Kidungan in Virtual Ludruk as a Medium for Narrating the Socio-Economic Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Promoting Health Protocols in Indonesia

Abstract

From various perspectives, many researchers have studied ludruk, a traditional folk play originating from East Java Indonesia. However, there has not been any study focusing on how ludruk responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article examines how kidungan (song in ludruk that has poetical structure and transmits valuable messages) in ludruk virtual articulates the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic and promotes health protocols in Indonesia. It also investigates how kidungan is used as a medium to convey religious values to people facing those terrible effects. The method used in this research is qualitative research that focuses on textual and contextual analysis on kidungan presented by two ludruk troupes, namely Karya Budaya from Mojokerto and Armada from Malang, that held the show virtually in February and April 2021 on YouTube. The analysis indicates that ludruk Karya Budaya and ludruk Armada presented kidungan to depict the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, especially on low-class people, and to convey the advice to comply with health protocols to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus. It also represents a religious belief in dealing with the virus, reminding people to pray to God so that the COVID-19 pandemic will vanish.