Song in the Sumatran Highlands

Audiences that Attend

The audience present at a particular performance affects the structure of the evening. Audiences depend on the particular constellation of individuals, each of who bring different experiences and desires into play. It is important to note that audiences are not static but come and go throughout the evening. It is impossible, moreover, to know exactly who is in the audience but the process of ethnography has established some observations confirmed by collaborators. 

Gender

Attend a performance and the first apparent factor is gender. The majority of audience members identify as men. Women sometimes attend, but in my experience when it is a wedding, most of the women who attend are from the local community or the host family. They might even come in dress that is considered "house" appropriate, sometimes used to go to the local stall to pick up odds and ends. In other words, they are not dressed for public appearances. Most women attend earlier in the evening, sometimes with kids in tow, and disappear around midnight. Very few women remain late at night. 

Age

Many of the pagurau are middle age or older, with some younger guys in attendance, particularly if the singers are considered attractive. But for the most part this genre does not appeal to a younger generation. 

Socio-economic Class

Many people told me that saluang is largely associated with people from lower income communities, people who work as farmers or hard laborers. People who are more affluent, X told me, might attend if a really famous singer was destined to perform. 

Religiousness

Most of the men who appreciate saluang are not, Pak Ketua told me, from the most devout segments of society. Many people who are more pious do not attend because of the associations with possibly inappropriate behaviors and lyrics. 

Martial Status

This might seem like a weird factor to include, but it's interesting and relevant only in that the pacandu, the most dedicated of pagurau, are often out night after night at these performances. Most of these men do have wives at home, but it is also permissible in Minangkabau Islam to have up to four wives, as long as one can financially support each wife. I also mention this factor because the intimacy between performers and their audiences does lead to personal relationships and marriage. A number of singers are now married to men they met through this scene. 

Location factors

The kampung asli (village of origin) or current place of residence of a pagurau is relevant because it is possible they might songs specifically affiliated with these places, out of nostalgia or other senses of attachment. Not every song requested that is a song connected with a place is requested because of such an affiliation: sometimes someone might request it simply because they like the tune. 

Reasons for attending

A pagurau's reasons for attending can vary from one person to the next, and one performance to the next. Each of these factors affects the songs they might request, their behavior and subsequent interactions at performances. These factors include: 

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