‘Jazz Gunung’ Festival Brings the Music to the Mountain

By: Unknown on 5/05/2014 07:29:00 AM / comment : 0 News

To the delight of both highland adventurers and music fans, the annual “Jazz Gunung” festival makes a return as a two-day event on June 20 and 21 at the open air Java Banana Bromo venue in Probolinggo, East Java.

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.

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

Muhammad Ade Irawan: The Wonder Boy of Local Jazz

By: Unknown on 2/02/2012 07:06:00 AM / comment : 0 Fellows, News

At the end of last year, the Surabaya Jazz Traffic Festival 2011 presented the best jazz musicians in the country on three open stages in East Java’s capital.

One of the festival participants, a youth who on Jan. 15 turned 18, stunned jazz fans who saw his show. 

Not many Indonesian jazz enthusiasts, however, knew who he was. Moreover, the youngster was only featured in the Jakarta rock jazz group Ligro Trio. Still, his fingers danced impressively across the keyboard and the tones he created blended harmoniously with his seniors in the jam session, leading to a round of applause from the audience.

That youth is Muhammad Ade Irawan, a jazz and blues musician and a third-year student at the National Extraordinary High School of Lebak Bulus, Jakarta. His sight has been impaired since he was born. But, the disability has made the first child of Irawan Subagyo and Endang Mardeyani a special jazz player in the country.

Muhammad Ade Irawan

Although lacking the power of sight, Ade has an unusual capability at piano. Some of the nation’s jazz and blues musicians have called him a world-class young performer. Such big names in jazz as Idang Rasjidi, Indra Lesmana, Bubi Chen and Jaya Suprana, who also sponsor the Recital Master Class program of the Jaya Suprana School of Performing Arts, even agreed to dub Ade a wonder boy.

“Talented youths emerging from the Indonesian jazz world are remarkable. They’re going to refresh seniors like us. Their capacity is far above mine. The wonder boy Ade Irawan has shown it. They guarantee a future for Indonesian jazz,”
said Idang.

Ade Irawan told The Jakarta Post he enjoyed jazz music very much. “I’m not saying the other genres are inferior, but jazz gives me room for greater freedom of musical expression. There’s a lot more to explore in jazz,” said Ade, who claims to get bashful with others in formal
situations.

Ade’s abilities are real. At his youthful age he managed to mesmerize hundreds at the Sydney Opera House in Australia in a two-hour solo piano recital in June of last year. In the program titled “The Wonderful Sound of Darkness”, Ade, accompanied by Jaya, presented “Indonesia Pusaka”, “Joy-Joy-Joy”, “Chicago Blues”, “The Light”, “Untuk Ayla II” and “Waltzing Mathilda”.

Both Irawan, a retired naval officer, and Endang, a Foreign Ministry employee, call Ade the greatest gift from God to their family. Ade is entirely self-taught. When he was two-and-a-half years old, he started listening to music, identifying musical notes and trying to play musical instruments.

Between three and five years of age, he played the melodies learned from CDs and cassettes on his toy piano.

A turning point for Ade happened at the age of 7. With a Casio keyboard bought by his father, the admirer of George Benson began to imitate the music he heard on television within a day.

“At eight, Ade chose jazz as his favorite music,” said Irawan. Ade, who appeared at the Chicago Winter Jazz Festival in 2006 and 2007, was able to distinguish musical elements and discover jazz techniques at the age of 11.

Inevitably, Ade’s unusual gift drew the attention of US jazz performers, including Robert Irving III.

 Ade was invited to perform at a special birthday program for the Illinois secretary of state, Jessy White, in Chicago in January 2007. He was also part of the Barack Obama Fund Raising group in Chicago in September 2007.

At home, Ade is not so popular yet among jazz music aficionados. Apart from his low-profile nature, his parents have strived hard to “protect” him from excessive media coverage following his time in Chicago.

Endang said between 2006 and 2007 Ade had a number of interviews that caused him some stress that resulted in a sudden stutter. Owing to its severity, he underwent intensive speech therapy.

That’s why his parents speak a lot more during interviews with national TV stations. Nonetheless, Ade’s stutter has had no adverse effects whatsoever on his musical skills, and he continues to flaunt his “aggressive feats” at a number of concerts in Indonesia.

For his achievements, the Museum of Indonesian Records conferred the Youngest Blind Pianist title on 16-year-old Ade in 2010.

On the occasion, Jaya declared Ade Irawan the wonder boy of jazz. “This is the power of God. Ade’s teacher is God,” added Jaya.

Source: The Jakarta Post

A Moment for Regeneration

By: Unknown on 12/17/2011 06:50:00 AM / comment : 0 News

Ligro featured young blind pianist Ade Irawan, once described by Idang Rasjidi as the wonder boy of Indonesia’s jazz future. The 17-year-old recently appeared in a solo piano concert at the Sydney Opera House.

It was far ahead of midday and hundreds of people were lining up in front of a ticket booth for a rare jazz show in Surabaya, apparently undeterred by the heat of the sun that was roasting the city at 37 degrees Celsius. 

