Djaduk: A musician of endless fancy

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).