Violinist Hendri a reluctant celebrity<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
He has been the unknown backup musician for dozens of singers
\nand pop groups. Most people probably know him as the long-haired
\nviolinist playing behind singer Chrisye, pop group Kla Project,
\nrock band Dewa, dangdut singer Evie Tamala and many more.<\/p>\n
But Hendri Lamiri, sporting short hair now, is becoming
\nsomething of a celebrity himself these days, though he is quick
\nto dispute this claim.<\/p>\n
\"I'm a musician, I play violin, I'm no celebrity,\" the
\n29-year-old violinist said.<\/p>\n
We met recently at a cafe in Plaza Senayan, Central Jakarta,
\nwith Hendri bringing along the whole family, including his five-
\nyear-old son, Ridho Pratama.<\/p>\n
\"Only a few people know that I have a son,\" he smiled.<\/p>\n
When asked about his wife, Hendri paused and stared at the
\ntable. \"I ... have already separated from Ridho's mother.
\nSo ...,\" he laughed faintly.<\/p>\n
The subject quickly changes to how Hendri started playing the
\nviolin.<\/p>\n
He recalled his childhood in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. When
\nhe was younger than four years old, Hendri often watched his
\nbrother take violin lessons.<\/p>\n
His late father, who was a music teacher, began to teach
\nHendri the violin, but as the instrument was too big for him, the
\nlessons were limited to holding it.<\/p>\n
\"When I was exactly four, my father ordered a violin for me. I
\nhadn't even begun school at the time,\" said Hendri, the youngest
\nof eight children.<\/p>\n
Hendri proved to have a natural talent for the violin and
\nimmediately fell in love with it.<\/p>\n
\"You know, the violin is very special and unique. You can't
\njust play it, you have to know the instrument well. When you play
\nit, you must be in the right position, bowing it well and with
\nfull concentration. It is easy to hear if you don't play it
\ncorrectly,\" he said.<\/p>\n
His debut performance came a year later, during a visit to the
\ncity by former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Aiming to put on a unique show, local conductor Simfoni Akcaya
\nhired Hendri.<\/p>\n
\"It wasn't because there were no other violinists but, you
\nknow, a six-year-old violinist, especially in Kalimantan ... it
\nwas like, wow!\" Hendri said.<\/p>\n
After that, job offers started to pour in and Hendri was hired
\nby a hotel to play pop standards like Misty, My Way and Love
\nStory, as well as country music.<\/p>\n
While Hendri was still in junior high school, noted musician
\nand songwriter A. Riyanto stopped by the hotel and heard Hendri
\nplay. Impressed by Hendri's talent, Riyanto asked Hendri to
\naccompany him to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
But Hendri was not willing to leave his mother, especially
\nafter his father had died when he was 10 years old.<\/p>\n
After graduating from junior high school, Hendri asked his
\nfamily's permission to move to the capital.<\/p>\n
\"The whole family was like, 'What? What will you do? You're
\nstill a kid!' But somehow I had the courage to go. I was so sure
\nthat I could do something. I just wanted to fill my father's
\nshoes, at least as a good musician,\" Hendri said.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Hendri worked at a number of five-star hotels and
\nbars.<\/p>\n
\"I was playing music just to make money to go back to
\nPontianak, because I missed my mother so much,\" said Hendri, who
\nwent to high school in the capital, before enrolling in and
\nresign dropping out of a university here because he was so alone
\nand had to support himself.<\/p>\n
After accepting an offer to join the group The Panbers, Hendri
\nworked with them for about seven years.<\/p>\n
He also started to attract the attention of numerous other
\nartists, but Hendri said his breakthrough came in 1994, when he
\nplayed on Kla Project's album Klakustik and supported them at
\nconcerts.<\/p>\n
At around the same time, he was bringing together some friends
\nfrom Pontianak, forming the band Arwana, which has released two
\nalbums to date and is working on a third.<\/p>\n
\"It was an old obsession to form a band. I just want to show
\npeople here, we're a band from Kalimantan,\" Hendri said.<\/p>\n
Hendri has backed almost every singer in the country and says
\nhe is not picky about who he plays with.<\/p>\n
\"I've backed all kinds of music, even dangdut and religious
\nmusic. It's not because I'm greedy. But I'm a musician. It's not
\ngood if I'm stuck in one genre. Like it or not, it's just a
\nmatter of taste.<\/p>\n
\"Another reason is that the violin has to be played every day,
\nif not it'll feel rigid. So playing for people is a kind of
\nexercise for me.\"<\/p>\n
Hendri said there are many quality violinists in Indonesia,
\nbut most of them don't have the confidence to play.<\/p>\n
\"It's best if you just try. If you can't, then that's it,\"
\nsaid Henry, who also plays the drums and guitar.<\/p>\n
As for Singapore-born violinist Vanessa Mae, who performed
\nhere at the end of September, Hendri said that Mae's success lay
\nin good management and promotion.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not saying that she's not good, she's just not
\nextraordinary. There are so many great violinists, especially in
\nIndia, and their skills are way above those of Vanessa. But, of
\ncourse, the packaging and management is not as great as her's.\"<\/p>\n
The management and the packaging, Hendri said, is a weakness
\nfor Indonesian artists, many of whom are followers.<\/p>\n
Hendri is now working on a solo project, tapping noted
\nmusicians like Erwin Gutawa, Dwiki Darmawan and Purwa Caraka for
\nthe project. Planned for release next year, Hendri wants the
\nalbum to penetrate the international market by presenting what he
\ncalls \"Indonesian pop, with a touch of ethnicity\".<\/p>\n
\"It is, of course, every musician's dream to go international.
\nI think the obstacle for our artists is first of all the
\nlanguage. So, since I speak through the violin, I'm quite certain
\nthat the album can be accepted.\"<\/p>\n
Another of Hendri's dreams is to become a music arranger.<\/p>\n
\"I want to be at least like Erwin Gutawa. He's such a great
\narranger because he has this sharp intuition.\"<\/p>",
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