Gondang: Jurnal Seni dan Budaya
Vol. 10 No. 1 (2026): GONDANG: JURNAL SENI DAN BUDAYA, JUNE 2026

The Representation of Riau Malay Traditional Music in the SUNO AI Application: A Post-Reality Perspective

Ridho Fatwandi (Universitas Negeri Padang)
Daryusti Daryusti (Universitas Negeri Padang)



Article Info

Publish Date
09 Jun 2026

Abstract

This research aims to examine how traditional Malay music is represented through the Suno AI application and to understand this phenomenon using Jean Baudrillard’s post-reality perspective. The study employs a descriptive qualitative approach with digital experimentation techniques and in-depth interviews. Data were obtained from AI-generated Malay music (zapin, joget, and langgam), which was then compared to original traditional music, supported by the views of informants with expertise in Malay music. The findings indicate that AI is capable of presenting musical similarities at the surface level, such as rhythm, tempo, and the distinctive Malay nuance. However, the music produced tends to lose essential elements such as feeling, spontaneity, social interaction, and cultural meaning. From the post-reality perspective, this condition shows that AI music has entered the stage of simulation and simulacra, where culture is represented as sound signs detached from its original reality. Moreover, AI music can create hyperreality, a form of culture that appears neater and more perfect, but lacks depth of meaning. The presence of AI is not as an agent that changes the way culture is understood and represented in the digital era. AI-generated Malay music becomes a cultural representation that is simulational and has the potential to shift society’s understanding of the authenticity of traditional culture.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

GDG

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities

Description

Gondang is a Journal of Art and Cultural for information and communication resources for academics, and observers of Art and Culture, Performing Arts, Educational Arts, Methodology of Art and Cultural. The published paper is the result of research, reflection, and actual critical study with respect ...