91 Representation of Local Styles in Cingcangkeling Performance at the International Choir Festival as a Reflection of Sunda Cultural Identity Susi Gustina, Farhan Reza Paz, Zakarias S. Soeteja Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia Submitted: 2022-11-09. Revised: 2023-02-12. Accepted: 2023-05-11 Abstract This research was conducted to figure out the representation of local styles in Cingcangkeling per- formance at the international choir festival as a reflection of cultural identity. There are several studies on folksong, but generally, they only focus on music analysis; and do not explain the representation of local styles in folksong performances at the international choir festival. This research aims to figure out: a) the local style representation in the Cingcangkeling performance at international choir festivals; b ) the relationship between local styles represented in the Cingcang- keling performance with Sundanese cultural identity. It uses a qualitative method with a perfor- mance ethnographic approach as the design of the study which combines music and non-musical elements. The subject of this research is the Cingcangkeling performance (West Java) which was performed by PSM UPI at the 8th Bali International Choir Festival (BICF) in 2019. Data collection techniques were obtained through preliminary study, audio and video analysis, and interviews. The results of this study indicate that: 1) the representation of local styles in the Cingcangkeling song, both musically and non-musically, involves the bodor character (comedy) that is identical to Sundanese culture (West Java); 2) the choir does not only act as performers but also reflects the uniqueness and beauty of the Sundanese culture. The conclusion shows that the representation of local styles in the Cingcangkeling performance at international level festivals, both musically and non-musically, not only reflects Sundanese cultural identity but also shows the role of choir groups as ‘cultural ambassadors’ who introduce the uniqueness of Sundanese culture in the in- ternational world. Keywords: Representation of Local Styles, Folksong, Cingcangkeling, International Choir Festival, Cultural Identity How to Cite: Gustina, S., Paz, F. R., & Soeteja, Z. S. (2023). Representation of Local Styles in Cingcangkeling Performance at the International Choir Festival as a Reflection of Sunda Cultural Identity. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education, 23(1), 91-104 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023), 91-104 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/harmonia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v23i1.40029 tenor, and bass. Informal amateur groups or professional singers can do choir. Choir can also be classified according to the so- cial location in which they are rooted (e.g., community choir, church choir) and the type of music they perform (e.g., gospel choir, folk choir) (Kirrane et al., 2017. Different from choir festivals in the INTRODUCTION Choir is one of the most popular musical activities in the world. A choir consists of a group of singers who sing to- gether with or without supporting instru- ments. Choirs usually involve mixing se- veral voices, for example, soprano, alto, Corresponding author: E-mail: gustina@upi.edu p-ISSN 2541-1683|e-ISSN 2541-2426 Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 91-10492 previous period, many choir groups in- volved creative ideas by involving both musical and non-musical aspects in their performances to increase audience appre- ciation. In accordance with this phenome- non, Green explained that non-musical as- pects can actually be added to increase the quality of performances, including choir performances. Involving in choir activities has seve- ral benefits, especially for the choir mem- bers. Rutter pointed out several benefits of participating in a choir, such as being able to express oneself, forming social units that have the potential to become microcosms of an ideal society, and at the same time, emphasizing the idea that a diverse world can ‘celebrate’ its diversity but still be one.’ Since the last few years, choir festi- vals have been often held, both at the lo- cal, national, and international levels. It is unsurprising that more choir groups have appeared in the children, youth, and adult categories. Bartleet & Carfoot argues that students who attend choir programs at local, national, or international levels, knowingly or unknowingly, are involved in inter-cultural mobility that offers them opportunities to learn through life experi- ences (Bartleet et al. (Bartleet et al., 2020), especially cultural diversity. Programs of intercultural mobility in music, including choral festivals, have the potential to be a powerful catalyst for deepening and en- hancing students’ musical abilities and identity. Interestingly, many choir festival or- ganizers at international level have started