Indonesia's 'Watermelons Duo' singers rapped for suggestive video

JAKARTA - Dressed in low-cut, fitting tops and miniskirts, a pair of Indonesian folk dangdut singers calling themselves the "Watermelons Duo" gyrate suggestively in their latest hit music video.

For their raunchy moves deemed inappropriate for children, Ms Clara Gopa and Ms Vanya Kiara of "Duo Semangka", the group's name in Bahasa Indonesia, were summoned by the country's Commission for the Protection of Indonesian Children (KPAI) for questioning.

KPAI head Susanto told local media that the commission was only following up on the public complaints on the video content said to be "against the values of appropriateness".

"We fear children will imitate their moves. So we are merely seeking clarification," he said.

The music video is titled Mantul, which means bounce in Bahasa Indonesia but is also an abbreviation of the Indonesian phrase "mantap betul" or "super awesome" in English.

The two bosomy women, who came together to perform last year, have reportedly insured their breasts for one billion rupiah (S$100,000).

Ms Kiara was replaced earlier this month by another singer, Ms Variola May, who together with Ms Gopa met the KPAI on Thursday (Aug 22).

After the meeting, the pair apologised to the public.

Ms Gopa was quoted as saying by Detikcom news website that the pair will remain sexy, but not lewd.

"Our sexy image will still be there, but we will cover up anything vulgar," she said.

Ms May told journalists, as reported by Tribun website: "This will be a lesson for us to be careful in the future and to try and entertain in a more positive way."

Dangdut, which is derived from the "dang" and "dut" sounds of the tabla drums, is hugely popular in Indonesia, where singers appear on television every night and perform at wedding parties and special gatherings.

But the genre, whose origins date back to the 1930s, has been testing social boundaries in the mainly Muslim country, with critics saying that the dance acts are becoming more sexually explicit.

Duo Semangka's manager Sonny Bule said they will change their content for the better, and acknowledged that the video content was "perhaps not too good for the young generation and Indonesian children".

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.