Indonesia’s hijab-wearing Muslim heavy metal group VoB smashes stereotypes
The all-girl group Voice of Baceprot may have won over fans in their hometown, but many others still believe their focus should be on religion, not Metallica
With their heads covered with headscarves, the three members of the Indonesian band VoB (“Voice of Baceprot” or “Noisy Voice”) do not look like your typical heavy metal group.
Formed in 2014, the band of teenagers met at school in Indonesia’s most populous province, West Java, and use their music to combat the stereotype of Muslim women as submissive or voiceless.
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Wearing a hijab, or Islamic headscarf, should not be a barrier to the group’s pursuit of its dream of being heavy metal stars, says Firdda Kurnia, 16, who plays guitar and sings.
“I think gender equality should be supported, because I feel I am still exploring my creativity, while at the same time, not diminishing my obligations as a Muslim woman,” she adds.
Invited to perform at a recent graduation ceremony at another school, the trio quickly had fans dancing and headbanging at the front of the stage.
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“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” says one fan who attended, Teti Putriwulandari Sari. “There’s no law that bars hijab-wearing women from playing hardcore music. This also relates to human rights. If a Muslim girl has a talent to play the drums or a guitar, should she not be allowed?”
Besides covering classics by groups such as Metallica and Slipknot, the band perform their own songs on issues such as the state of education in Indonesia.