to include the folksong category in their programs. Pohjola stated that the involve- ment of folksongs can be understood be- cause folksongs are seen as expressing the essence of a culture, which gives images, and impressions, and touches emotions. This view of folksong stimulates an un- derstanding of differences and diversity in human life (Van Aswegen & Potgie- ter, 2010). In his research, Van Aswegen and Potgieter (Van Aswegen & Potgieter, 2010) focused on folksong in the repertoi- re of the University of Pretoria Jacaranda’s Children Choir in South Africa. The study mentioned that the involvement of folks- ongs in the choir’s repertoire has impor- tant benefits to offer, especially in bridging the differences between various cultural groups in South Africa (Van Aswegen & Potgieter, 2010). Bartolome (2018), who also focuses his research on choir groups in South Africa, concludes that the choir emerges as a resource that bridges social capital, encourages cooperation among participants from various racial and cultu- ral backgrounds, promotes inter-cultural understanding and trust, as well as foste- ring a broader sense of South African na- tional identity. Wolfe Jr. also researched the choir as a symbol of cultural or national identity in his dissertation on choral theater (Wolfe Jr., 2016). The choral theater is an aesthetic performing form of The University Singers which presents the cultural identity of the Jamaican people through staging, lighting, gestures, costumes, and instrumentations. Research on folksong performances from one region in Indonesia at interna- tional choir festivals is still rare. Even if there is, the explanation is generally done partially and less comprehensively. Rese- arch that analyzes the folksong Cingcang- keling (arranged by Farhan Reza Paz), for example, is focused on understanding the arranger’s musical identity. This research only explains the musical aspects, namely the arrangement technique performed by the arranger and some local styles in Sun- danese culture used by the arranger in his arrangement. Focusing on the musical as- pect was also carried out in research on the folksong Yamko Rambe Yamko (arranged by Agustinus Bambang Jusana) (Harahap & Sinaga, 2021). This study, however, only focuses on its musical analysis from the perspective of Western harmony science. Unfortunately, research on the rep- resentation of local styles in folksong per- formances from a region in Indonesia, both musical and non-musical, at international choir festivals that reflect the cultural iden- tity from which the folksongs come from has never been carried out. Therefore, this Susi Gustina et al., Representation of Local Styles in Cingcangkeling Performance at the 93 study seeks to fill the gap by focusing on the representation of local styles in folks- ong performances at international choir festivals that reflect certain cultural iden- tities in Indonesia. Liliweri explained that cultural identity is a characteristic or cha- racteristic of a culture born in a communi- ty environment that is different from the characteristics of the culture of other com- munities (Syakir et al., 2022). In this research, the writer chose Cin- gcangkeling, one of the folksongs from West Java. The selection of folksongs is based on the uniqueness of the musical and non- musical aspects. Viewed from the musical aspect, this folksong arrangement involves local characters that are commonly found in traditional Sundanese music. From a non-musical aspect, these folksongs are performed with choreography that invol- ves movements commonly found in tradi- tional dances as well as traditional costu- mes and props for the Sundanese people. This study aims to figure out: a) the rep- resentation of local styles in Cingcangkeling performances at the international choir festivals, both musical and non-musical aspects; b) the relationship between the representation of local styles in the Cing- cangkeling performance and Sundanese cultural identity. METHOD The method used in this research is a qualitative method (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018). This study uses a performance eth- nographic approach. Through this appro- ach, knowledge will be gained to explore expressive cultural elements, a focus on embodiment as an important component of cultural analysis, and as a tool for rep- resenting scientific engagement. In some cases, performance ethnography can make performance per se an object of study (Ha- mera, 2018). One of the orientations in per- formance ethnography is interdisciplinary because this approach depends on and connects various fields of study, such as music and anthropology, music and cultu- ral studies, or music and performance stu- dies. Therefore, an ethnographic approach to the performance is used because the cre- ative ideas displayed in the Cingcangkeling performance at festivals at the internatio- nal level is a collaboration between musi- cal and