Anggun C. Sasmi: Seizing center stage with wit and sass

“Anggun, Anggun, Anggun,” the crowd repeatedly called out for their idol. Suddenly, a woman shrouded under a golden cape, illuminated under a spotlight, appeared among the crowd of concertgoers and glided onto the stage. The tense stirring of violins of the Sa’Unine Orhestra hidden behind a curtained stage elevated the mood.

The crowd whistled and cheered, shouting the name of their idol louder as the woman reached center stage, her back to the crowd. She then slipped off the cape, revealing gleaming black hair and a lustrous gold costume. She swiveled around, prompting even wilder cheers as she took her time to acknowledge the crowd by giving them confident bows.

 

Pop-rock darling Anggun C. Sasmi’s concert had officially begun.  “My heart is pounding because I’m feeling nervous,” Anggun told the crowd after belting out her first two songs: the high-octane rock song “Stronger” and the toned down tunes of “Impossible”.  “And I know why. It’s because I’m no stranger here. You have known me since I was a youngster in shorts,” she said, indicating the start of her career as a child singer in the 1980s.

Then came the droll punchline, which sent the hall rollicking in laughter.  “Now that I’m grown, it’s my dress that’s short,” she joked, candidly referring to her couture gold mini dress by Tex Saverio.  As she sashayed up to a platform, she threw an offbeat wisecrack again that sent the entire stadium into giggles.  “Were my undies visible as I walked up? Consider it a bonus,” she quipped. 

These fun, fearless remarks – evidence of her wit and self-assuredness – became the signature of the Sunday night concert at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), five years after a similar concert at the same venue. Her ease — besides her robust vocals and equally robust physique — reminded her fans why they have adored the singer throughout her two-decade career.

Anggun released her first official album in 1986, featuring chart-topping hits such as “Tua-Tua Keladi” and “Mimpi” – which became a signature song of the rock-happy 80s. However, she left her career behind in 1995 when she married and relocated to Europe. After a difficult beginning, Anggun successfully jumpstarted her career in France in 1997 with the hit single “Snow on the Sahara”, which brought her international recognition.

Her reemergence was very much welcomed by her fans in Indonesia whom she has remained connected to. “Aku tresno kowe,” she told the crowd in her native Javanese tongue, meaning “I love you”.  However, her fans were not the only ones thrilled to have her back. Two fellow musicians, Denada and Armand Maulana, were glad to share the stage with her.

That night, Denada rapped as Anggun, her fingers dancing on the piano, softly sang “Want You to Want Me”. Anggun then locked in a long embrace with Armand, the frontman of Gigi, as they sung the nostalgic “Kembalilah Kasih” (Come Back My Love).

“It has been 21 years since I was on stage with her,” Armand reminisced. “She left to build up [her career] in France, which has made her what she is now.”  The songs were not all energetic or nostalgic that night. One song, “Berkilaulah” (Eternal), was especially poignant as images of Anggun’s father, Darto Signo, were projected on stage.

Darto, a Javanese writer, taught Anggun how to sing.  “That song was one of the hardest to write. I realize that sorrow is a part of life to make one stronger. There are people whose memories will remain in our lives,” she said in a hushed, raspy voice.  However, it did not take long for her to return to her humor. She struck a pose and asked the crowd if her dress, a modern songket by another young Indonesian designer, Didit Hediprasetyo, was all that.  “This is a songket darling. It took three days to weave a 25-centimeter piece. I think those who made it have passed out,” she quipped whimsically.

The concert went on with more songs and performances, with one by renowned Indonesian traditional dancer, Eko Supriyanto, who translated the poetic “Snow on the Sahara” — with Anggun singing alluringly — into bold dance moves.  The almost two-hour concert ended with the sprightly and humorous song “Tua-Tua Keladi” – about a Don Juan type – which Anggun belted out using a fashion signature from her old days: a tipped beret. “Don’t just sit down,” she said, inviting the audience to jump along with her.  Under a sprinkle of confetti, the concert then drew to a close as Anggun and the other performers took a bow.

(Source : Jakarta Post)

Ahmad Dhani Confirms Ari Lasso for Reunion

 

JAKARTA: Musician Ahmad Dhani says that Ari Lasso, and not Once, will perform at an upcoming reunion concert of former Dewa 19 bandmates. Dewa 19 recently announced their breakup after being in the music industry for more than two decades. Ari was the band’s vocalist before being replaced by Once Mekel. Once quit the band last year. “Once has just resigned for a year and is not yet willing to do a reunion concert,” Ahmad Dhani said Tuesday.

 

He added that Once would be willing to participate in a reunion concert in three to five years  after the year that he retired. “I finally decided to accept the reunion concert offer with Ari Lasso,” he said as reported by kapanlagi.com.

( Source : Jakarta Post) 

Dhani, Maia Blame Each Other for Son’s Drinking

The relationship of rock star Ahmad Dhani and former wife Maia Estianty is heating up again after a photo showing their son Ahmad Al Gazali (Al) drinking alcohol was circulated on the Internet.

