Local music scene shows promise in 2001<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
What did the local pop music industry offer in 2001?<\/p>\n
Let's see. Sheila On 7, Padi, Dewa and Jamrud.<\/p>\n
Not a single day passed throughout the year without the
\nexposure of the bands' songs and videos until we ended up knowing
\nthe songs by heart.<\/p>\n
And some of us got really sick of that tinkling sound of the
\nharp from Padi's Kasih Tak Sampai (Unfulfilled Love), for
\ninstance.<\/p>\n
But that is another problem.<\/p>\n
No one can deny that the four bands are the most successful on
\nthe 2001 pop scene, with each of them succeeding in selling over
\none million copies of their latest albums: Sheila On 7 with Kisah
\nKlasik Untuk Masa Depan (Classical Story for The Future), Padi
\nwith Sesuatu Yang Tertunda (Something Delayed) and Dewa with
\nBintang Lima (Five Star).<\/p>\n
Cimahi, West Java-based pop\/rock band Jamrud, meanwhile, did
\neven better with its Ningrat (Aristocrat) album, which has so far
\nsold some 2.4 million copies.<\/p>\n
With the monetary crisis still battering the country, making
\nit hard to sell even a couple of hundred copies, the bands'
\nachievements are remarkable.<\/p>\n
Especially for Sheila on 7 and Padi. First, because they are
\nrelative newcomers in the music industry, but also because this
\nis the second time they have succeeded in selling over one
\nmillion copies after releasing their debut albums in 1999.<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta-based Sheila soared first with its self-titled
\nalbum, reviving the whole industry with easy listening and catchy
\npop songs.<\/p>\n
Padi, however, took off slower but caught up with Sheila.
\nOften being identified as U2-esque, the band -- originally from
\nSurabaya -- soared high with a second album that is surprisingly
\nquite solid.<\/p>\n
Another thing about Padi and Sheila is that most of their
\nmembers are still in their early 20s. We're not talking about the
\nquality yet -- and in fact they are not disappointing -- but
\ntheir appearance is a sign that regeneration does occur.<\/p>\n
And the refreshing thing is that, unlike in the United States
\nand Europe, it is not boybands that reigned supreme but real
\nbands.<\/p>\n
As for Dewa, they have already been around longer and crowned
\nas the highest paid band. So, their success is not exactly
\nsurprising.<\/p>\n
And Jamrud? There is something demanding of respect about this
\nband. They are so low profile and unpretentious and it reflects
\nin their songs, so it is no wonder that they won the hearts of
\nmany fans.<\/p>\n
The year offered more than just Sheila, Padi, Jamrud and Dewa.
\nSome were old players (Slank, Gigi), some new, some succeeded
\n(Slank) while others flopped (Gigi).<\/p>\n
Some are \"new\" but actually \"old\", like former Dewa vocalist
\nAri Lasso and Kahitna's keyboard player Yovie Widianto.<\/p>\n
Ari's album may not have been as successful as Dewa's but it's
\nnot a disappointing album and sold quite well too. He also filled
\nout what is lacking in the music industry: a male solo vocalist.<\/p>\n
An album by Yovie, under the name Yovie and Nuno, also was not
\nbad either.<\/p>\n
A bunch of new bands and singers also emerged, like Caffeine,
\nShifter, Tic Band, Naff, Element and Ren Tobing. Despite lacking
\ndefinitive character (they all sound the same), some of those
\nbands managed to get high air play.<\/p>\n
Some old timers, like Fariz RM and Chaseiro, tried to scrape
\nback their popularity, jostling with their juniors by releasing
\ncompilations of old hits.<\/p>\n
It was also interesting how some groups mixed pop with comedy,
\nlike comedy group turned vocal group Project Pop with its catchy
\nyet witty debut pop album, and bands Harapan Jaya, Naif and
\nClubeighties.<\/p>\n
Interesting also is the success of noted emcee-turned-singer
\nTantowi Yahya who chose pop\/country, a genre hardly looked at by
\nother musicians.<\/p>\n
For female vocalists, those who shone brightest were Titi DJ
\nand MTV VJ turned singer Shanty.<\/p>\n
With all the variety, the year was an interesting period for
\nthe music industry.<\/p>\n
However, not all that glitters is gold.<\/p>\n
Despite the emergence of new acts and sales of over one
\nmillion for some artists, the trend of album sales in general in
\nthis country is sliding.<\/p>\n
An official at Sony Music Entertainment Indonesia, whose
\nartists are Padi and Sheila on 7, said that the sales trend for
\nall genre has been declining in the past three years.<\/p>\n
\"People are getting more selective in buying a product because
\ntheir financial condition isn't as good as it used to be,\" Sony's
\nA&R manager, Sylvia Theorupun Pontoh, said.<\/p>\n
Rampant album piracy may also contribute to the decline, but
\nthe trend is a hint of how the market is becoming saturated.<\/p>\n
What to do? What to do?<\/p>\n
Of course it depends on the musicians themselves. As the
\nconsumers are more selective, only the innovative ones will
\nsucceed.<\/p>\n
For the four bands, for instance, they have created new
\nphenomena. If they want to maintain that, they have to go beyond
\nbeing a rip-off or pretending to be creative by taking a little
\nbit of something from here and there and calling it their own.<\/p>",
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