non-musical aspects. The location of the research was con- ducted in the city of Bandung. The research subject was the Cingcangkeling (West Java) performance (arranged by Farhan Reza Paz) performed by UPI Choir at the 8th Bali International Choir Festival (BICF) in 2019, conducted in Bali. The data collection technique was obtained through a prelimi- nary study in the form of a documentation study supported by a literature review to understand the explanation of the Cing- cangkeling folksong and Sundanese cultu- re. The documentation study being used in this study is the video documentation of the Cingcangkeling performance shown by PSM UPI at the 8th Bali International Choir Festival (BICF) 2019 in Bali. Music perfor- mance video documentation is conside- red important because video recordings contain important data about the physical movements of participants in music events and the performances that can be heard (Clayton, 2007). This video documentation can also be obtained via YouTube (Soba- rudin, 2019). It is undeniable that teachers and researchers have made a lot of use of video documentation obtained through the YouTube application, which is used as a medium for education and research. Mullen & Wedwick explains that YouTube emerged in 2005 and is a relatively recent video-sharing phenomenon. Teachers and researchers have begun to pay attention to its possibilities in educational and research settings. Based on the video analysis, it was found that the musical aspect was carried out through local characters and orna- ments that are often found in traditional Sundanese vocals and the application of unique arrangement techniques, which impresses the playing of gamelan music. This local character reflects the style of bodor (joke) which is often identified with one of the characters of the Sundanese Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 91-10494 people, namely funny and humorous. The presence of drums complements the mu- sical aspect as an instrument in traditional Sundanese music. The non-musical aspect is carried out through choreography in the form of small pieces of movement origi- nating from several traditional Sundanese dances. Non-musical aspects are also shown through the costumes and props used in the choir performance. In accordance with this phenome- non, Tracey and Blacking have argued that conductors and choirs are faced with the challenge of maintaining the original cha- racter of folk music. Van Aswegen & Pot- gieter also explained that factors such as correct pronunciation and knowledge of textual meaning, appropriate movements, and instrument accompaniment must be taken into account. Interviews were conducted with the arranger to gain an in-depth understan- ding of local styles in musical arrange- ments, and the choreographer to gain an understanding of the movements, costu- mes and props performed in the perfor- mance. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Local Style in Cingcangkeling Perfor- mance Based on the video analysis, PSM UPI, which represents the arrangement of the song Cingcangkeling, appears in a local style that is identical to a certain ethnic group in Indonesia, namely the Sundanese people. Ekajati explained that the moral values of Sundanese culture are Sundanese ethnic identity which originates from Sun- danese values, customs, beliefs, and cultu- ral heritage which are used as references in behaving in society (Purwanti & Sapriya, 2017) . Sundanese local wisdom is known for its culture, which highly upholds the values of courtesy. The character of the Sundanese people is warm-hearted (so- meah), smiling, gentle, loving, obedient, and respecting their parents (sesepuh). In addition, the characters of the Sundanese people who are widely known are funny and humorous, polite, with a distinctive dialect, and relaxed. Funny and humoro- us character, polite, distinctive dialect, and easy-going were very clear in the perfor- mance of UPI Choir when representing Cingcangkeling (arranged by Farhan Reza Paz) at the 8th Bali International Choir Fes- tival 2019 in Denpasar, Bali. Local Style in Cingcangkeling Arrange- ments CINGCANGKELING (The Silent Cangkeling Bird) Cingngkeling manuk cingkleung cindeten, (The silent cangkeling bird, the birds that are free and calm) Blos ka kolong bapa satar buleneng (Get under, fat man bust down) Kleung dengklek buah kopi rarang geuyan, (kendang sound) .... coffee fruit stalks) Keun anu dewek ulah pati diheureuyan (Leave it mine, don’t bother much) Cingcangkeling song is a form of ka- kawihan kaulinan barudak lembur (village children’s playing song). This Cingcang- keling song is a game song intended for counting before the children play a game of cat and mouse or a touch game run- ning around. The lyrics of the Cingcangke- ling song which are considered to have no meaning and are only a joke, actually have an extraordinary depth of meaning about peace of mind. The song Cingcangkeling means