A Viral Horn for the Global Village

Abstract

The expression «om telolet om» refers to a practice for which teenagers in suburban areas of Indonesia ask bus drivers to play their telolet (special polyphonic horns), which they then record with cellphones and share as YouTube video compilations. In 2016, «om telolet om» went viral, reaching the EDM music community and generating several remixes featuring samples from various videos. In this article, our author analyzes the phenomenon problematizing it in relation to global and local cultures and creative production in contemporary music.