Djaduk: A musician of endless fancy
Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Perhaps the Javanese proverb "Lots of children bring good fortune" fits artist Djaduk Ferianto, 38, although for him it might read better as lots of children motivate one's creativity.
Djaduk's close friends usually tease him about the proverb because he receives a lot of work and needs an unlimited source of creativity.
It seems his creativity has developed along with his involvement in numerous art activities, which have catapulted him to celebrity status.
Over the past two months, he has collaborated with Indian, Malaysian and Japanese musicians. Locally, he has performed several times under a different pseudonym: Kua Etnika, Sinten Remen Orchestra or the Gandrik Theatrical Group.
"My friends may say that more children make you more creative. Well, there is some truth to this statement. It is true that I've gotten my ideas from my children and family," said Djaduk, whose aspirations are reflected in the names given to his children.
Djaduk, the son of noted artist Bagong Kussudiardja, has five children: I Gusti Arirang, 9, K. Ratu Hening, 7, G. Presiden Dewa Gana, 5, K. Rani Nyari Bunyi, 3, and E. Rajane Tetabuhan, who is six-month-old.
Djaduk not only gets a lot of ideas from his children, but also a fair amount of criticism. "One night I performed on RCTI and the next morning one of my children told me that I had made a lot of mistakes in my performance. Then when they watched the performance of Mas Tom (with the Gandrik Theatrical Group), they commented right away that the performance was tiring," he said.
However, he is enjoying his success after a long hard journey as an artist. Djaduk grew up in an art community, Bagong Kussudiardja Art Camp and Dance Rehearsal Center, so one can say that art runs in his blood.
He became involved in music when he was at Taman Siswa junior high school. It was 1978 and his friends at the Indonesian Fine Arts School (SSRI) of Yogyakarta asked him to join their performance.
"When I joined the performance, I played a small drum. Some of my SSRI friends asked me to set up a music group. We did and called it Klenengan. At that time, we were drawn to the Bengkel Teater (Theatrical Workshop), an arts center in Yogyakarta.
"Bengkel Teater had a famous music group, the Kelompok Musik Kampungan (Group of Country Bumpkins' Music), led by Bram Mahanekum. Its members included Sawung Jabo and Bujel Dipuro, who have since joined Eksotika Karmawibhangga, and Sujiwo Tejo."
Kelompok Musik Kampungan had a great influence on Yogyakarta. Their verses and metaphors were written by playwright Rendra.
"Just like other music groups, Kelenengan also referred to this Kampungan group," said Djaduk, who can play many musical instruments.
They went on to set up another music group, Rheze, with students from the Santa Maria senior high school as the singers. It became one of the finalists at the All Central Java -- Yogyakarta Acoustic Music Contest.
"This achievement built up my confidence, which got better in 1970 when we won first place in a humorous music festival. "Unfortunately, Rheze broke up shortly afterwards and we set up Musik Kreatif, which later developed into Kelompok Musik Watatitha."
By the time he left all these bands, Djaduk had become an accomplished musician.
He studied at the Indonesian Fine Arts Academy (ASRI) of Yogyakarta, but he became more intensively involved with music. At ASRI, he met Bujel Dipuro and other more senior musicians. He was a member of ASRI's dangdut music group called Sukar Maju (It's Hard to Advance).
Meanwhile, off campus, Djaduk continued to develop his talent. After joining Watatitha, Djaduk's popularity continued to soar on the music stage, either appearing alone or in a group.
He worked as the music arranger on several dance repertoires by his father between 1980 and 1993. Then in 1985 he joined the Gandrik Theatrical Group as its music arranger. He also took part in several poetry reading events with Emha Ainun Nadjib. To date, there are hundreds of musical pieces that are either arranged by him or in collaboration with Indonesian or foreign musicians.
He also arranges music for the cinema and made-for-TV movies, such as Mr Selatiban's Cat, Dangdut Tale and Even The Moon Shuts Its Eyes by Dedi Setiadi, Parade by Teguh Karya, Urban Clowns by Ucik Supra, Cemeng 2005 by N. Riantiarno, Soero Buldog and Telegram by Slamet Rahardjo, Counting the Days by Enison Sinaro, Kancil's Story and Leaf on a Pillow by Garin Nugroho.
By the way, he never finished his college studies.
Djaduk's creative work is in high demand because of the rising number of private TV stations in Indonesia and also because he is involved in his Kua Etnika Community.
"Creativity and ideas are the heart of this group. You can say that my ideas and my exploration are the result of communal creativity. When we get together or rehearse together, creativity comes to the surface and we creatively reinforce one another," said Djaduk, who was awarded the Creative Musician title in 1995 from the Association of Indonesian Journalists' (PWI) Yogyakarta chapter.
"This doesn't mean that I have never contemplated or reflected on an idea alone. Almost every morning in my bathroom, while reading the newspaper, I think back about what I did the day before. While I'm sitting on the toilet, I am composing my musical arrangement. That's why I'm usually in the bathroom for hours. It's part of my daily routine," he said.
Properly nurtured art creativity, said Djaduk, is as inseparable as is his closeness with his elder brother, Butet Kartaredjasa. "Butet is more a close friend to me than an elder brother. There is no distance between us. We help each other either in terms of work or art exploration," he noted.
His experiences in life have also become a source of inspiration for him. He delves deeply into ethnic music while he adopts a modern approach and what he comes up with is reflected in his compositions. He is trying to revive ethnic music by introducing a different approach and interpretation.
Djaduk and his groups -- Kua Etnika and Sinten Remen Orchestra -- try to incorporate traditional music with a modern touch, but without losing that traditional spirit.
It is his intensely creative exploration of traditional sources that has become the foundation for his music. As a music arranger, he has never run out of ideas or creativity because he continues to support the communities around him so that he will have an inexhaustible supply of ideas.
Perhaps, if he runs out of ideas some day, he will have another child and name him Rajane Music (King of Music).