
Besides orkes Melayu, the primary musical influence on dangdut was Indian music.

Despite its derogatory intent, it was seized upon by those playing it, and the term appears in Rhoma's 1973 dangdut classic Terajana: Sulingnya suling bambu - The flute, a bamboo flute Gendangnya kulit lembu - The drum, from cow hide Dangdut suara gendang rasa ingin berdendang - Dangdut's drum sound makes you want to sing Dangdut as a term distinguished the music of Javanese from the of North Sumatran Malays. It was reportedly coined by music magazine, although stated that it was coined as a term of derision by the rich to the music of the poor. The is one of the most important and main percussion instrument in Dangdut The term dangdut is a for the sound of the (also known as ) drum, which is written dang and ndut.

By 2012, it was mostly popular in the western parts of Indonesia and not in the eastern parts, apart from.
