You just can’t kill the “Mission Impossible” theme song, can you? From the classic grand orchestral version by the composer Lalo Schrifin himself, to the alternative or post-punk rock version by Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. of an Irish band U2, to the nu-metal version with rapping and DJing by an American group Limp Bizkit. Now imagine. What if the song is wrapped up a little bit with Indonesian ethnical music?
I tell you that the composition is possible. It is Kua Etnika, a music group from Yogyakarta Indonesia, who plays the new version with gamelan, a set of Indonesian traditional music instruments. Their mission is noble, to do a creative exploration between traditional and modern art, between idealistic and industrial. With the solid connection developed within the musicians whose background is Javanese and Balinese, Kua Etnika is able to exhibit an extraordinary recital of gamelan together with electrical guitar, bass, keyboard, and drum. In addition, the group leader Djaduk Ferianto also occupies traditional wooden gun toy and an instrument resembling can phone in the performance of Mission Impossible.
 |
| When traditional "Saron" percussions meet the modern drum |
GROWING TOGETHER
Djaduk Ferianto (46 year-old) and his brother, monologue performer Butet Kartaredjasa (49 year-old), are two artists from Padepokan Seni (Art Centre) commemorate Kussudiardja located in Yogyakarta. The padepokan is commemorated under their late father who was also a big Indonesian artist and cultural observer. Together they manage some creative activities there, covering four performing arts group: Sinten Remen (a keroncong music group), Teater Gandrik (Gandrik theater group), DIKLAT tari kreasi baru (education and training centre of new creation dance), and Kua Etnika.
 |
| Djaduk Ferianto: The Captain |
Kua Etnika was established by the two brothers and musician Purwanto in 1995. Consisting of more or less substitutable 15 musicians, some of them are also involved in Sinten Remen. Substitutable? Yes. According to the vocalist Silir Pujiwati, the personnel of Kua Etnika may be different from time to time depending on the performance need and the music colour.
“Each of our albums presents very different music, and we have different people involved in it.” said Mrs.Pujiwati. For example in their album “Orkes Sinten Remen”, they play new keroncong music which is merged with blues, jazz, rock ‘n roll, and country. Meanwhile in another music album “Orkes Melayu Banter Banget”, Kua Etnika modernize Malaysian music, including putting much dangdut (Indonesian folk music).
In the last 2010 production album “Nusaswara”, Kua Etnika speaks up their concern over the reality of nusantara (a term used to refer Indonesia) through a variety of suara (sound). Therefore, not only playing the standard band equipments and gamelan, the group made their own instruments to produce diverse sounds, like a bamboo which produces tinkling water and a set of small gamelan.
Since 1998, Kua Etnika has Trie Utami as their main vocalist. She is one of Indonesian top diva who has gained recognitions from international music festivals, and was also trusted to be a judge in a national singing competition. “My life is music, and it is good to play music with my friends.” She uttered and smiling; expressing the feeling for her fellow musicians who she has recognized for years.
 |
| Trie Utami (middle): It's good to play with my fellow musicians |
VERSATILE TROOP
Once I came to watch Kua Etnika’s performance of the newest album “Nusaswara”. I could not stop admiring the entertaining complete action-packed show, all of it without them reading at the score. Each of the numbers tells me different story which stimulates the hearing, sight, and brain.
Kua Etnika combines music, acting, joking, and dancing. These acts are sustained by properties and lighting (yes they have their own lighting man); so it comes alive along with the music they play. Djaduk Ferianto himself is not only a musician. He paints, acts, and dances as well. I believe the other personnel are also multitalented; or at least they can joke well.
For the talent and professionalism, the group has been offered some interesting projects too, like filling in a play or dance performance. Besides scoring music for Teater Gandrik, Kua Etnika was also hired to enliven theatre performances of Teater Koma, the biggest theatre community in Indonesia. People in motion pictures industry are also magnetized working with the group, as some big names like Garin Nugroho and Slamet Rahardjo trusted their films’ music illustration to these musicians.
Beyond the low-profile attitude of the personnel, Kua Etnika has enlisted the row of Indonesia’s international artist. They worked with Malaysian musicians to present “Many Skin” concert. In 2003, it was German musicians Pata Master’s turn to do collaboration, generating concert and music album “Pata Java”.
In 2010, the group was offered to perform in some big events like the anniversary of Metro TV (Indonesia’s leading news TV station) and be the closing act of Indonesia Music Festival.
There are more to come for Kua Etnika introducing ethnic music to the pop culture. Indonesian traditional music is broad enough to explore, yet the existence is vanishing in the modern society. Kua Etnika will not stop playing ethnic to show that the music is wide open to contemporary challenges, and able to be brought to the world. Yes, Kua Etnika, they really make it possible.
Kua Etnika in Indonesia Music Festival 2010:
No comments:
Post a Comment