belongs to a person.

Feature is a collection of bespoke posts from VOI Music channel editors. We want this article to give readers a new understanding.