Ferry voices concern over burning forests

Ferry voices concern over burning forests

By Matdon

BANDUNG (JP): Popular singers Iwan Fals, Ully Sigar, Leo
Kristi, Franky Sahilatua and Ebiet G. Ade have long belted out
their concern over the country's social situation and environment
through their songs.

Bandung-born singer Ferry Curtis is an artist who is
considered by cultural observer Saini KM as another singer who
follows in the steps of his senior's.

Performing solo or in group, the 32-year-old singer, who has
performed 25 shows from 1990 to 2000, will stage Ilalang Terbakar
(The Burning Grass) on the evening of Oct. 29 at the French
Cultural Center (CCF) in Bandung.

For Ferry, music is a language of the soul, an expression of
the heart which becomes spiritual experience. Anywhere in the
world, music has become an integral part of culture and music can
be a media of expression or a universal language of
communication. Lyrics and songs can unite souls, inviting people
to think, making them feel happy or sad, or awakening people's
awareness about the meaning of life and love toward the
environment.

Each musician or singer has their own unique and individual
spiritual experiences about music. In Ferry's experience, his
music matured in the streets before entering campuses and
theaters. The singer also toured various cities and staged
concerts.

After his solo concert in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara in 1998,
which was titled Bejana (Container), the singer started a new
phase of his life, and maturity in his music. He started
performing more concerts, such as Pigura (Frame), while in
between shows he prepared music for theater performances or
performed collaborative works with other musicians. Recently, he
took part in the Geng-Gong show along with noted musician Sawung
Jabo.

For his upcoming concert at CCF, Ferry will try to illustrate
the set-backs experienced by Indonesians, who now no longer feel
comfortable and are even suspicious of one another. Good-natured
men, or a green and clean city will transform into grass, which
can transform into burning grass at any minute, he told The
Jakarta Post.

The singer said he will present 18 of his songs besides for
songs titled Rumah Cermin (House of Mirror) which is the work of
Saini KN and poet Diro Aritonang's Beri Cinta Buat Aceh (Give
Aceh Love). His own songs will include Ibu (Mother), Ilalang
Terbakar, Pengemis Tua (Old Beggar), Hijau (Green), Bali dan
Gadismu (Bali and Your Girl).

His music, although might rather sound a bit strange, will
still feature easy listening music while his lyrics become the
singer's strong attraction during his concerts.

Ferry said he dedicated his coming show to the burning forests
in Kalimantan and other parts of Indonesia along with the tribes
who depend their lives on the forests.

After staging the show at CCF, the singer will also stage the
same concert, in Rumah Nusantara in Bandung on Nov. 2 and in
Tasikmalaya on Oct. 15 before touring other cities in West Java.