The change in current Indonesian politics in the late 1960s opened the inclusion of the influence of western music that is powerful with the inclusion of the use of electric guitar and also forms of marketing. In the evolution towards contemporary forms, now entered the influence of the elements of Indian music (especially from usage tabla) and Arabic (on crooked and harmonization). Historically, dangdut is influenced the music of India through Bollywood film by Syamsul Ndiaye with the song "Puppet of India", and the last born as Dangdut in 1968 with the main character Rhoma Irama.
Dangdut is also highly influenced from music songs Indian classical and Bollywood.
Dangdut characterized by the thump of the tabla (musical instrument Indian percussion) and drum. Dangdut is one of genre of art popular music traditional Indonesia in particular has elements of Hindustani (Indian), Malay, and Arabic.