Lokananta: Why This Musical Landmark is a Must-Visit in Solo

An Article by Natasya Soetantyo

2025 is shaping up to be a great year for Kata Bella. Solo is one of the cities in Indonesia that I always wanted to explore but never got a chance to (despite travelling to Central Java quite often since I was young). Last January, this long-overdue bucket list was finally ticked off.

After a comforting lunch of soto and a cheeky es dawet selasih from the nearby market, food coma didn’t stop us from exploring the city further – after all, it was only a two-day trip. We then made our way to Lokananta, located on Jalan Ahmad Yani, Laweyan.

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Lokananta is a sacred pilgrimage site for those passionate about music, art, and history. Established in 1956, it was Indonesia’s first record label and vinyl record producer. In their heyday, they were the ones that introduced Indonesia to legendary musicians; Gesang (famously known for his song ‘Bengawan Solo‘), Titiek Puspa, and Waldjinah to name a few.

Its archive is not limited to only pop and Keroncong music at the time; but also home to Indonesia’s largest collection of Gamelan recordings, various ethnic/folk music throughout the country, and even a recorded speech of Presiden Soekarno reading the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence. After several challenging decades trying to adapt to technological advances of cassettes and CDs, Lokananta was revitalised in 2022 and is now functioning as a modern creative hub for the public.

Exploring Galeri Lokananta
The museum, Galeri Lokananta, is an essential part of the visit. It is a ticketed entry with limited time slots – you can either explore the exhibition by yourself or with a guided tour. I opted for the first option; this gave me a bit more freedom to enjoy each part of the exhibition at my own pace. I wouldn’t mind doing the guided tour on my next visit though; turns out the discography room can only be entered with the tour guide present. My share of tips: book a guided tour online as we were unable to book it in-person.

Fun, Concise, and Engaging

Those three words sum up the experience. The first part of the exhibition depicts the origin of Lokananta and its transformative journey in becoming a significant part of Indonesian music history. Brimmed with cool memorabilia (a room full of original Lokananta vinyls!), clear information, and immersive multimedia installations – the entire exhibition was easy to digest. My personal favourite was the room explaining the vinyl production process.

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The later part of the exhibition (only until 8 March 2025) delves into a more general theme of Indonesia’s pop music in the 60s – especially its tumultuous journey under Soekarno’s era of censorship. As I go along enjoying their colourful, aesthetically-pleasing pop graphics and listening to rare Lokananta original recordings, two things particularly caught my attention – the existence of a local genre music called Lenso (please look up its interesting history!) and a once-banned Indonesia Raya recording that was deemed too subversive.

Even if a museums are not your thing, the precinct’s line-ups of trendy coffee shops, restaurants, and retail spaces are still worth a visit. I do suggest you stop by the Lokananta Record Store – their collection of rare Indonesian vinyls from the 60s and 70s really sparked my interest to start a vinyl collection.

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Planning Your Visit

⏰ Museum (Galeri Lokananta) Hours: Daily, 10am – 8pm

🎟️ Entry Time Slots (10 sessions per day):

• Session 1: 10am – 12pm (with a guided tour)
• Session 2: 11am – 12pm
• Session 3: 12pm – 2pm (with a guided tour)
• Session 4: 1pm – 2pm
• Session 5: 2pm – 4pm (with a guided tour)
• Session 6: 3pm – 4pm
• Session 7: 4pm – 6pm (with a guided tour)
• Session 8: 5pm – 6pm
• Session 9: 6pm – 8pm (with a guided tour)
• Session 10: 7pm – 8pm

💰Ticket Prices:

• Adults: IDR 35,000
• Kids (above 100cm), Students, Seniors: IDR 25,000
• Foreigners: IDR 70,000 (with tour guide) / IDR 50,000 (without tour guide)

💬 Guided Tour Booking: Online only at Galeri Lokananta Website

🙋‍♀️ Personal Tips:

● If you opt for a guided tour, make sure you book online before you arrive as time slots can be limited.

● All exhibition materials were written in Indonesian; perhaps getting a tour guide is worthwhile if Indonesian is not your first language.

● Bring an umbrella on rainy day