Joyful Sundanese ”Sinden”
From a simple kitchen, Rita then performed at bus terminals. As time went on, Rita performed on stage. Now, she has traveled the world to sing traditional Sundanese songs.
Rita Tila
Rita Tila became teary-eyed when she shared the story of how she began her singing career. From a simple kitchen, Rita (33) then performed at bus terminals. As time went on, Rita performed on stage. Now, she has traveled the world to sing traditional Sundanese songs.
“Our life used to be difficult. However, we learn many lessons along the way,” said the Sundanese sinden (singer of traditional tunes) in an interview in Bandung one morning in January.
Rita said she had always woken up early in the morning to help her late grandfather, Oting, and her grandmother make fries in the simple kitchen in the family’s backyard in Sukabumi. It was among the thick smoke of firewood that she often listened to her grandfather singing melodiously. “He usually sang to entertain my grandma,” Rita reminisced.
Rita said she loved her grandfather’s high-pitched voice. He was a beluk artist. Beluk is a Sundanese singing method popular among farmers. She added that she loved listening to her grandfather’s singing. She would attempt to imitate him and he loved her for it.
Rita then took singing lessons and learnt how to dance to the beat of Sundanese songs played on the radio. She trained herself when she was not busy helping her grandmother sell fries at the Nagrak bus terminal in Sukabumi regency, West Java. She felt that performing in front of a large audience would give her self-confidence.
Many of her grandmother’s customers were blown away by Rita’s singing voice. As time went on, she began receiving requests to perform.
Rita’s mother, lis Rohayati, also played a huge role in honing Rita’s skills. Iis is a famous sinden in West Java. She gained the moniker Si Jangkrik (The Cricket) due to her skills of singing traditional songs while performing silat moves. Rita received training from her mother and, eventually, both performed together on stage. Some days, she performed all night.
“We would finish performing at dawn. My mom would then ask someone living near the stage for hot water. It was for me to take a bath before I went to school. The struggle was harder at school because I was always very sleepy,” she said, laughing.
Rita Tila
Traveling the world
Slowly, Rita gained fame as a child sinden and singer. She was paid Rp 1,500 (US$1.1) per performance. This was twice the monthly school fees for elementary school children at the time.
After she graduated from junior high school, she received an interesting offer from her uncle. Rita was offered a chance to continue her studies at the SMKN 10 public vocational high school in Bandung. There, she continued to hone her singing skills. She then enrolled in the music department of the Indonesian Music College in Bandung (now the Indonesian Institute of Arts and Culture) and then moved on to the Indonesian University of Education.
She gained more and more experience. Apart from winning various Sundanese traditional and pop singing competitions, she also got the chance to meet many senior Sundanese musicians. “I have many role models, including singers Euis Komariah and Neneng Dinar, sinden Nunung Nurmalasari and Idjah Hadijah and kawih artist Ida Rosida,” she said.
She then joined the Samba Sunda music group under Ismet Ruhimat’s leadership. Rita joined them because it was one of the few groups mixing traditional Sundanese and modern music in their songs. “We performed not only in Indonesia, but also abroad,” said Rita who has sung Sundanese songs in Germany and the Netherlands.
She also once served as a visiting lecturer in the United States in 2008. She was invited by ethnomusicology expert Andrew Weintraub and taught at several colleges in Pittsburgh, Ohio, Washington DC and Atlanta.
“One of the most unforgettable moments for me was when I was asked to name a Sundanese gamelan group at Emory University in Atlanta. I named it Nyi Mas Mandalasari in the hope that the gamelan group would spread a diversity of knowledge too all,” she said.
However, she added that it was not global recognition that reaffirmed her loyalty to traditional vocal arts. Instead, it was the “Sinden Republik” performance in Jakarta in 2016. At the time, she performed with other notable sinden singers including Waljinah and Soimah. Rita was the only Sundanese sinden at the event. “Seeing the enthusiasm, I then believed that many are still in love with this traditional art form and that it will not be forgotten any time soon,” Rita said.
She proved this by continuing her work, including establishing the RT production house and Kacapi Inovatif music group. Her latest creation is a song titled “Sabeulah Panon” that is a mix of traditional and contemporary genres. The video clip is filled with varied pictures, lighting and elegant dresses. Sabeulah panon is a Sundanese idiom that means being underestimated. She said she hoped people did not underestimate Sundanese music.
“Sabeulah Panon” is the latest of hundreds of songs across 24 albums that Rita produced in various genres, including jaipong, kacapian, kliningan and Sundanese pop. She has gained the moniker Sinden Gandrung Gumiwang due to her near-perfect singing technique.
Outside of her albums, she has also produced many singles, including as a solo singer or in duets with other musicians and music groups. “It is hard for me to reject a duet request. Many of the duets are for free. I don’t want to think too much about money. I just wish to see more Sundanese musicians,” said Rita, who has performed with several Norwegian musicians.
She also does not wish to forget her origins. She spares time to teach traditional and Western vocals at her old college. Rita refuses to take a salary as she believes she still has a lot to learn. While teaching, she also finished her graduate degree at the same college. She teaches around 200 students. “I just wish to share my knowledge,” she said.
As morning turned into afternoon, Rita’s cell phone rang. Jeong Tae-seong, 52, her South Korean graduate student had arrived. Rita was helping Tae-seong with his thesis on Sundanese traditional music development.
Rita does not only talk about theories with Tae-seong, she also sings for him. She combines her high-pitched voice with a diverse vocal technique, including the dongkari to break her singing voice and the vibrato singing technique that is filled with resonance.
Tae-seong was amazed. “If [Rita] was born in Japan or in the US, she would have become a world famous singer. She has everything, from great vocals to wonderful ways of communicating with her audience,” he said.
Upon hearing that, Rita blushed. She remembered the modest beginning of her singing career. Her dream was as far away as possible from ambitions of becoming famous. She just wished to sing joyfully.
