Indonesian ONE Championship fighter Sunoto shares his love for Dangdut music

Music has a wide variety of genres available for anyone to enjoy. Amidst all the popular choices, ONE Championship fighter Sunoto has shared his unique preference for Dangdut music.

Dangdut is a genre of music that originated from Sunoto’s home area of Java, Indonesia. It is a colorful synthesis of folk music and music from various cultures around the world. While it may be unfamiliar to some, it’s actually one of the most popular genres in Indonesia.

In a recent interview, the Indonesian fighter revealed that it has been part of his life growing up:

“That’s the genre I grew up with. I usually listened to it with my dad when I was a kid and it remains my favorite to this day. Dangdut is the music I am listening to during exercise.”

From exotic sounds and instruments playing the upbeat folk music vibe of Dangdut, the genre has evolved to incorporate influences from more familiar genres like pop, western rock, house, hip hop and disco.

Among the many artists that the 36-year-old admires, he singled out one because of his unique take on it:

“There are a lot; one of them is the late Didi Kempot. His songs are easy to listen and the lyrics are deep. He’s one of a kind and the lyrics really represent what the brokenhearted feel. I just feel like Didi Kempot music is one of a kind but that’s it.”

Dangdut has such an influence on him that Sunoto wanted one to be used in his walkout to the Circle. Unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to do so initially:

“I actually wanted Javanese-influenced music with a heavy beat. However, at that time, Adri [his former manager] picked a rock song. I initially proposed a Dangdut song, but Adri rejected the idea. I wasn’t sure if it was his own decision or there were rules from ONE prohibiting it. For my next fights, I really want to have a Dangdut song accompanying my walkout.”

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Sunoto’s idea for his next walkout song

A walkout song is part of a fighter’s identity. If he is given a chance, Sunoto hopes to have a more active hand in selecting the music that accompanies him as he is introduced to the global audience of ONE Championship.

He has a pretty good idea of what song he wants next and he even has an artist in mind:

“Via Vallen is really on a meteoric rise, her song ‘Opo Kowe Krungu’ is phenomenal. She has covered a lot of other popular songs too. I want to use her song as my next walkout song, or we can collaborate to create an album. I can sing as a backing vocal and I am not bad at it at all [laughing].”

As a former national sambo team member, Sunoto proudly represents Indonesia whenever he fights and playing a Dangdut song in his entrances can be a great way to introduce the local music that he loves to a wider audience.