Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Senangnya Tiket JavaJazz Festival Sudah Di Tangan !

Tiket JavaJazz Festival yg tadi-nya hanya berbentuk tanda terima, mulai hari Selasa ini sudah bisa diambil di lobby hotel Sultan. Dan siang tadi, saya bergegas kesana untuk menukarkan tanda terima tiket Multipass (3 days pass) yg saya beli dari November 2006 lalu (ya November, 4 bulan sebelum festival diadakan) dengan tiket resmi, juga saya menukarkan tiket special show Sergio Mendez dan Jamie Cullum yg saya beli dari bulan Januari lalu. Disana juga saya tidak sengaja bertemu Mbak Chicca, teman Multiply dan forum Jazz KG, dia juga lagi mau menukarkan tiket bersama kakak-nya yg cukup terkenal di panggung jazz tanah air, Chicco Hindarto. Untuk masalah harga, tentu-nya tiket itu semua saya beli dengan harga super miring, jadi berasa murah dibandingkan tiket orang-orang lain yg baru membeli-nya bulan-bulan ini, walaupun saya harus mengeluarkan uang yg jumlahnya juga tidak sedikit, cuma gak sampai 1 juta koq. Ya memang untuk ajang JavaJazz Festival, saya selalu sediakan budget khusus, maklum diadakan setahun sekali dan sudah pasti akan menghadirkan musisi jazz tersohor dari seluruh dunia yg akan memberi saya kepuasan menonton konser musik yg super dasyhat.

Alhamdulillah, selama JavaJazz diadakan (tahun ini untuk ketiga kali-nya) saya selalu menghadiri-nya selama 3 hari berturut-turut, jadi tahun ini saya mencetak hattrick. JavaJazz Festival saya yg ketiga, dan tiga hari berturut-turut juga. Hehehe. Walau tahun lalu saya hampir saja melewatkan acara ini karena 10 hari sebelum acara saya terkena penyakit demam berdarah, penyakit yg membuat saya harus terkapar selama 5 hari di rumah sakit. Saya ingat betul, saya berjuang keras untuk sembuh sebelum JavaJazz Festival, dan akhirnya Tuhan mengizinkan saya menonton festival ini. Tepat 1 Maret (2 hari sebelum festival) saya keluar dari rumah sakit, dan hebatnya (atau gila-nya ?), dalam perjalanan pulang dari rumah sakit, saya menyempatkan diri dulu ke lobby hotel Sultan untuk menukarkan tiket 3 days pass JavaJazz Festival. Hahahaha. Gelo !

Untuk tahun ini, saya tentu saja tidak ingin kejadian tahun lalu berulang kembali, maka dari itu saya benar-benar menjaga diri saya untuk tidak melakukan aktivitas yg berlebihan demi kesehatan saya dan tentu saja demi kelangsungan saya menonton salah satu festival jazz terbesar di dunia ini. Hehehe.

Tidak terasa festival yg saya tunggu selama 1 tahun ini akhirnya hampir tiba, tepat 2 hari lagi saya lagi-lagi akan menyaksikan aksi ribuan musisi yg tersaji di 16 panggung di dalam Jakarta Convention Center, plus kesempatan langka menonton the Bossanova legend Sergio Mendez dan the jazz hobbit yg saya yakin akan menjadi salah satu musisi jazz nomor satu pada beberapa tahun mendatang, Jamie Cullum.

So, see u @ the festival, guys !

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Indonesian Jazz History

Sedikit artikel ttg Sejarah jazz di Indonesia, diambil dari suatu milis. Untuk menambah pengetahuan kita ttg jazz tanah air. Sekaligus menyambut pergelaran ajang Java Jazz Festival yg akan diadakan minggu depan di JCC. Enjoy !

Indonesian Jazz History

Although the musical style known as jazz was first synthesized in the United States in the years just before the First World War, it is today a music that knows no international boundaries. Good jazz is now being played on every continent. What's more, some its most talented musicians - and the most fervent fans- are Asian.

Jazz first began to be heard in Indonesia in the late Thirties when it was played by the visiting Filipino musicians who had come to Indonesia to earn their livings as entertainers. Through their playing, many Indonesian listeners first had the opportunity to hear wind instruments (trumpets, saxophones and so on) usually then featured only in so-called "serious" music played in an exciting new way. That early jazz-influenced music had quite an impact on young people of the day and represented a real contrast to the staid European heritage that then represented "high culture."

