Indonesian for “Mountain Jazz,” the event’s concept is exactly what it sounds like: a jazz festival that takes place on a mountain. The aim, according to its organizers, is threefold: a tangible showcase of the relationship between nature and art, to showcase the many under-appreciated jazz talents from the country, and to promote Bromo as a destination that is — as the press release puts it — “more than a location used for looking at sunsets.”
The panoramic view that accompanies the concert venue’s setting is certainly one of a kind, overlooking the mountains and endless rice fields.
According to the event’s media relation officer, Muhammad Asranur, there is a lack of appreciation toward Bromo’s beauty as an active volcano and its “Kaldera sea of sand.”
“For too many tourists, the Bromo itinerary consists of merely staying a night to look at the sunset before leaving in the early hours of the morning the next day,” Asranur says. The hope is that the concert’s length will make staying longer a more inviting endeavor; to get visitors to experience a complete day at Bromo and eventually attach them to its variable splendor.
There is also a socioeconomic rationale: by making Bromo a popular tourist spot, it will help the area’s tourism industry, creating jobs for locals.
“For instance, when the thousands of visitors to the concert come, it will provide a lot of commercial possibilities for the area’s inhabitants,” Asranur says.
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| Jazz Gunung 2009 |
The event was conceived in 2009 by Sigit Pramono, a banker whose passion includes both hiking Mount Bromo and jazz music. Working together with well-known artists Butet Kartaredjasa and Djaduk Ferianto, Sigit held the debut Jazz Gunung concert that same year.
The event’s relative success encouraged Sigit to keep things going. The increasing popularity eventually resulted in a sponsorship by the country’s Tourism Ministry this year. The department has officially sanctioned the concert as a tourist attraction for its 2014 Indonesia Tourism promotional program.
As before, the 2014 Jazz Gunung features plenty of well-known names of the music world, including local heavyweights of the genre, Ligro, songstress Monita Tahalea and The Nightingales, the Fender-sponsored The Overtunes, and trio Bintang Indrianto for its first day.
Meanwhile, the concert’s second day will feature equally popular acts, such as ESQI:EF Syaharani & Queenfireworks, Nita Aartsen Quatro featuring Yeppy Romero, the double-bass group Indro Hardjodikoro and The Fingers and Jazz Ngisoringin, as well as the Ring of Fire Group Project led by senior local artist and musician Djaduk Ferianto.
The event offers both one-day and two-day passes, with options for transportation and accommodation — two important and crucial elements for watching a concert in the mountains.
Source: Jakarta Globe
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