Dewa buries hatchet in tehe name of love
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Dewa's latest line-up may serve its current fans well but Ari Lasso, the group first vocalist who now has embarked on a solo career, still stole the show at the opening of Dewa's 25-city tour here on Feb. 18.
The night at the Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, Central Jakarta, belonged to Ari when hundreds of music lovers kept on calling out his name not long after Dewa's vocalist Elfonda Mekael invited him on stage to sing the finale nostalgic Laras Hati (Hearts in Harmony).
"It's proof that there's no hard feelings between us," said Elfonda, who is affectionately known as Once, while clutching Ari's hand tightly.
Expelled from the group in 2001 due to his history of drug addiction, the reformed Ari has since released two solo albums. Saying that "everybody is a friend in music", Ari opened the concert.
The concert itself was jaw-droppingly well prepared. Buckets of red roses and beds of rose petals were lined up along the entrance to the hall, bringing to life the theme of the concert -- Atas Nama Cinta (In The Name of Love). The concert was staged only four days after Valentine's Day.
Formed in Surabaya in 1986, the Toto-esque group released their first album Dewa 19 in 1992 to great acclaim.
Followed by another four albums, Dewa became the best-selling and highest paid band in the country.
However, the euphoria has faded with the absence of a defining character in Dewa's last two albums, unlike younger groups of the same genre like Padi and Sheila on 7 with their distinctive vocalists.
It's all a little bit unfair as Elfonda has tried hard to emerge from Ari's shadow when performing classic Dewa hits, but Once -- Elfonda's nickname -- was very tense and failed to do much to reach out the audience.
"He's always like that when Ari is around," said Agung, a loyal Dewa fan.
A pack of youngsters in red T-shirts from the Dewa fan club, Baladewa, also couldn't hide their disappointment.
"Once ... say something ... talk to us, please. At least say 'Hi audience'" shouted a girl. "Who does he think he is? Does he think he doesn't owe the popularity to the fans but earned it himself?," she grumbled.
For the next two hours, although many breaks were taken, Dewa -- comprising founder, keyboardist-cum-producer Achmad Dani Prasetyo, guitarist Andra Junaedi, bassist Yuke, drummer Setyo Nugroho, and vocalist Once, literally shook the hall by having the sound system turned up to the max.
The group donned military-style dark uniforms with brass buttons. No doubt the idea for stage costumes came from Achmad Dani, who idolizes founding president Sukarno.
Additional musicians, including violinist Henry Lamiri, the local Sa'unine Orchestra and the Sydney Peace Orchestra really helped in lightening the image of the Dewa performance that night.
Ice-breaker parody artists of Project Pop deserved a thumbs-up with their imitation of an arrogant and hot-tempered Achmad Dani haunted by the deadline to find a vocalist.
Send-ups of rocker Axl Rose, tenor Giovanni Pavarotti, rapper Eminem, and even dangdut sensation Inul Daratista all helped ensure a memorable evening.
All and all, the entire concert was a feast for music lovers who are dying for a decent concert from a local group that does not solely rely on good looks and smart marketing.