Colorful Karua Boys wow crowds<\/p>\n
By Jodie Munro<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Their enthusiasm and passion for entertaining
\nand enjoying themselves is overwhelming. When the Karua Boys
\nperform, they really have fun -- and it shows.<\/p>\n
The Karua Boys, nine clean-cut Indonesian college students who
\nwere individually selected and brought together as a group, have
\nbecome popular entertainers and are in demand throughout Jakarta
\nin a few short months.<\/p>\n
A creation of the Minmosa Enterprise Company, which for three
\nyears has supplied bands to cafes and hotels in Jakarta and the
\nrest of the country, the Karua Boys have been rehearsing together
\nfor four months, and performing on stage for two.<\/p>\n
The band consists of vocalists Mickey, Ferrol, Cherry, Retto
\non guitar, Emir and Williams on keyboard, Rizky on percussion,
\nGutomo on drum, and bass guitarist Deden. They range in age from
\n25 to 31 years, and hail from various parts of Indonesia,
\nincluding Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Not only do they have fantastic voices and sing in English,
\nthe Karua Boys perform music which appeals to a wide audience.
\nThe band's speciality is disco music, mainly covers of songs from
\nthe 1970s and 1980s.<\/p>\n
The Boys do covers from artists such as Simply Red, Barry
\nManilow, Kool and the Gang, James Brown and The Real Thing. They
\nalso take requests from the audience.<\/p>\n
The president director of Minmosa Enterprise, Toety Djatmiko,
\nsaid the company decided upon the disco music concept after
\nmonitoring tastes of guests.<\/p>\n
"The trend in Jakarta at the moment is for bands who perform
\nthis type of music," Toety said.<\/p>\n
Karua means eight in the South Sulawesi dialect, although the
\nband has since grown to include nine performers. All of the Boys
\nare or were students, and studied a variety of subjects, ranging
\nfrom psychology to architecture. Music is their hobby although
\ntheir dream is to record in the future.<\/p>\n
But the music is not their only appeal. The presentation is
\njust as lively, with dance sequences included in their act. The
\nvocalists work with a choreographer once a week, and practice
\ntheir music at a separate time once weekly. The playful on-stage
\nantics allow the Boys' fun personalities to shine through, and
\nsometimes that's what separates the good from the really good
\namong entertainers.<\/p>\n
On Friday nights, the Karua Boys perform at Kafe Pisa Ice
\nCream on Jalan Gereja Theresia in Jakarta. The venue was chosen
\nas it is sells both entertainment and food. Customers who go
\nthere to eat are exposed to the talents of the band, or perhaps
\nin this case, the food may become a complement to the band as the
\nKarua Boys become increasingly popular.<\/p>\n
Don't get the wrong idea -- Kafe Pisa Ice Cream offers great
\nfood at reasonable prices. It has everything from their famous
\nice cream to lunch and dinner items served late into the night.
\nIt is a pleasant place to dine, catering to those who like to sit
\nindoors with the crowd to watch the live entertainment, as well
\nas those who prefer the garden area where it is somewhat quieter.
\nThe cafe's patrons testified that Karua Boys are gaining more and
\nmore fans.<\/p>\n
"I have been to this cafe before but I had never heard of the
\nKarua Boys", said Linda from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
"I would like to see them again, mainly because they sing
\ngreat songs."<\/p>\n
Fulvio, a businessman from Italy, said he was a new fan. He
\nhas lived in Jakarta for four months and had heard of the Karua
\nBoys. He came to Kafe Pisa Ice Cream on this particular night to
\ndine with his friend and to listen to the band.<\/p>\n
"I think the Karua Boys are very good," he said. "I like them,
\nI think the music they play is nice.<\/p>\n
"It's like funky music, and I would go to see them perform
\nagain if I knew where else they played at."<\/p>\n
Gita, a secretary, was similarly enthusiastic.<\/p>\n
"The band is very good, I like the songs they sing. "If I had
\nthe chance I would definitely go to see them again".<\/p>\n
University student Valdi also thought the Karua Boys were
\nentertaining.<\/p>\n
"This is the first time I have seen them, but I think they
\nhave good voices," Valdi said.<\/p>\n
"They have a good performance, good songs, and they sing all
\nsorts of music - so I like their style, it is very energetic."<\/p>\n
The interested can catch their performances during this month
\nat the Balemang Cafe in Kemang, South Jakarta, on Mondays;
\nJimbani's, also in Kemang, on Wednesday; Kafe Pisa Ice Cream on
\nFriday, and Asmat Cafe in Patra Building, Jl. Gatot Subroto,
\nCentral Jakarta, on Saturday.<\/p>",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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