Upcoming concerts: Enrique, Gareth and Maksim come to town<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The list of international artists who braved the travel warnings
\nto play gigs here in recent years is not very impressive. But,
\ntaking a more positive outlook, our country is beginning to gain
\nreconsideration as a safe ground.<\/p>\n
American rock groups Korn and Toto, pop diva Mariah Carey and
\nlegendary songstress Jane Birkin kicked off the new year's
\nmusical moments with performances in February.<\/p>\n
Now, three more performers will stage concerts here: Latino
\npop idol Enrique Iglesias, British teen heartthrob Gareth Gates
\nand Russian crossover pianist Maksim.<\/p>\n
Iglesias' concert will be on March 28 at the Jakarta
\nConvention Center's Plenary Hall, Central Jakarta, while both
\nGates and Maksim will perform at the Indoor Tennis Stadium in
\nSenayan, Central Jakarta, on April 6 and April 27 respectively.<\/p>\n
Iglesias, 27, is part of a growing number of Latin artists
\nlured into the crossover market, led by Jennifer Lopez and Ricky
\nMartin.<\/p>\n
First recognized as Julio Iglesias Jr., the younger Iglesias
\nhas earned a reputation as a singer in his own right, no longer
\nliving in the shadow of his heart-throb father.<\/p>\n
Several major labels rejected him at the beginning of his
\ncareer, but Iglesias proved them wrong by topping the charts in
\n1995 with his self-titled debut album. It sold over one million
\ncopies in Latin America and produced five hit singles.<\/p>\n
Vivir followed in 1997, and was also a huge commercial
\nsuccess.<\/p>\n
The single that made him a household name, however, was the
\nSpanglish hit Bailamos, featured in the 1999 Will Smith film Wild
\nWild West.<\/p>\n
Although Bailamos was hugely successful, Iglesias is reluctant
\nto record entirely in English, saying "I gotta remember
\nsomething, what got me here was Spanish."<\/p>\n
A few hits followed, such as Hero, Rhythm Divine and Escape,
\nwith videos starring the likes of actress Jennifer Love Hewitt
\nand tennis bombshell Anna Kournikova, his girlfriend.<\/p>\n
Iglesias, however, allegedly lip-synched in a concert in
\nPoland. U.S. shock jock Howard Stern also accused him of lip
\nsynching and played an audio tape allegedly proving Enrique
\ncannot carry a tune.<\/p>\n
He denied both accusations.<\/p>\n
The next performer here is determined, hard-working and
\nfriendly; his favorite color is blue; he is obsessed with his
\nhair and despised "show-offs, selfish people and people with huge
\nheads ideal", according to the organizer's press release.<\/p>\n
I am sorry, I thought this is seventeen magazine.<\/p>\n
Gareth Gates was the finalist of British Pop Idol, but shot to
\nfame when he released his debut single, a cover of Unchained
\nMelody, on March 2002.<\/p>\n
The single made the then 18-year-old singer the youngest solo
\nvocalist ever to top the British charts, and was also named
\nRecord of the Year 2002.<\/p>\n
He released his debut album What My Heart Wants to Say in
\n2002, followed by his latest album Go Your Own Way, released last
\nyear. Both earned him commercial success and there are bound to
\nbe hordes of screaming fans to greet him here.<\/p>\n
The most interesting of the visitors is Croatian pianist
\nMaksim Mrvica (clue: pronounced Maravitsa, with a rolled 'r').<\/p>\n
He caught attention when the video of The Fight of the
\nBumblebee, a crossover instrumental piece, appeared on MTV last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Born in Ibenik on the Adriatic coast, 29-year-old Maksim began
\nclassical piano lessons at nine. When the war in the former
\nYugoslavia broke in 1990, he continued his musical studies in
\nuniversity despite "a thousand grenades a day in my town".<\/p>\n
Maksim has won a handful of piano competitions, including in
\nBudapest and Paris.<\/p>\n
Both 2001's debut Gestures, a disc of contemporary Croatian
\npiano pieces, and 2003's The Piano Player experimented with the
\ncrossover genre and targeted all ages.<\/p>\n
What will it set you back to see the boys? Enrique's tickets
\nare Rp 350,000, Rp 750,000 and Rp 1.25 million, while Gates' run
\nbetween Rp 150,000 and Rp 200,000. Maksim's ticket prices were
\nyet available at press time.<\/p>\n
Tickets can be obtained at major record stores, call Java
\nMusikindo at 021-57988623-25 for information, or click
\nwww.javamusikindo.com.<\/p>",
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