Among the other musical elements introduced by these visitors from the Philippines were Latin rhythms - rumbas, sambas, boleros, and more. Many old-timers still recall the names of the more prominent of the visiting Filipino stars: Soleano, Garcia, Pablo, Baial,

Torio, Barnarto, and Samboyan. Some stayed for long periods in Jakarta and were even featured as soloists with the Indonesian Radio Orchestra. Others found opportunities to play in cities in various regions of the country. Samboyan, for example, became leader of the Bandung Studio Orchestra. Through the process of observation and osmosis, these new musical influences began to be reflected in the playing of young Indonesian musicians.

Where were theses intriguing new orchestras and smaller groups being heard around Indonesia in the late Thirties? Filipino musicians were entertaining and playing for dancers at Hotel Des Indes (on what is now the site of Duta Merlin Plaza), at Hotel Der Nederlander (there are government offices in that location today), at the Savoy Homann Hotel in Bandung, and at the Orange Hotel in Surabaya. At these and other popular spots, the Dutch mingled on occasion with upper-crust Indonesians.

It is said that the first song composed by an Indonesian specifically to entertain (and using a standard song pattern) was one called "Als de Orchideen Bloeien" ("When The Orchids Bloom") by Ismail Marzuki. The lyrics were in Dutch and the date of publication was November 1939.

Western-influenced music was banned by the Japanese during their occupation. However, Asian music was allowed. And so was keroncong, which was regarded as traditional music. But with the expulsion of the Japanese and the new availability of Western recordings, a broad musical revolution began to occur. Certain individual musicians began to garner local reputations for the clever ways; they adapted overseas influences as a part of their own styles. Pianist Marihot Hutabarat, for example, played with a flair not unlike George Shearing's. He often accompanied singer Sal Saulius Hutabarat, whose baritone voice was said to resemble Billy Eckstine's. Bing Slamet's singing, on the other hand, reflected the influence of Bing Crosby's popular records.

Over sixty Dutch musicians came to Indonesia in 1948 with the intention of organizing a symphony orchestra made up primarily of local musicians. Before they returned to Holland around the time of independence, they had established the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Among the best known of these Dutch musicians were Baarspoel, Fritz Hintze, Henk te Strake, and Jose Cleber. Some of them lingered beyond their original period of commitment and helped to form ensembles of other sorts.

Cleber's Jakarta Studio Orchestra featured big band arrangements that sounded a lot like what Stan Kenton's band was doing in California around that time. Other prominent groups of the time included The Progressive Trio (with Dick Able as guitarist, Nick Mamahit on piano, and Dick van der Capellen playing bass); Iskandar's Sextet and Octet, which played modern jazz arrangements; The Old Timers, led by Eto Latumeten on tenor saxophone and playing a Dixieland repertoire.

In 1955, Bill Saragih formed the Jazz Riders with himself on piano, vibes, and flute, Didi Chia on piano, Paul Hutabarat as vocalist, Herman Tobing on bass, and Yuse on drums. A later edition featured Hanny Joseph playing drums, Sutrisno playing tenor saxophone, Thys Lopis on bass and Bob Tutupoly as featured singer.

As the jazz style became more popular, other names gained prominence: pianists Taslan Suyatno and Mus Mualim, trumpeter Ari Tess, drummer Benny van Dietz (Benny Mustafa), and many others. The leading lights in Surabaya between 1945 and 1950 were Jack Lemmers / Jack Lesmana (bass), Bubi Chen (piano), Teddy Chen, Jopy Chen (bass), Maryono (saxophone), Berges (piano), Oei Boen Leng (guitar), Didi Pattirane (guitar), Mario Diaz (drums), and Benny Heinem (clarinet). During the Fifties and Sixties, the big names on the Bandung jazz scene were Eddy Karamoy (guitar), Joop Talahahu (tenor saxophone), Leo Massenggi, Benny Pablo, Dolf (alto saxophone), John Lepel (bass), Iskandar (guitar and piano), and Sadikin Zuchra (guitar and piano).

Among the younger musicians who began to be heard in Jakarta during the Seventies and Eighties are the late Perry Pattiselano (bass), Embong Raharjo (saxophone), Luluk Purwanto (violin), Oele Pattiselano (guitar), Jackie Pattiselano (drums), Benny Likumahuwa (trombone and bass), Bambang Nugroho (piano), Elfa Secioria (piano). Some of these younger players leaned toward rock and fusion, but occasionally had opportunities to play in a jazz context: Yopie Item (guitar), Karim Suweileh (drums), Wimpy Tanasale (bass), Abadi Soesman (keyboards), Candra Darusman (keyboards), Christ Kayhatu (piano), Joko WH (guitar), and many others.

