The Oldest Music Instrument, Ocarina

I have recently been amazed by this small whistle-like instrument. Thanks to my sweet cousin who presented me this sweet Ocarina that she got from a trip to Taiwan.



My Ocarina is made from ceramic, and I can put it around my neck; it comes pretty handy. It sounds like Indonesian bamboo flute, with complete notes from c to b, including c#, d#, f#, etc. Although I have not managed to play those minor notes.

From the manual book I know that Ocarina is as ancient as 4000 years old. Moreover, they said it is originated from China, although another online source tells me it comes from South America.

Ancient Chinese Ocarina is made from stone, wood, bone, shell, and gourd; the design is inspired by humana or animals. I believe mine looks like a turtle, doesn't it?

Historians believe that Ocarina was played at important ceremonies. The myth has it that the "masters" played it to tame wild beast, and musicians won wars simply because the sound made by Ocarina which was able to hypnotize enemies.

Well, I will go back to master my Okay-rina. Thank you for reading ;)

Eradicating Corruption with Music

I met Mul and Rendi last year in a humble house which serves them as basecamp in Depok, just a little bit South out of Jakarta. It was an interview assignment for the mass media I worked at, to make a profile story of this community, or syndication.

They call themselves SIMPONI (Music Syndicate of Earth Dwellers). Gamulya, or Mul for short, acts as the leader or manager of the music group. Rendi Ahmad who also earned credit in a couple of Indonesian features film is one of the talents. The others are musicians with various music genres, including beatboxers. Together they promoted environmental awareness with music in 82 schools for 82 days. For this they received an appreciation from Indonesia's Record Museum (MURI).

Recently these musicians cum activists have been working on different project: anti-corruption, collaborating with Indonesian Corruption Watch. They grieve for the government of Indonesia, who are comfortable with corruption. "Saweran" or fundraising to construct a new building of Corruption Eradication Commission is one thing. They did what they know best, playing music while moved people come and go to donate.

In the meantime, they heard about international anti-corruption music video competition who had been calling musicians from all around the globe to submit their work. The best three videos will be invited to attend the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference in Brazil. 

Mul does not bother winning, but he sees the power of social media. By making video the message could be spread out everywhere more attractively. The clip was produced low-budgetly by documentarian Dandhy D Laksono from WatchdoC Indonesia.

The song and music video "Vonis (Verdict)" was launched today, 1st of August, at Newseum Cafe Veteran Street Jakarta. As well there was a short discussion with the video's director and historian Bonny Triyana, who revealed that corruption in Indonesia has actually started ever since the country got its independency.

CDs comprising the song and video were sold for 50 thousand rupiah (five thousand will go to saweran) to fund "Indonesia Without Corruption Tour", a commemoration of the 9th anniversary of anti-corruption day on 9th December 2012. The group aim at 90 campuses in 9 provinces, hopefully not only in Java. Care to support the movement? You can contact @simponii at twitter or send e-mail to simponi10@gmail.com

A Thousand Suns in Jakarta

Never in my life I watched a rock concert else than LINKIN PARK. I went to their "Meteora" concert seven years ago at Carnival Beach Ancol Jakarta, and yesterday the awesomeness back at Gelora Bung Karno National Stadium also in Jakarta.

Okay, here is a flashback of the 2004 concert I can recall. People need a long walk to reach the venue, don't remember how far as am not good with distance measurement either. The nice thing was we walked along the beach, and yes it was a beach side concert. There was an unfortunate opening DJ who got the boos from all audiences as the afternoon show started very late. The ticket concert was relatively cheap, approximately IDR 350 thou (USD 40), but I got a pretty distant spot from the stage although it was VIP ticket. The stage was okay with a giant blue Linkin Park backdrop. Mike Shinoda and friends played only for an hour, yet they were quite interactive. The songs were taken from Hybrid Theory and Meteora Album. Overall, I thought it wasn't a great show, but as it was Linkin Park, still it was awesome for me.

The 2011 "A Thousand Suns" concert was way more fantastic. The ancient canvas backdrop was substituted with large interactive LED technology, the audio and lighting were better too. Although it also started late, the performance was satisfying. Better stage act, sure they have done it for years now, and they played 1.5 hours continually. The playlist ranged from the first to the fourth album, but surely they played the fourth A Thousand Suns album more and also quite a lot of tracks from Hybrid Theory. This time I was in festival spot; cannot afford the VIP and VVIP, yet for me festival was the best area to watch. We were the closest to the stage, yet we had to stand throughout the concert. Come on it's a rock concert! You don't want to watch it sitting, right? For the treat I got yesterday, I spent IDR 1,2 million (app. USD 136) for the ticket.

Here are some shots from yesterday's performance.

PS: Mike Shinoda rocks!!!!

Kua Etnika: Fusion Music is Possible!

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: