Djaduk's Kua Etnika mixes music and fun

Text and photo by Kartika Bagus C.

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Imagine the sight of a bunch of adults playing around with whistles, toy pistols and small trumpets. Perhaps it would be taken as a bit of regression and the enjoyment of a second childhood, a chance to escape the stress of daily life.

But put those same toys in the hands of established musicians like Djaduk Ferianto and his Kua Etnika, a group known for its deep involvement in the development of ethnic music, and you have something of value.

Being Playful was one of the 11 compositions in a musical performance called Unen-unen (sounds) last Saturday at the Grand Theater of the Indonesian Art Institute (STSI) Surakarta. The other compositions were Merapi Horeg (Merapi Quivers), Kembang Boreh (Wilted Flower), Blue Jeans Biru (Blue Blue Jeans), Susul Susuling (Chasing each other), TumBend Tak Drum Band (Why Has it Been So Long Since You Played in the Drumband?), Galaxi, Arigato (Separation), Kupu Tarung (Butterflies Fight) and Festival.

Djaduk and Kua Etnika mesmerized the audience, who had waited some time for the performers to take the stage after some technical problems were fixed.

During the performance, traditional musical instruments formed the greater part of all the instruments used on the large stage. There were percussion instruments from Java and Bali (gamelan), a keyboard, flutes and African jembe. Unen-unen was spectacular in that it presented music of different ethnic traditions, a combination of Javanese, Balinese, Sundanese, Betawi, Kalimantan, Chinese, Japanese and African music.

Unen-unen was based on a spirit to communicate with art lovers. Every sound and voice was not just "musical material" but also a medium of communication. Djaduk said that Kua Etnika set out to process dialog and interaction between traditions as interaction between individuals and the surrounding world.

"To liken this to a journey, this is like asking people to make a journey inside oneself," said the 37-year-old father of four.

In the process of communication, Indonesia's present social and political conditions added color to each composition. A composition called Main-Main (Just For Fun), for example, could be interpreted as an invitation to all of us to play around with our own lives before other people play around with us. This is a reflection on the House of Representatives, the "esteemed" representatives of the people, who are simply playing around with their own agendas.

As for Kembang Boreh, a flower symbolizes the process of life, at first beautiful and then slowing wilting and dying. It could be taken as a metaphor of this nation, which is slowly rotting in terms of morality of the Indonesian people and the concept of life.

Kua Etnika was set up in 1996 in Yogyakarta. Members include Butet Kartaredjasa, Indra Tranggono and Poerwanto. The group is dedicated to the development of music stemming from various cultures in Indonesia. Thanks to creative breakthroughs, the group has successfully introduced ethnic music to the public.

They have interpreted and reprised various ethnic musical pieces in Indonesia to make them more accessible to the general public. They hope that their music will be a cultural product that can be appreciated at home and abroad.

Kua Etnika, which has a temporary rehearsal space located in a rural area, has successfully collaborated with other groups in Dua Warna (Two Colors), a musical program aired by private television station RCTI. It also participated successfully in a world musical event held in Bali in early 2000 under the theme of Sacred Rhythm: the Millennium Percussion for Unity. It has also arranged music for dance performances by Padepokan Tari Bagong Kusudiharja (Bagong Kusudiharja Dance Workshop), Eksotika Karmawibangga, Miroto Dancer, Sentot Budiharto, Teater Koma, Teater Gandrik and several domestic film companies.