The biggest end-of-the-year music event, the Jazz Traffic Festival, was held on Nov. 27 in the European model of 12 hours of nonstop shows until midnight featuring various styles of jazz musicians. 

Two indoor stages and another outdoor platform had the country’s 19 best jazz players on offer, each performing for about 45 minutes on average.

There was Surabaya’s jazz maestro Bubi Chen, mainstream jazz specialist Idang Rasjidi, LLW (Indra, Barry and Sandy) with their urban mode and Nita Aartsen Quatro with his Latin touch.

The groups with music adhering to more recent trends were BLP (the Barry Likumahuwa Project) offering fusion/funk jazz, Balawan with its ethnic fusion style, Ligro Trio and Maliq & D’Essentials.  

The festival marked a shift in the composition of jazz lovers in Indonesia. “While in the past jazz was identical with the music of seniors and performed in exclusive places, today jazz fans are mostly members of the younger generation,” chief organizer Irma Widya told The Jakarta Post. 

In fact, around 85 percent of those crowding the festival were young people and children, some even claiming they weren’t jazz lovers and had never seen such concerts before.

“It turned out to be exciting, kind of easy listening,” said Dita Febriyani, a Surabaya University student, after watching BLP.  

More proof was the 3,000-ticket sellout of all categories of ticket, with a price range of Rp 80,000 (US$8.75) — Rp 300,000.

The youthful audience had reason to be enthusiastic because the mostly young jazz musicians were so capable they managed to mesmerize everybody. 

Barry’s wild bass style combined elegantly with the high-pitched flute of his father, Benny Likumahuwa, in a jam session presenting the instrumental “Sesaat Kau Hadir” (Your Brief Presence) — once sung by Utha Likumahuwa, Barry’s late uncle.  

Enchanted by their performance, around 150 spectators of different ages sang the pop song of the 1980s to the jazz tune. “It’s my fifth appearance in Surabaya. The audience is very appreciative and the atmosphere is favorable,” said Barry after the show.

Idang Rasjidi performed with his son, Shadu Shah Chaidar, young guitarist Tiko Laksana and drummer Sandy Winarta in his group the Idang Rasjidi Syndicate.

“Whoever comes on stage with me should be a musician. Regardless of any kinship, I’ll remain serious and treat group members as fellow professionals,” Idang said. 

Idang acknowledged the rapid growth of jazz music in the country, with gifted young players boasting fresh styles and leanings as a regeneration of senior jazz musicians popular in their times.

“It should indeed be that way. The players, music and concept should be refreshed. I myself learn a lot from the young ones,” he said, adding that he hoped that in order to boost new jazz musicians and get them closer to young fans such a festival could be regularly held. 

Among the newly emerging young groups, Van Java, with four members from Jakarta, was bold enough to face the mainstream school with their indie label.

“We maintain our independent line to create more freely and maintain our more jazz-rock musical originality,” said Biondi, the group’s guitarist. 

The other jazz-rock band was Ligro Trio, their non-conventional instruments enhancing the music. Guitarist Agam Hamzah, bassist Adi Darmawan and drummer Hendy utilized zinc, nails, hammers and woks to produce unique jazz melodies.  



Ligro also featured young blind pianist Ade Irawan, once described by Idang Rasjidi as the wonder boy of Indonesia’s jazz future. The 17-year-old recently appeared in a solo piano concert at the Sydney Opera House. 

Ade’s great talent enabled him to match Ligo Trio in a jam session without a hitch.

He displayed his keyboard expertise with such zeal that he fit nicely into the experienced trio’s performance, amid the cheers and applause of the audience.

Regeneration is also the commitment of jazz whiz Bubi Chen, a native of Surabaya. He chose young and gifted performers like drummer Sandy Winarta, guitarist Robert Mulyarahardja, saxophonist clarinetist Eugene Bonty, singer Sierra Soetedjo and bassist Donny Sundjojo to join his various sessions. 

“They’ve all amazed me. It proves that jazz is cross-generational music without age limits. I myself still have four more albums to make … and invite these brilliant young men to participate,” Bubi Chen told a press conference at the end of the event. 

With such encouraging developments, Idang Rasjidi also hoped Surabaya could again be Indonesia’s jazz barometer.

“Let’s revive it. Surabaya should become a jazz city again like the time of the late Mariono. For 14 years I played in the same group with Mariono and Benny Likumahuwa,” Idang said. 

Idang believes that with this program, along with the Java Jazz and JakJazz festivals, the future of Indonesian jazz is guaranteed.

“The young jazz people have gone beyond my capability. We should gather them and allow them to learn from such jazz maestros as Bubi Chen,” Idang added. 

Compared with Malaysia, Indonesia’s jazz community is far more advanced. In Malaysia, said Idang Rasjidi Syndicate’s saxophonist Azmi Hairudin from Kuala Lumpur, only a few new jazz groups have been set up.

“With 40 jazz concerts scheduled annually, I think it’s remarkable. There are many young and talented jazz players here,” Azmi said.

Source: TheJakartaPost.com