There are doubtless many other names deserving of mention. The list above represents only a cross-section of musical talent in past decades. The musical scene in Indonesia today is a busy one, with many chances for talented players to earn their livings playing for television, in nightclubs and as back-up for pop singers. But many of them would like to have the chance to play real jazz more often because it's music that stimulates and challenges them. As lovers of this music, we should support them wherever and whenever we can. Our enthusiasm will allow them to keep the music as vital and as omnipresent as it should be!

Sepatu - Sepatu Aneh tapi Kocak !







Wednesday, February 21, 2007

[Wisata Kuliner] Steak Abuba yg Mak Nyuss !

Setelah sekian lama tidak mengunjungi salah satu tempat steak terenak di Jakarta, Abuba, kmarin malam ayah saya mengajak kami (ibu dan saya) untuk kembali makan di tempat ini. Kebetulan kami baru saja dalam perjalanan pulang dari tempat proyek kerjaan bapak saya yg tidak jauh tempatnya dari Abuba.


Sampai disitu pukul 7 malam, Abuba masih menyediakan tempat duduk bagi kami sekeluarga, biasa-nya tempat ini dikenal sangat ramai sehingga harus menunggu terlebih dahulu (waiting list). Saya dan bapak memesan Sirloin Steak (NZ), dan ibu memesan Tenderloin Steak (NZ).

Seingat saya terakhir kali makan di Abuba itu sudah sangat lama sekali, sekitar 2 tahun yg lalu, jadi ketika makanan datang, kami langsung menyantapnya, dan rasa steak-nya masih sama seperti yg dulu, bahkan lebih enak menurut saya. Mak Nyuss sekali rasanya, kalau kata pak Bondan Winarno !!!

Daging yg dimasak sudah sangat matang dan dihidangkan dengan pembakaran yg sempurna, walaupun pada Sirloin masih agak alot tetapi ketika saya mencoba Tenderloin sangatlah empuk sekali. Kuah dan bumbu yg disiramkan diatas Steak juga sangat pas di lidah. Dengan sayuran dan kentang yg lumayan banyak, saya sangat menikmati sajian steak di Abuba. Dan istimewa-nya lagi di Abuba tersedia berbagai macam saos dan sambal botolan, ada juga mustard, kecap asin dan kecap manis, lengkap deh semua.

Harga yg per potong steak (NZ) 40 ribu, sedangkan yg (US) berkisar 80 ribu, kalo lokal sekitar 20 ribu, harga yg sebanding dengan rasa dan sajian steak dari Abuba ini. Hingga saat saya menulis ini, di lidah saya seakan masih terasa bumbu dan steak yg saya makan kmarin. Steak Abuba membuat kita nagih untuk selalu datang kesana. Mak Nyuss tenan !

Lokasi : Jl. Cipete Raya No. 6, Cipete, Jakarta Selatan

Selamat mencoba !

Monday, February 19, 2007

Rainy Days



Ketika hujan datang, selalu datang momen dimana saya menikmati cuaca pada saat itu. Angin dingin yg berhembus dari teras kamar atas, udara dingin seperti di daerah pegunungan, dan pikiran yg melayang memikirkan banyak hal.

Hujan yg saya nikmati itu dikategorikan sebagai hujan yg sedang-sedang saja (agak deras), bukan hujan yg sangat deras berjam-jam dengan petir yg menyeramkan dan pada akhirnya membuat kota Jakarta banjir.

Nah di momen-momen seperti itu ada lagu-lagu wajib yg biasa saya dengarkan. Lagu-lagu pengiring selagi saya bermain-main dalam alam imajinasi saya.

  1. The Corrs - Rainy Day
  2. John Mayer - City Love
  3. John Mayer - St. Patrick’s Day
  4. Lighthouse Family - Question of Faith
  5. Lighthouse Family - Lost In Space
  6. David Gray - January Rain (OST. Serendipity)
  7. John Mayer - Covered In Rain
  8. Kings Of Convenience - Manhattan Skyline
  9. Rod Stewart & Stevie Wonder - What A Wonderful World
  10. Howard Alden & Ken Peplowski - Winter Wonderful
  11. Flim & BB’s - New Snow
  12. Annie Lennox - Waiting In Vain (OST. Serendipity)
  13. Boyz II Men - Doin’ Just Fine
  14. Fourplay - Angels We Have Heard On High
  15. Boyz II Men - Water Runs Dry
  16. Boyz II Men - Four Seasons of Loneliness
  17. Bryan Adams & Barbara Streisand - I Finally Found Someone
  18. Whitney Houston - Run To You
  19. Chaka Khan - Through The Fire
  20. Andien - Gemintang


