My biggest encounter with Javanese Osing culture is when I met my best friend in the 80’s. He is Uwong Osing from Banyuwangi. Through him I learnt more about Javanese Osing culture that I dearly love but I knew only a little. We had various discussions, starting from Sumiati, the kendhang kempul artist to the Osing dance (Tari Gandhrung) that we had from night to morning. It was very fascinating.
For me, Sumiati is by far the best Osing chanteuse. She is probably also the one who responsible to take kendang kempul songs to the level that public start aware about it.
Kendang kempul music instruments are kendang, kempul for music time interval (colotomy), and sometimes electric guitar or keyboard to give “body” in the composition. The singer usually has soprano tombre and the lyrics are in Osing language.
Sometimes people confuse with dangdut. I think the contemporary kendang kempul justifies this, which for me is not a kendang kempul anymore. The old version of kendang kempul is very different. Yes, kendang kempul has sensuality the way dangdut has, but kendang kempul has a mystical aura. It is very infectious and captivating.
There is no entry in Wikipedia about this music genre, but you can listen Sumiati’s track called Gerigis below:
Gerigis
Gerigis, udhyan gerigis
Geludhuge ya ra jepretan
Aja rika nangis
Sedhela engkas
Usum panenan
Gerigis, udhyan gebyuran
Wong udhyane
Gembhyang wowohan
Aja rika tangisan
Sedhela maneh
Sun dhuka kagem pakean
I don’t claim that the transcript of the lyric that I did above is correct. To those who speak Osing, please let me know the correct lyric.
My translation of the song:
Rain
Rain, the pouring rain
Thunder storm lightning
But please don’t cry
because soon
the harvest time is coming
Rain, the pouring rain
It’s very heavy rain
Shredding flowers and fruit
But please don’t cry
because soon
Your sorrows end
P 
(( 
PP 
P