Dhani said Maia was responsible for Al’s bad behavior because the picture was taken at his mother’s house. “It may be okay if he did it at his friend’s place, but it happened at his mother’s house. I just could not take it,” the 39-year-old told kompas.com.

Refusing to take all the blame, Maia said Dhani was the reason their 14-year-old son was drinking alcohol. According to the singer, his son was depressed after seeing Dhani with another woman.

Dhani and Maia were happily married for 14 years and had three sons before separating in 2008. Dhani is currently dating Maia’s former singing partner, Mulan Jameela, and they are rumored to have a child together. 

(source : Jakarta Post)

Noorman Widjaja: A world-class Conductor Focuses on Home

Courtesy of Dubrovnik Festival 

“If Beethoven was born in Indonesia, he’d be selling coconuts his whole life,” the 63-year-old maestro conductor, who works magic at some of the best opera houses and orchestras across the world, said with a sigh.

Indonesians have great musical talent, but too many of them are stifled in the underdeveloped music culture,” Noorman Widjaja said.

With musical talent in their blood, the Widjajas are the lucky ones. Born to Udin Widjaja — a talented musician from Medan who ran Sukarno’s favorite national choir, Maju Tak Gentar — Noorman grew up with exposure to all kinds of instruments.

He started playing piano at the age of five, and when he reached 11 he was able to conduct a concert on behalf of his sick father that amazed many, including Sukarno.

Greatly influenced by his father, Noorman believed in the natural feeling and fluidity of music. “Skills and technique are not enough for art. Many people know how to conduct an orchestra, but very few of them do it with enough expression and power on stage.”

He attributed his passionate and absorbing performances to his Indonesian heritage.

“Part of it is because of where I grew up — the hot weather and the spicy food that made us warm and cordial people,” he said, “part of it is because of my own character. As a kid, I’ve always loved the attention. I was the class monitor in high school. I liked standing up and talking in the midst of crowds.”

Watching Noorman conduct a musical or an opera can be intense. His conducting baton leads the music, his body moves with the rhythm, his eyes glisten with emotion and even his silver grey hair stands with solemnity.

He said he wanted to prove classical music didn’t always have to be elegant and peaceful, “It can be very wild and even barbaric sometimes.”

Talented as he is, Noorman’s humble start as a college student in Germany was not always smooth. In 1969, as the only Indonesian student in his class at the College of Music in Berlin, Noorman felt very out of place even among the Asian students who mostly hailed from Japan.

“Most Japanese students didn’t like talking to me. They probably thought that I came from some forest,” he joked, “but my crudeness soon helped me stand out.”

When Noorman was in college, students had the precious opportunity to practice conducting orchestras every year, but he was the only one who dared to stop the orchestra and correct some of the senior violinist’s or cellist’s mistakes.

As an inexperienced yet ambitious fresh graduate, Noorman applied to positions at the Nuremberg and Wiesbaden Opera Houses in Germany. After his very first tryouts, he thought there was no hope because he didn’t hear back from either of the opera houses after a couple months, but at last he was invited back.

“At first, I thought it was my Asian identity that they were hesitating about, but then after I was invited back to conduct for My Fair Lady, I knew they were testing how well I understood German,” said Noorman.

“There were no rehearsals or practices. I was asked to go on live immediately. They wanted to see if I could understand the script in German, and I did a great job.”

“I was so fearless. It’s like I had eaten tiger guts,” he said in retrospect.

Noorman’s career took off after he started working at the Nuremberg Opera House. His zealous performances took audiences’ breath away in countries all over the world, like Italy, Macedonia, Croatia, China and Japan. But, Noorman is planning to shift his career focus and devote himself to helping create a basis for Indonesia’s classical music culture.

“I’ve lived in Europe for too long, and now I just want to come back to where I grew up. I conducted more than 400 operas and countless musicals in the West. I want to devote all of my remaining time to my own country,” he said. 

Last year, he brought the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra from Germany to Indonesia and held a grand classical concert called “Music from 7000 Miles” for his fellow Indonesians.

Five hundred tickets were given out for free so that everybody could afford the musical feast.

“Classical music is still new to Indonesian audiences,” said Noorman, “many of our audiences didn’t really understand the content of our music. Some wore sandals to our concerts, some applauded so passionately even before the music had come to a full stop, but it didn’t matter, what mattered was how much they loved the concert.”

Noorman said he’s always been impressed by the musical talent that Indonesia has.

“Some of the best voices I’ve ever heard were actually from poor vendors in Indonesia,” he said.

“It could be a vendor who just finished collecting used steel for the day and started singing with a broken guitar. Their untrained voices touch me so much. Sometimes being poor can unleash the most emotion in a person.”

As one of the biggest countries in Asia, Indonesia doesn’t have a national orchestra. “[The government] borrows people from here and there when a big occasion turns up, but a good orchestra needs at least six hours of practice together every day to improve.” Noorman said.

“The position classical music holds in a country’s public agenda shows its level [of culture]. Indonesia should have more classical concerts and more TV shows for classical music,” the maestro added.

(source : Jakarta Post)