that humans must have a sense of humility and vigilance; people do not sup- pose to feel big or high for what they have because it is only a gift from God (Sopiah, 2017). Therefore it can be said that the lyric of this song can only be understood by the supporting community, namely the Sun- danese people. Games have an important role in a child’s life. One aspect that is often used in the game is music. Music often takes the form of games, but music is often used for other purposes as well. Games do not only provide excitement in the form of complex mental activity but also provide training Susi Gustina et al., Representation of Local Styles in Cingcangkeling Performance at the 95 for the next life. Researchers’ attention to games in children’s lives is still being car- ried out today. Copple & Bredekamp ar- gues that playing game is an important component in children’s lives; that is how they learn about the world around them (Yi, 2021). Based on these statements, it can be said that games are not just play- ing activities for children but have a role as a very important source of knowledge in children’s lives which is needed in the process of their next life. Musically, the cute and humorous character of the children who are playing in the arrangement of the song Cingcang- keling is shown in a ‘ bodor ‘ style. Bobodo- ran or bodor (joking) in the dictionary of the Sundanese means purah nyieun pikaseurieun batur (behavior that makes others laugh). In the culture of the Sundanese people, bo- dor , is like joking habit in chatting, both in daily and official meetings. Bodor seems to be ingrained in Sundanese society, so bodor is one of the characteristics of Sun- danese people with humorous characteris- tics. Many musical cultures emphasize vocal music and develop unique styles and techniques. All singing activities are learned behaviors and are usually cultu- rally specific; that is, each culture sets stan- dards for the quality of its singer’s voice. As a result, certain vocal timbres may be accepted by one ethnic group but not at all by other ethnic groups. There are no absolute rules that define vocal behavior. Many Asian singers, for example, prefer a vocal style that is tense, high-pitched, and sometimes nasal. According to Kitahara, nasal voice is a nasal sound quality. Nasal voice refers to the use of the nasal cavity as an antireso- nance (decrease) in the sound spectrum, reducing the sound’s acoustic strength. According to Siregar, nasal voice is one of the processing of vocal techniques arti- culated with air coming out of the nose to produce a nasal or sharp sound. In fact, the sound produced with the timbre of the na- sal voice is almost like the timbre of a shrill voice. However, the processing of the nasal voice’s timbre in this song’s arrangement is made brighter and wider than the shrill sound. The use of a timbre nasal voice is also intended to support the atmosphere of ‘ joke ‘ (funny) or heureuy (joking) in accor- dance with the natural situation created in the village children’s games and gives the impression of childish. The musical style of Bodor in the arrangement of the Cingcakkeling song is carried out with variations in local styles in sound production and the arrangement techniques used. Local style in sound pro- duction is seen in the use of nasal voice, shrill, and ornaments in traditional Sun- danese vocals, such as senggak and ceng- kok. In the arrangement technique, there is the use of body percussion, especially hand clapping, the use of call and response techniques, interlocking or hocketing, and onomatopoeia. Ornamentation in traditional Sun- danese songs, such as senggak and cengkok , are also found in this folksong arrange- ment. Sedak can be interpreted as irregu- lar tones with syllables like “ eu-a-eu-euy “ and, in this arrangement, are written in cross-notes, as seen in the sounds of Bass 1 and 2. In this part, the sounds of Bass 1 and Bass 2 shouted to each other with the words “eu-a-eu-eu y” and a little free shouting like someone who was playing around. Figure 1 shows an example of a nasal voice and senggak: Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 91-10496 Figure 1. Nasal Voice in Tenor and senggak in the sound of Bass 1 and Bass 2 which is shouted to each other with the syl- lables “eu-a-eu-euy “ and little screams that are free, like people who are are playing around. Apart from the use of the nasal voice, you can also find the use of shrill voice cha- racters in this folksong arrangement. Sina- ga explained that the character of a shrill voice is produced by widening the shape of the mouth to the side without opening the inside of the oral cavity. Like the use of the nasal voice’s timbre, the shrill voice’s character is done to add to the ‘joke’ (fun- ny) impression. One of the uses of a shrill voice is done with dynamics f which can be interpreted as an invitation to play becau- se, in this section, the original melody