IO – To commemorate her 22 years of devotion to the music industry, singer Andien held a Melodi Monolog: Dan Lalu online concert on Tuesday (22/02/2022). In her concert, she sang 12 songs in three Acts, representing the three stages of her journey so far: “Mulai” (“The Beginning”), “Lerai” (“The Separation”), and “Sampai” (“The Arrival”). She reflects on the long journey she took in her life and music, and this brings to mind a question: “Dan Lalu?” (“And Then?”).
The show’s concept was taken from the process Andien underwent as she recorded her dreams and delved into her imagination. Recorded live in De Djawatan forest, Banyuwangi, East Java, the 45-minute show displayed a closeness to Mother Nature/Mother Earth, the origin and beginning of everything. Each song in the show is packaged into reflective narratives that invite viewers to look into themselves as well. Melodi Monolog: Dan Lalu was directed by Shadtoto Prasetio, a local creative director well-known in certain circles for his dramatic staging of events.
Even though Andien sang songs from 2000-2021 during the show, they show a different nuance from the original versions that we are familiar with, because of the rearrangement from music director Lie Indra Perkasa. He packages Andien’s course of work over 22 years into something with a deeper, more spiritual dimension. He succeeded in showcasing old shows in a new and different vibe by inserting wood and brass wind instruments (bass, clarinet, flute; flugel, bass trumpets, tuba).
“From the start, I imagined the visual to serve as a narrative of an imaginary journey into another realm. I also believe that the treatment for these songs should be cinematic, so I arranged a series of scores dominated by orchestral wind instruments, which are able to provide illustrative, non-conventional sounds,” Lie Indra said.
Other than “upcycling” her songs to enable them to express the new meanings she found during her two decades plus in the Indonesian music industry, Andien also upcycled her outfits in the show. Her Melodi Monolog: Dan Lalu costume was made up of four of the gowns she worn in previous concerts. “Why upcycling? Because I want to support sustainable fashion by indirectly telling people that recycled clothing are beautiful and they have a unique beauty and value through what I wear. The upcycled clothes I use in the concert also symbolizes my soul’s journey as a human being. We are frequently unaware that we repeat certain life lessons until we get it, which is usually by the end of our lives. Through this meaningful show, I hope to share my refections about my life journey – and to invite viewers to refect on their own journeys as part of our life cycles that make up the entirety of the human experience,” she said. (est)