A music club that has real class
A music club that has real class
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Many people are tired of music bars in Jakarta that only give
them a headache from some ear-splitting noise they call music.
You know the places. They are the proverbial "black holes",
with menus that consist only of overpriced fried potatoes, fried
squid and draft beer; clubs that choose sensory deprivation
(dark) or sensory overload (can't hear oneself think) and a few
wobbling lights over any sense of interior design.
Praise be then to the Nine Muses Club, a live music venue in
South Jakarta that offers what most clubs in the city don't:
ambience and class.
The club in Jl. Wijaya I, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta is
about more than just music -- its blend of architecture, cuisine
and music is a heady mix; it is truly without overstatement a
complete sensual experience.
Situated in one of the city's bustling business districts, the
club was designed to create the ultimate encounter between great
music and simple, yet memorable cuisine.
On entering Nine Muses, one begin to appreciate its labyrinth-
like structure. A short walk down a narrow candle-lit corridor
takes patrons to a place that no one would imagine existing in a
business district.
The club has three levels that promise three different
experiences.
The ground floor is the perfect place for people who want
intimacy without being too close to the stage, where bands of
different styles regularly play.
Going down to the basement, meanwhile, patrons soon find
themselves in a whole new world. An outdoor green grass-carpeted
area is a great venue for a garden party or an open-air gig, with
a sizable stage erected in one corner. The styling of the area is
at least as good as those in the famous Aman resorts here.
Then there's the music.
With one of the capital's most well-rounded musicians, Tjuk
Nyak Deviana Daudsyah, the director of the Daya Music School, as
the brain behind the club's roster of performers, expect only the
best jazz, opera singers and blues musicians.
A consummate piano player and singer, Deviana regularly takes
the stage herself.
The venue is aiming to attract the world's top jazz artists
for regular shows and it has already seen performances by
international artists including Eric Benet and pop singer Marion
Raven.
Deviana also plans to release a CD compilation of music she
composed that has been performed by bands at the club.
As for the food, the Nine Muses offered bistro-inspired
cuisine, simple and generous meals served in a pleasant
atmosphere.
Its menu accommodates both European and Asian tastes and
ranges from seared duck foie gras, pan-fried Australian
tenderloin, grilled Norway salmon to roasted Peking duck.
There is also a wide selection of fine wines available.
The Nine Muses technical advisor Gil D'Harcour said that his
club aimed to bring freshness and difference to the capital.
"We are not only a restaurant ... We bring cultural events to
the capital. A harmony between food culture and music culture,"
D'Harcour told The Jakarta Post.
He said the main attribute the Nine Muses creators could be
proud of was their club's uniqueness.
"Some of the foreign artists who have performed here were
amazed by our club, they said they could not find this in Paris
or anywhere else in the world," he said.
The Nine Muses club, Jl. Wijaya 1 No. 25, Kebayoran Baru, South
Jakarta, tel 7221188, fax 7279 0849. www.ninemusesclub.com