of the Cingcangkeling song begins to be sung. The character of the shrill voice and other ornamentations, such as hand clapped body percussion, sweeten and add a chil- dish impression to the part. Figure 2 shows an example of shrill and body percussion: Figure 2. The use of shrill and hand-clapped in all types of voices Cengkok (written with a ) is used to give a distinctive Sundanese touch, as shown in Figure 3: Figure 3. Cengkok ( ) in Soprano and Alto Cengkok in the figure above can be practiced as follows: Written sung Susi Gustina et al., Representation of Local Styles in Cingcangkeling Performance at the 97 Figure 4. The use of local styles in sound pro- duction, such as nasal voice, cempreng, senggak, cengkok, and arrangement techniques in Cing- cangkeling performances, is supported by cho- reography and props to create an atmosphere of ‘ bodor ‘ (comedy), ‘ joke ‘ (funny) or heureuy (joking) according to the natural situation that is created in kaulinan barudak lembur (village children’s game) The call and response techniques are also used in the Cingcangkeling arran- gement. Call and response forms can be repeated randomly, and often the leader creates variations that can be understood only by the choir member. Sometimes the overlapped melody creates multipart ty- pes of music. In call-and-response songs, the response often begins before the call or solo ends, resulting in two melodic lines. Figure 5 shows an example call and res- ponse: Figure 5. Overlapped call and response on Soprano, Alto, and Bass, followed by tenor There is also the implementation of the hocketing technique, which is similar to the interlocking technique. Hocket is a technique that provides melodic lines through coordination with many people. Each individual produces one to three no- tes which are timed with the other players so that the ensemble delivers a full range of melodies (Kaemmer, 1993). Hocketing has also been described as a medieval term for a 13th- and 14th-century contrapuntal technique, which affects the harmony of sounds and silences through the use of a si- lence signal between two or more sounds. Or, there is a ‘concurrent stop-and-go technique’ (Sanders, 1995) . It can be said that hocketing or interlocking is a “stop- and-go device” technique. Hocketing or interlocking techniques are often found in gamelan games. Following are some of the hocketing or interlocking techniques con- tained in the Cingcangkeling arrangement in Figure 6: Figure 6. Interlocking or hocketing between Soprano and Alto Another local style used in this arran- gement of Cingcangkeling is onomatopo- eia. Etymologically, the term onomatopoeia comes from the Greek, onomatopoiia , which means “creation of a name or word” (by imitating the sound associated with somet- hing named). Barnet, Berman & Burto also explained that onomatopoeia occurs when a word is used to imitate certain sounds. In music, the term onomatopoeia is defined by Nyman as the use of sound from a non- musical environment; Dahlhaus defines it as imitation of non-musical sound and simple imitation of acoustic phenomena from the outside world; Berger defines the use of everyday sounds; and Harley defi- nes the term as an appropriate representa- tive tropes (Castelőes, 2014). In other words, onomatopoeia can be interpreted as a vocal imitation of a sound Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 91-10498 source associated with something named. For example, the sound of drums is imita- ted by the word ‘dung ‘ or ‘dang ‘. In the arrangement of this song, the use of ono- matopoeia is used to imitate the sounds of several gamelan instruments, such as the demung , saron , kendang , and ukulele . The onomatopoeia of demung uses the word “ ding-dang-ding ” which suppose to describe the atmosphere of darkness when the sun rises in the morning because of the character of the demung sound having the impression of ‘dark’. Figure 7 is an examp- le of the onomatopoeia of demung : Figure 7. The onomatopoeia of demung with the sound “ ding-dang-ding “ in Soprano, Alto, and Bass. The onomatopoeia of the ukulele uses the word “ cung-cung-cu-ku “ which sup- ports a relaxed atmosphere when a group of young people are playing together be- cause the ukulele is often played at leisure time. Figure 8 is an example of the onoma- topoeia of ukulele: Figure 8. Onomatopoeia of the ukulele sound with the sound “ cung-cung-cu-ku “ in Soprano and Alto. The onomatopoeia of saron by using the word “ ning-nang-ning-nang ” supports the impression of being humorous (fun- ny) and happy because the song is sung with a nasal voice technique. The timbre processing when singing the onomatopoeia uses the timbre of the nasal voice to further strengthen the ‘character’ of the loud saron sound. Figure 9 is the example of the ono- matopoeia of saron : Figure 9. The onomatopoeia of saron sound with “ ning-nang-ning “ and “ kling-kling “ sounds in Soprano and Alto as well as the