Colorful Karua Boys wow crowds

By Jodie Munro

JAKARTA (JP): Their enthusiasm and passion for entertaining and enjoying themselves is overwhelming. When the Karua Boys perform, they really have fun -- and it shows.

The Karua Boys, nine clean-cut Indonesian college students who were individually selected and brought together as a group, have become popular entertainers and are in demand throughout Jakarta in a few short months.

A creation of the Minmosa Enterprise Company, which for three years has supplied bands to cafes and hotels in Jakarta and the rest of the country, the Karua Boys have been rehearsing together for four months, and performing on stage for two.

The band consists of vocalists Mickey, Ferrol, Cherry, Retto on guitar, Emir and Williams on keyboard, Rizky on percussion, Gutomo on drum, and bass guitarist Deden. They range in age from 25 to 31 years, and hail from various parts of Indonesia, including Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi.

Not only do they have fantastic voices and sing in English, the Karua Boys perform music which appeals to a wide audience. The band's speciality is disco music, mainly covers of songs from the 1970s and 1980s.

The Boys do covers from artists such as Simply Red, Barry Manilow, Kool and the Gang, James Brown and The Real Thing. They also take requests from the audience.

The president director of Minmosa Enterprise, Toety Djatmiko, said the company decided upon the disco music concept after monitoring tastes of guests.

"The trend in Jakarta at the moment is for bands who perform this type of music," Toety said.

Karua means eight in the South Sulawesi dialect, although the band has since grown to include nine performers. All of the Boys are or were students, and studied a variety of subjects, ranging from psychology to architecture. Music is their hobby although their dream is to record in the future.

But the music is not their only appeal. The presentation is just as lively, with dance sequences included in their act. The vocalists work with a choreographer once a week, and practice their music at a separate time once weekly. The playful on-stage antics allow the Boys' fun personalities to shine through, and sometimes that's what separates the good from the really good among entertainers.

On Friday nights, the Karua Boys perform at Kafe Pisa Ice Cream on Jalan Gereja Theresia in Jakarta. The venue was chosen as it is sells both entertainment and food. Customers who go there to eat are exposed to the talents of the band, or perhaps in this case, the food may become a complement to the band as the Karua Boys become increasingly popular.

Don't get the wrong idea -- Kafe Pisa Ice Cream offers great food at reasonable prices. It has everything from their famous ice cream to lunch and dinner items served late into the night. It is a pleasant place to dine, catering to those who like to sit indoors with the crowd to watch the live entertainment, as well as those who prefer the garden area where it is somewhat quieter. The cafe's patrons testified that Karua Boys are gaining more and more fans.

"I have been to this cafe before but I had never heard of the Karua Boys", said Linda from Jakarta.

"I would like to see them again, mainly because they sing great songs."

Fulvio, a businessman from Italy, said he was a new fan. He has lived in Jakarta for four months and had heard of the Karua Boys. He came to Kafe Pisa Ice Cream on this particular night to dine with his friend and to listen to the band.

"I think the Karua Boys are very good," he said. "I like them, I think the music they play is nice.

"It's like funky music, and I would go to see them perform again if I knew where else they played at."

Gita, a secretary, was similarly enthusiastic.

"The band is very good, I like the songs they sing. "If I had the chance I would definitely go to see them again".

University student Valdi also thought the Karua Boys were entertaining.

"This is the first time I have seen them, but I think they have good voices," Valdi said.

"They have a good performance, good songs, and they sing all sorts of music - so I like their style, it is very energetic."

The interested can catch their performances during this month at the Balemang Cafe in Kemang, South Jakarta, on Mondays; Jimbani's, also in Kemang, on Wednesday; Kafe Pisa Ice Cream on Friday, and Asmat Cafe in Patra Building, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Central Jakarta, on Saturday.