n the seventeenth century the Dutch became the leading colonial power. Batavia ( Present: Jakarta) became their mainport in Asia. Before this period the Portuguese were the rulers of the seas.Many of their settlements were conquered by the by the Dutch. From these collapsed Portuguese possessions in Asia inhabitants were transported to Batavia and forced to work for the Dutch rulers.In a later period slaves were set free and granted a piece of land 20 kilometers from Batavia. This area was called Tugu.
The people who settled here were called "Mardijkers" a Dutch word that is derived from the Malay word "Orang Mardika" which means "Free People". They spoke a Portuguese creole dialect, which was widely used in Jakarta until 1800.Because of their mixed ancestry, contact with the colonial rulers and knowledge of the music of neigbouring areas the Tugunese people developed a special musical style: The Kroncong Music.
Tugu is now incorporated in the Greater Jakarta Area.On the photos below from 1980 this area still looks surprisingly rural, in fact it is not far from Jakarta's seaport.
Below a more extensive article about Tugu and the Tugunese from the Indonesian Magazine "Selecta" 1 september 1980.