onomatopoeia of kendang in Bas The onomatopoeia of drums using the words ‘ding-dang-ding ‘ and ‘ du-da-du-ding ‘ as shown in Figure 10. Figure 10. The onomatopoeia of kendang sounds with the sound “ ding-dang-ding “ or “ du-da-du-ding “ in Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass The Cingcangkeling arrangement made for the unaccompanied choir (aca- pella) is complemented by playing ken- dang, one of the instruments in gamelan, and accompaniment for the Jaipong dance (West Java). Wiresna (2020) explains that kendang is a symbol or cultural represen- tation used in the Jaipongan dance. Tracey and Blacking once explained that in order to maintain the original character of folk music, in addition to paying attention to correct pronunciation, knowledge of textu- al meaning, and appropriate movements, conductors and choirs must also take the accompaniment of instruments into ac- count (Van Aswegen & Potgieter, 2010 Susi Gustina et al., Representation of Local Styles in Cingcangkeling Performance at the 99 (Van Aswegen & Potgieter, 2010). Figure 11. Kendang (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendang) Local Style in Choreography Local styles are visible musically and in choreography dominated by move- ments in dances from West Java (Sunda). In general, the movements in Sundanese dan- ce are divided into several parts based on the body part moving: head, hands, body, and legs. Choreographer uses small Sun- danese Classical Dance, Jaipong and New Creation Dance pieces in this Cingcangke- ling performance. However, there are also pieces of movement found in Central Java- nese dances. The choreography in the Cin- gcangkeling performance begins with the opening movement, as shown in Figure 12. Figure 12. Opening movements performed by all female members Movement on head, for example gi- lek (moving head to the left and right) and galier (turning the head). Movements on the hands include nangreu , ukel , ngepeul , sembada (right and left), Nyawang (right and left), lontang (left and right), and over- lapping ropes . Figure 13 shows Nyawang movement pattern. Figure 13. Nyawang movement (right and left) Figure 14 shows the movement pat- tern of nangreu palm and batara rubuh which are one of the movements in classi- cal Sundanese dance. Figure 14. Movement pattern of nangreu palm and batara rubuh Movements of the body, is for examp- le bahuan (right and left), gibrig (moving the shoulders up and down), torsoan (mo- ving the upper chest to the right and left). Figure 15 shows the torsoan movement. Figure 15 . Torsoan Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 91-104100 Movements on the legs, for examp- le adeg-adeg, sirig, gedig, sonteng (right and left), trisi, and calik ningkat (sitting position with the right leg higher) as shown in Fi- gures 16, 17, and 18. Figure 16. Calik ningkat Figure 17. Sirig Figure 18. Sirig Besides small pieces of movement in Sundanese dances, the choreographer also uses movement pieces in traditional dances from other regions, such as Central Java. For example, Figure 19 is ulok-ulokan movement in traditional Central Javanese dance which is usually used in helaran events (parades) in Cingcangkeling perfor- mances. Figure 19. Ulok-ulokan Local Style in Costumes and Props Figure 20. The costumes and props used by Students Choir of UPI when representing local styles in the Cingcangkeling performance at the 8th Bali International Choir Festival 2019 in Denpasar, Bali . The costumes and props used by the Students Choir of UPI are identical to the costumes and props of mojang jajaka in Sundanese culture. Based on the video analysis conducted, the costume worn by the male members ( jajaka ) is beskap or black closed coat. The uniqueness of the male cos- tume is the use of a patterned sarong. The addition of this sarong element seems to reflect one of the funny, innocent, relaxed, and simple but resourceful figures well known to the Sundanese people, namely Kabayan. Kabayan is a legendary figure in Sundanese society. In addition, the use of sarong is also identical to ‘clothing’ when worshiping in Islam. In other words, even though this folksong describes children’s play (kaulinan barudak), remembering the Creator by worshiping is an obligation that cannot be abandoned. The costumes and props used by the female members (mojang) are those Jai- pong dancers: apok, sampur, and sinjang. Apok is an upper costume worn by Jaipong dancers. Apok’s characteristics can be seen Susi Gustina et al., Representation of Local Styles in Cingcangkeling Performance at the 101 in ornaments and knick-knacks, which are not much different from kebaya. The apok used is black with a gold ornament on the left chest. Sampur is a shawl or long cloth. In the Jaipong dance, sampur is the main property that dancers must use. The sam- pur used by female members is in the form of a long scarf pinned on the shoulder han- ging down to the dancer’s ankles. Sinjang is a long