FPI urges Trio Macan to tone down performance

The Jakarta Post, Bandung Wed, 06/20/2012


Hard line organization the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) Bandung chapter has rejected the dangdut group Trio Macan, who were planning to perform in Bandung, West Java, on Saturday, saying that the group should wear headscarves should they insist on appearing on stage.

Some 30 FPI members staged a protest on Wednesday in front of a dangdut radio station in Bandung, which will host the Saturday concert where Trio Macan is scheduled to play.

The protesters also demanded that Trio Macan not perform any “erotic dance” and should instead sing religious songs should they persist with their desire to perform in the city.

“We will reject whoever commits pornographic acts. We have rejected [dangdut singer] Dewi Perssik and [US singer] Lady Gaga. We have to prevent sinful acts from happening,” protester Shohirin Ahmad Abdullah said during the protest.

The group also called on the police and the local administration not to give a permit to the event organizer.

“Should this radio continue its plan to hold the concert, don’t blame us for what’s going to happen,” he added.

Cosmo Radio Bandung director Mufti Muchtiar said that his radio had anticipated the rejection, claiming that he had asked Trio Macan management to change the group’s appearance.

“We have asked them not to wear sexy outfits and not to perform erotic dances. So people don’t have to worry,” Mufti said, adding that he planned to hold the concert during day time and at an indoor venue.

“We have set up every thing to avoid negative impacts,” he stressed, and added that he would mediate between the FPI and Trio Macan’s management to find a solution.

Dangdut music, which is very popular in the country, is often deemed erotic with female singers performing sexy dances in outfits to match.

The FPI staged continuous protests against Lady Gaga in May, resulting in the cancellation of the singer’s planned June 3 concert in Jakarta. The group slammed the Grammy-award winning singer for her alleged racy persona and costumes