Bali to host first world music festival

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Bali is gearing up for the maiden World Music Festival-Bali 2002, to be held from Aug. 17 to Aug. 18.

Behind the scenes is a group of highly motivated young people toiling into the night to prepare for the international event.

Their driving force is their belief that music is a universal language that is capable of releasing humankind from the evils of prejudice and hatred of people according to their race, ethnicity or religion.

"It has been an exhausting job but we feel that the work is rewarding. We are thinking of making the event an annual one if we get a positive response," the chief of the organizing committee, Wiwin Suyasa, said on Friday.

The four-day festival will give music enthusiasts on the island resort a good opportunity to catch a glimpse of this country's rich and diverse musical treasures, and a whole lot more.

"Hopefully, the festival will not only serve as a musical event, but also as a medium, during which the artists and the audience can reflect on and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of our beloved country, thus stimulating the birth of that noble sense of brotherhood among mankind," Wiwin said, referring to the festival's main theme "The Indonesian Sounds of Freedom".

Wiwin explained that they got the idea for the festival when young people from various backgrounds were sitting together, discussing the predicaments befalling Indonesia. Much to their surprise, they found that they shared the same concern for the various problems and came to similar conclusions.

"With all the threats of disintegration, ethnic conflict and religious clashes in the backdrop, we tried to create a better picture of Indonesia.

"Although Indonesia is a vast country, it's full of paradoxes. It is a big country with hundreds of ethnic groups, and with incomparably abundant natural and cultural wealth. Its elite speak so passionately about things such as globalization and multiculturalism, yet at the same time its people are deeply divided among interest groups, political parties and various ethnicities, races and religions."

The young people agreed to initiate the festival out of their concern that Indonesians had failed to make the best of the nation's diverse wealth and that the country's integration was threatened.

They chose music as the medium to try to mend the situation. They believe that music is a good medium to unite people who fall into these divisions.

The first night of the festival will feature Batuan Ethnic Fusion, featuring Bali's talented guitarist Balawan. He will collaborate with traditional gamelan player friends from his childhood. Then the Sarabag group out of East Java and the Sitermania group of West Java will take to the stage.

The Yogyakarta-based Sonoseni Ensemble, featuring the eccentric Wayan Sadra, will start off the second night, and will be followed by the Telago Buni group of Padang, West Sumatra. The Bali-based Duo Tones will close the night.

The night of Aug. 17, which coincides with the 57th anniversary of Indonesia's Independence, will be commemorated by the performance of the Oyot Suket group, led by one of Indonesia's noted musicians, Sawung Jabo. The Jakarta-based Kahanan group, and an eight-year-old guitarist, Krisna, will cap off the night's events.

Performing on the last night are the Suara Sama group from Medan, North Sumatra, and the uncanny artist, KH Sujiwo Tejo. Prior to the performance, the local chapter of the Indonesia Performing Arts Community (MSPI) will hold a discussion on ethnic music.

"We will give the audience a special time and space after the end of each night's last performance for a jam session. Hopefully, it will stimulate a dialog among them," Wiwin said.

The festival is expected to cost around Rp 1 billion and will hopefully attract an audience of 2,000 people.

All performances will be held in the amphitheater of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) cultural park, some 20 kilometers south of here.

Tickets are available at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Jakarta, and at Pulu International Travel Network, Bali, 0361-755187)