Sebenarnya masih banyak lagi lagu-lagu lain, tapi itulah top 20-nya. Lagu-lagu yg bisa membuat pikiran saya terbang ke momen-momen indah yg tidak bisa saya utarakan disini. Kenapa banyak lagu-lagu cinta ? Dengan cuaca yg sangat adem, sambil melihat dan mendengarkan air hujan turun membasahi bumi, pikiran saya seperti otomatis terbawa dalam momen-momen romantis baik itu pada masa lalu maupun yg belum terjadi sekalipun.

Kapan ya saya bisa melakukan hal-hal romantis lagi? Atau lebih tepatnya, kapan ya saya bisa jatuh cinta lagi ? Lah koq jadi curhat colongan gini. Well, time will tell.

For now, just enjoy this rainy season, guys. Hope that big flood doesn’t come again in Jakarta.

Before-After



Diambil di tempat yg sama, di hari yg berbeda.
Setelah banjir, dan ketika banjir.

Wow ! Speechless.

Terlalu Lama

Kesibukan yg menggunung, membuat saya harus sebentar melupakan blog ini lagi.

Padahal begitu banyak materi yg tersedia untuk di-upload, tapi kesempatan saya untuk menulis sangatlah sempit skrg.

Minggu ini : masih sibuk.
Minggu depan : Lebih sibuk.
2 Minggu ke depan : Super sibuk.

Minggu depan persiapan untuk ujian semester padat, ya ya saya sudah terlalu lama di kampus, maka-nya saya lagi berjuang sekuat tenaga untuk mengejar ketertinggalan, doakan saya yg terbaik oke. Lulus cepat dan IPK bagus ! hehehehe..

2 minggu kedepan, persiapan untuk event yg selalu saya tunggu setiap awal Maret, JavaJazz Festival.

Tapi selalu update saja blog ini, saya mulai hari ini sudah mulai mengisi-nya kembali koq.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Banjir Lagi ! Banjir Lagi !



Turut berduka cita sedalam2nya atas musibah banjir yg menimpa ibukota ini.
Peringatan untuk pemerintah pusat dan daerah agar lebih concern thd masalah banjir.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

JJF 07 - Playlist

Tidak terasa perhelatan festival musik Jazz terakbar di Asia akan kembali hadir, 1 bulan dari sekarang, Jakarta Intenational Java Jazz Festival kembali digelar selama 3 hari berturut-turut dengan menghadirkan ratusan musisi dari berbagai belahan dunia, baik musisi senior maupun new talent.

Nama-nama seperti Jamie Cullum, Sergio Mendes, Level 42, Chaka Khan, David Benoit, Frank McComb, Jeffrey Osborne, John Scofield, Sadao Watanabe, Lisa Ono, Ron Carter, Jeff Lorber dan masih banyak lagi akan menghibur masyarakat Jakarta dari tanggal 2-4 Maret 2007.

Untuk menyambut festival Jazz tahunan itu, saya sedari kmarin sudah mengumpulkan lagu-lagu dari musisi internasional yg akan tampil di event itu dan membuat satu playlist : Java Jazz 07 di mini I-Pod saya.

  1. David Benoit - Drive Time
  2. Frank McComb - Do You Remember Love
  3. Diane Schuur - Meet Me Midnight
  4. Sadao Watanabe - Oh Sunny Day
  5. Jeffrey Osborne - Eenie Meenie
  6. John Scofield - Freakin’ Disco
  7. Chaka Khan - Through The Fire
  8. Airto Moreira - Return to Forever
  9. Lisa Ono - Quizas, Quizas, Quizas
  10. Gino Vanelli - I Just Wanna Stop
  11. Kyle Eastwood - Why Can’t We Live Together
  12. Eric Marienthal - Mist Trail
  13. Tortured Soul - I Might Do Something Wrong
  14. Jamie Cullum - Photograph
  15. Sergio Mendes - Timeless
  16. Deniece Williams - Do What You Feel
  17. Level 42 - Love In The Peaceful World
  18. Ron Carter - Blues Farm

Untuk pemanasan menjelang JavaJazz, bukan hanya saya saja yg bisa menikmati playlist itu, tapi anda juga bisa! Anda bisa men-download lagu-lagu itu secara cuma-cuma di site Multiply saya, tapi saya akan upload berkala, tidak langsung semua.

Enjoy the songs !