The Last Man Selling Oldies

On 6 March 2009, I visit Makassar, a city in south Sulawesi, for delivering a speech on Socializing Reading Habit, a workshop held by Department for National Education. After the task, I have only three hours to go for walk in Makssar before I leave thru Garuda flight to Jakarta.

Fortunately, I find a litle kiosk owned by Mr. Herman, a chinesse-blood who live in Makssar for his lifetime. His kiosk is located in Pasar Bitung jalan Tinumbu Makassar. Actually, I come to his kiosk to buy robusta coffee. While waiting Mr. Herman serve my order, I luckily see some old cassetes in his buffet. I check. And bravo. Some cassetes are produced in 70-ies and usually from traditional genre. And I bought about 10 cassetes. *

Sapto Rahardjo’s Heritage

Album Borobudur Suite by Sapto Rahardjo-Andre Jaume

Sapto Rahardjo, Indonesian componist who died on 27 February 2009 was one of artists who has influence on creative atmosphere in Jogja city. When I was a student in this city in year 80-ies, we often watched his performance — especially for experimental music. He managed also a musical programme in Geronimo radio station which usually air indie bands.

His big contribution is in digitalizing gamelan instrument. It means that he has contribution in using creatively the gamelan instrument, and in promoting gamelan festival to international forum. His compositions was supposed many, but one of his recorded compisitions is this album Borobudur Suite (Pusat Kebudayaan Prancis, with no date of releasing). In this album, Sapto played gamelan in it’s traditional approach, while Andre Jaume, a multi instrumentalist from French, played a saxophone in jazz approach. The result is a blended gamelan-jazz music in contemporary approach. *

From Oration to Music

Bung Karno, a former Indonesia President, was an ideologist, a thinker, as well as a stylist orator. His orations mostly on nationalism were well documented and recorded. Look at this album entitled Pidato Bung Karno “Nasionalisme” (Bung Karno Speech on Nationalism) which was published by Yayasan Pendidikan Sukarno, Jakarta, with no date of releasing.

His orations was mostly recognized as rythmical or even musical. So that when his orations used to fill partly in a such song, that song will be heard more dramatic. Look at an album entitled Bung Karno Milik Rakyat Indonesia by Bram Kampungan (Musica, 1999). This album was a repackaging from the original version of Kelompok Kampungan album. There is one song entitled Bung Karno which used Bung Karno’s speech on Indonesia and Utara Kuru.  The rythm of oration did match to the rythm of the song. *

Neo-Rinto Harahap

Rinto Harahap is well-known as pop Indonesian composer. But frankly I have to say that his songs are closed to poor pop of Obbie Mesakh. Fortunately that later Rinto make any music project that show his passion to music as an art expression. Look at album enttitled Grenek (Musica, 2001). In this album, Rinto works as producer, music director, composer and singer. Ethnomusicologist Rizaldi Siagian is engaged as music director and composer.

This album is not only about ethnic or folk music, but about experimental project of Rinto Harahap. He makes a big loop from pop music to ethnic music, or world music if we reffer to Peter Gabriel term. Grenek as explained in the album cover is a term in traditional music of Melayu Deli (Sumatera, Indonesia). It is not clear, whether Grenek is a name of a band or a new genre. This album consists of 9 songs, mostly sounded Melayu Deli nuanse with it’s accent, tabla, and harmonium.

Rinto has made his progression with this experimental album. Actualy he has a big talent in music, as also can be traced to his daughter talent, Cindy Claudia Harahap, who has an album entitled Aku Sayang Kamu (Boulevard record), and then become hit. So Grenek is truly collectible album if we want to notice Rinto Harahap story. *

From Vollenweider to Shadow Fax

 

 

Discography:

 

1. Shadow Fax
Title: Water Course way
Publisher: Windham Hill (1985)2. Andreas Vollenweider
Title: Behind the Gardens, Behind the Wall, Under the Tree
Publisher: CBS (1981)

3. Andreas Vollenweider
Title: Behind the Gardens, Behind the Wall, Under the Tree
Publisher: Verabra Record

4. Andreas Vollenweider
Title: Paceverde
Publisher: CBS (1983)

5. Mike Olfield
Title: Omma Dawn
Publisher: Virgin (1975) *

 

From Mark Isham to Steve Tibbets

 

Discography:

 

1. Steve Roach
Title: Dream Time Return (doble lp’s)
Publisher: Fortuna (1988)

2. Steve Roach
Title: Empetus
Publisher: Fortuna (1986)

3. Mark Isham + Art Lande
Title: We Begin
Publisher: ECM (1987)

4. Mark Isham
Title: Vapor Drawings
Publisher: Windham Hill (1983)

5. Steve Tibbets
Title: Big Map Idea
Publisher: ECM (1989)

6. Steve Tibbets
Title: Exploded View
Publisher: ECM (1986)

*

 