cloth in dark golden typical song- ket used as a bottom. Local Style Representation in Cingcang- keling Performances as a Cultural Iden- tity Pohjola has argued that there is a re- newed interest in folk music worldwide, because folk music is seen as ‘the expres- sion of the essence of culture’. Folk music shapes cultural images, gives cultural im- pressions, and touches human emotions. These experiences open up opportunities to accept differences and diversity in hu- man life (Van Aswegen & Potgieter, 2010). The music or folksongs in the choir’s reper- toire have important benefits, especially in bridging cultural differences. Children who are part of the choir, the conductor and arranger of the songs involved, and the audience can be influenced in positive ways by performances of folksong or folk music from various cultural groups (Van Aswegen & Potgieter, 2010). Folksong generally uses the native language of the area where the song ori- ginates. Therefore, the pronunciation of the lyrics must be mastered by all mem- bers of the choir. Meerholz and Spaumer explained that the correct pronunciation of the lyrics plays an important role when performing folksongs in the original lan- guage and reflects the choir’s respect for certain cultural groups (Van Aswegen & Potgieter, 2010). In addition to texts in the original language, choir administrators must also consider other non-musical com- ponents, such as the use of movement in choir performances. Therefore, it is highly recommended that each choir group have an instructor who knows the culture (local language or movement/dance or visual art) where the folk song being sung comes as an effort to help the choir group with dances or movements when singing folk- songs. The non-musical components actu- ally enrich and enhance the audience’s appreciation of the choir performance. Green explained that the existence of non- musical components can actually improve the quality of choral performances. In ac- cordance with Mugovhani, national cho- ir competitions can actively foster a new generation of indigenous choir musicians of a community group whose mission is to preserve and promote the indigenous choir culture of that community. The choir shows its role as cultural ambassador for their country through folksong perfor- mances at international festivals involving musical and non-musical aspects, such as lighting, instrumentation, stage, costumes, and choreography. The involvement of musical and non- musical aspects improves the quality of folksong performances and shows an ex- ploration of musical culture, community, and identity. In a children’s choir group, for example, folksong performances aim to connect children’s emotional experiences with their culture and society. Therefore, the choir has a significant role in cultural learning and identity formation. Choir is seen as having various ro- les, including showing the diversity of a country’s musical culture and affirming national identity. Choir can be the sour- ce of bridging social capital, supporting cooperation among participants from dif- ferent racial and cultural backgrounds, de- monstrating intercultural understanding and trust, and strengthening a sense of na- tional identity (Bartolome, 2018 ) . CONCLUSIONS Folk songs or folk music performan- ces in an international music festival can be seen as a way for a group to build and maintain their identity. Kaemmer (Kaem- mer, 1993)even asserts that music often serves to emphasize ethnic identity or the Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education 23 (1) (2023): 91-104102 main characteristics of a distinct ethnic group within the larger society. The presence of the UPI PSM group at the 8th Bali International Choir Festival (BICF) 2019 in Bali for attending an inter- national level competition by singing Cin- gcangkeling as one of the folksongs from West Java society was analyzed from its musical and non-musical aspects. These two aspects clearly represent local styles in Sundanese culture. This local style can be seen in the use of vocal characters and uni- que arrangement techniques, which give the impression of being humorous (fun) viewed from the musical aspect. The term funny and humorous are often associated with the character of the Sundanese peop- le who are generally known to the public. This local style can be seen in the use of movements in the form of choreography as well as costumes and props that match the theme of the folksong being sung viewed from the non-musical aspect. Therefore, it is understandable if the preparation for the performance of this choir group is not only supported by a voice coach but also the choreographer and costume designer, as an effort to optimize the performance or to present the song authentically in relation to the folksong being sung, the meaning of the text, the choreography or movements, and instrumental accompaniment. 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