Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia and the sixth largest island in the world with a population of 50 million. Its biggest city is Medan with a population of 1,770,000.
The people represent many different ethnic groups, speaking 52 different languages. Most of these groups, however, share many similar traditions and the different tongues are closely related. Malay-speaking people dominate the eastern coast, while people in the southern and central interior speak languages related to Malay, such as the Lampung and Minangkabau (or MInang) people. The highland of northern Sumatra is inhabited by the Batak people, while the northernmost coast is dominated by Acehs. Ethnic Chinese minorities are also present in urban centers.
Sumatra's best-known musical output is probably dangdut, a rabab/saluang instrumental style.
The Toba people (a subgroup of the Batak) are distinctive in their use of tuned drums to carry the melody in their music; this practice is very rare worldwide. The Toba also use an instrument similar to the oboe and several kinds of gongs. Types of Toba ensemble include the Gondang Sabangunan and Gondang Hasapi.
Sumatra has its own versions of Pop Daerah ("regional pop"), such as Pop Minang, Pop Batak, etc. Sublime Frequencies released two compilations under the name "Folk and Pop Sounds of Sumatra". .