Ethnic Folkways Library

English note: Civilized society are very aware to recorded music. This album entitled Music of Indonesia was produced by New Yorker — hopefuly N.Y.C. means it — on 1950. This album presented 10 folkrythms from central Java, Sunda, Batak, Minangkabau, and Bali. Those rare music were recorded live from the place and the people who created those music. It’s amazing. Thank God that there is foreign producer who recorded those music in the old time when Indonesian people might be not yet aware to do that. *

Discography:
Abum : Music of Indonesia
Producer : Ethnic Folkways Library, copyright 1950 by Folkways Record & Serv. Corp 117 W 46 St. N.Y.C.
Line Notes: Raden Suwanto
Tracks list:

1. Ile-ile (Batak Music recorded in Sumatra. Sinandang Sipirok Orch., Dir. Rapoesen Batoebara)
2. Tari Piring Sadang Lawas (Plate Dance. Recorded in Minangkabau Sumatra)
3. Tumba Lela-lelan (recorded in Mainangkabau)
4. Bah Motoh (Chorus, drums. Temior music recorded in Malaya at Gill. under Dir. of H.D. Noone, Malaya Advs. Corp.)
5. Udan Liris (Vocal with Ketjapi. Recorded in Sunda)
6. Sorban Palid (Vocal with Ketjapi and Violin. recorded in Sunda)

7. Lagu Babar Lajar (Instrumental. Gamelan, saron, bonang. Recorded in Central Java)
8. Lagu Srihardjono (gamelan, rebab, gender, suling. Recorded in Central Java)
9. Ganda Pura (Djanger-Abijan-Timbul. Instrumental. Gamelan, rebab. Recorded in Bali)
10. Peperangan Sira pandji (Parabangsa-Classic Opera. Recorded in Bali)
.

Gamelan di Tangan Mark Nauseef

Pada pertengahan November 2007, saya beruntung memperoleh dua album karya Mark Nauseef berjudul Wun Wun dan Dark yang diedarkan di Indonesia oleh Golden Lion Record. Nauseef adalah drummer dan perkusionis asal New York yang pernah bergabung dengan grup rock Ian Gillan Band (bekas anggota Deep Purple). Dalam dua album itu, Nauseef telah memasuki fase bermusik world music ala Peter Gabriel tahun 1980-an.

Dalam album Wun Wun, ada lagu berjudul Indonesia. Karena ingin mengetahui penafsiran musikal Nauseef tentang Indonesia, saya menyimaknya. Komposisi berdurasi 10 menit ini terdiri dari dua bagian utama. Pertama, sitar Jepang yang dipetik distortif, berulang-ulang, ditingkahi dengan gebukan drum bebas, lalu lamat-lamat terdengar vocal tembang Jawa yang dilantunkan laki-laki seperti dalam adegan wayang kulit: “Romo…, romo… dst.” Kadang ada tone piano yang masuk. Lalu bagian kedua, percakapan sitar Jepang dengan raungan gitar elektrik yang meneriakkan melodi rock, ditingkahi drum dan kadang ada bunyi bonang.

Dalam album Dark, ada lagu berjudul Heavy Metal — yang mengasosiasikan musik cadas, tapi ternyata bernuansa Jawa sekali. Seorang wanita menembangkan uro-uro (istilah musik Jawa) yang diiringi gamelan. Melodi Jawa itu kemudian dilapisi bunyi synthesizer seperti pedal yang anteb begitu. Di bagian reffrain, irama berpindah yang diisi dengan gebukan drum, cabikan bass fretless, dan vokal sinden lamat-lamat. Di bagian ujung, terdengar irama jazz, dan ditutup dengan musik eksperimental.

Bila suatu saat Indonesia mulai bisa mengapresiasi peran musisi internasional dalam berkesperimen musik dengan gamelan Jawa, Bali, Sunda dan lain-lain, menurut saya nama Nauseef harus masuk dalam jajaran itu. Nauseef layak masuk di jajaran komposer dunia yang mencoba bereksperimen musik dengan gamelan sebagai bagian dari eksplorasi musik, seperti yang dirintis oleh Colin McPhee, komponis asal Kanada.*

Tabuh-tabuhan Colin McPhee

World Music, Ethnic, Classics

1. Colin McPhee
Title: Tabuh Tabuhan (from Indonesia, It’s Music and It’s People, created dan told by Cristobel Weerasinghe)
Publisher: Desto

2. Haji Ghulam Farid and Haji Maqbool Sabri, Qawwal and Party
Title: Nazrana-E-Aqidat
Publisher: Odeon-EMI

3. K.L. Saigal
Title: Memories of Greatness Vol. 2 (sound tracks)
Publsiher: Odeon (1962)

*