Jakarta, IO – Sound is the essence of music. Different sounds merge and create the rhythm that we hear today. Starting with sound, the Goethe-Institut Indonesien is again presenting Festival Alur Bunyi 2023 which celebrates local musicians as well as breaking the boundaries between musical genres. In its second year, the festival presents more than twenty artists from diverse genres, ranging from electronic, classical, jazz, folk, disco and even punk and dangdut.
“I am challenging these local musicians to get out of their comfort zone in music, especially this punk and dangdut band, this is the first time we have invited them to play at the GoetheHaus,” the curator Elizabeth “Chacha” Soegiharto told the Independent Observer, Saturday (26/8 ).
“Imagine, we present punk and dangdut bands who have never played music in a room where the vibe is quite serious, the auditorium,” added Chacha who is also the Goethe-Institut Indonesien program coordinator.
Chacha also revealed that she deliberately wanted to challenge the perception of festival goers this time by featuring a rundown of music with various non-linear genres.
She wanted to show that the Goethe-Institut Indonesien is open to everyone who enjoys different genres of music.
For example, the audience was presented with the appearance of a dangdut orchestra from Bogor which succeeded in rousing the audience to shake their heads, hands, feet, hips or just shake their two thumbs with a number of songs including “Ikuti Larangan”, “Judi”, “BAB Ikhlas” and “Duren Tiga”.
Apart from their energetic performance, the audience was entertained by the collaboration of Frau (Leilani Hermiasih) and Ananda Badudu. They sang a duet with the song “Kita Berangkat Saja Dulu”, which turned the atmosphere solemn and romantic. Afterward, Frau spontaneously went to the piano and beautifully played the song “Layang-Layang”.
The stage light turned dark, when Frau switched to the song “Sembunyi” which is fitting to the theme regarding someone’s nervous mumbling while appearing in public. A state when unimportant thoughts arise or words are tossed back and forth until the whole body is affected.
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This was interspersed with song by Ananda titled “Bangun Bajingan” which is the soundtrack for the Indonesian action-drama film, Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (2022). Ananda revealed that this was the first time he performed live. The audience seemed to really enjoy Frau-Ananda’s melodious voices which made every lyric heartbreaking.
Finally, Frau invited the audience to sing the signature song “Sepasang Kekasih yang Bercinta di Luar Angkasa”. This session was emotional as the audience sang along in unison from start to finish. Rapturous applause in the auditorium concluded Frau-Ananda’s performance that night. (Aini Tartinia)