Keroncong music came to Indonesia in 1512, when Portuguese Expedition led by Alfonso de Albuquerque came to Maluku and Melaka. Portuguese sailor brought Fado music, Portuguese folk song that has Arabic tone.Nowadays, there are many music instruments that used in Keroncong orchestra, such as ukulele cuk, ukulele cak, acoustic guitar, violin, flute, cello, and kontrabas.
There are 4 steps of development of Keroncong music in Indonesia:
a. Tempo Doeloe (1880–1920)
The example of Kronchong Tempo Doeleoe songs are Terang Bulan, Potong Padi, Nina Bobo, Sarinande, O Ina Ni Keke, Bolelebo, and many others.
b. Kronchong Eternity (1920–1960)
The most well-known song in this period is Bengawan Solo composed by Gesang, written in 1940, told about Solo River
c. The Era of Modern Kronchong (1960–2000)
Campursari is an example of song from this era. Campursari is a mixture of gamelan music and kronchong
d. Millennium Kroncong (2000–present)
Bondan Prakoso & Fade 2 Black is an example of a group that mix Keroncong with Hip Hop
Now, we will share the clips of Bengawan Solo, the most popular Keroncong song in Indonesia, and also the lyrics in Bahasa Indonesia and English:
| Bengawan Solo | Solo River |
| Riwayatmu ini | This is your story |
| Sedari dulu jadi | Have been since earliest times |
| Perhatian insani | Of sentient attention |
| Musim kemarau | In the dry season |
| Tak seb'rapa airmu | Your water is not much |
| Di musim hujan, air | In the rainy season, water |
| Meluap sampai jauh | Spills reaching far distances |
| Chorus: | |
|---|---|
| Mata airmu dari Solo | Your water springs forth from Solo |
| Terkurung Gunung Seribu | Isolated by Mount Seribu |
| Air mengalir sampai jauh | Water flows to reach far distances |
| Akhirnya ke laut | Eventually to the sea |
| Itu perahu | Those boats |
| Riwayatnya dulu | In the past |
| Kaum pedagang s'lalu | The merchant folk had always |
| Naik itu perahu | Sailed in those boats |
