Patriotism and musicality proven not mutually exclusive<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
From its title -- Concert to Commemorate Independence Day --
\nthe event promised little more than a generous rendition of
\nrousing compositions served up -- as Wagner's were during the
\n1930s -- to glorify the sanctified motherland.<\/p>\n
In reality, though, it was worth checking out what the concert
\nhad to offer, especially as the brains behind it were Peter F.
\nGontha and Paul Dankmeyer, the pair that successfully brought
\nJava Jazz to the capital earlier this year.<\/p>\n
It was also worth a visit because the prime mover of the show
\nwas Minister of National Education Bambang Soedibyo, a professor
\nin economics, who is also known to be an avid music buff.<\/p>\n
And, it turned out that the concert delivered more than anyone
\ncould have hoped for -- especially those ordered to attend
\nWednesday's concert at Balai Sarbini, The Plaza Semanggi, by
\ntheir superiors.<\/p>\n
The title of the show and list of songs that appeared on the
\nprogram were indeed somewhat off-putting.<\/p>\n
For many concertgoers, mostly Indonesian nationals, patriotic
\nsongs such as Bangun Pemuda Pemudi (Time To Rise Up), Bagimu
\nNegeri (For You, My Country), Indonesia Pusaka (Sacred Indonesia)
\nmay no longer brim with patriotic appeal, as these were drummed
\ninto them from early childhood.<\/p>\n
But in the hands of selected performers and a surprise guest,
\nas well as two of the country's finest orchestras, the Nusantara
\nChamber Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra of the Yogyakarta Art
\nInstitute (ISI) that accompanied them, the songs turned into gems
\nthat produced a captivating show.<\/p>\n
If the objective was to reinvigorate long-lost love for the
\nmotherland, the performers served their country well, as every
\nsong gave the audience goosebumps and a steady rush of new
\naffection for the land of their birth.<\/p>\n
Opened with a children's choir belting out Aku Anak Indonesia
\n(I Am An Indonesian Child), it seemed as though the audience's
\ngreatest fear of another dull show would indeed materialize.<\/p>\n
Martial drums drowned out the singing; when the choir was
\nfinally audible, what the concertgoers got harked back to their
\nschooldays when they were required to sing patriotic songs every
\nMonday at a pledge-of-allegiance ritual.<\/p>\n
After a grinding start, the concert began to unveil its true
\nidentity when young \"lite\"-jazz singer Andien took the stage to
\nperform a mesmerizing rendition of Ambilkan Bulan (Get Me the
\nMoon), a children song penned by composer A.T. Mahmud.<\/p>\n
Although Andien's smooth vocals suggested that the song was a
\nchildren's lullaby, conductor Purwatjaraka led his orchestra to
\nprovide a lush soundscape that gave full reign to the
\ncomposition's grandeur.<\/p>\n
Purwatjaraka, who also acted as concert director, was smart
\nenough not to disappoint the crowd early on with a steady flow of
\npatriotic songs; he decided to give a crowd-pleaser only 15
\nminutes into the concert.<\/p>\n
People may have been bored to death with the ubiquitous Ada
\nApa Denganmu (What's Up With You), a power-pop ballad by local
\nband Peterpan, but turning it into a symphonic piece complete
\nwith a lengthy violin solo was a stroke of genius.<\/p>\n
The piece was a revelation in Purwatjaraka's hand.<\/p>\n
After a solo violin coda from Ada Apa faded from the sound
\nsystem, there was an eerie feeling that the song had a uniquely
\nindigenous character to it.<\/p>\n
In what could be considered her best performance of the
\nevening, Andien turned up after Ada Apa to sing a faithful
\nrendition of Bagimu Negeri.<\/p>\n
Giving our utmost devotion to the motherland, as the lyrics in
\nthe song suggest, may not be a good idea these days, but,
\nlistening to Andien's version, it was right.<\/p>\n
The show's finest moment, however, came after a 15-minute
\nintermission, when world jazz violinist Doug Cameron upstaged all
\nthat had gone before.<\/p>\n
Cameron was, without doubt, the main event, turning a
\nsupposedly stately concert into a jazzy affair.<\/p>\n
His performance may have clocked in at less than 20 minutes,
\nbut he managed to elide from jazz to classical to flamenco with
\ngreat finesse.<\/p>\n
Two of his four compositions, flamenco-ish Maggia Espanola and
\node to actor Michael Landon Letter to A Friend were indicative of
\nhis consummate musicianship.<\/p>\n
Two other numbers struck a chord with the Indonesians present.<\/p>\n
In Minuit Bach, it was heartening to see a world-class maestro
\njoin a troupe of 50 Indonesian kids who played their violins in
\nhis support.<\/p>\n
No less inspiring was his take on Indonesia Pusaka.<\/p>\n
Played in its unadulterated form the venerable, patriotic tune
\nhas a divine character: Cameron managed to capture the
\nquintessence of the song.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, Cameron and other performers in the concert gave a
\nvery convincing demonstration that patriotic songs need not
\nnecessarily be about noisy flag-waving.<\/p>",
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