Filipino Maribeth seeks second wind in Indonesia

By Achmad Nurhoeri

JAKARTA (JP): Five years after she swept the nation with her 1992 Denpasar Moon, Filipino diva Maribeth B. Pascua is back in Indonesia to recapture her days of adoration. However, her first shot at Jakarta's Poster Cafe on Thursday night proved that sequels rarely match first time successes.

It was a tale from rags-to-riches when nameless amateur Mari beth won the Voice of Asia competition in 1991, followed by a five-year contract with Sony Music Japan in Tokyo.

She stunned Indonesia with a song using Balinese gamelan made by a Malay Brit and produced by a Japanese company.

But under the sweet fame and fortune there lied a sticky bitterness.

"I experienced a lot of bad and good through these past five years. I wasn't happy then. I was a robot," said Maribeth contem platively. "I don't want to be a robot anymore."

To everyone's surprise, the debut album Alone Against The World in 1992 struck gold in Indonesia. It triggered a massive drive of more than 60 illegal cover versions. Indonesians were humming the tune nationwide, from posh hotels and cabinet meetings to shabby shanties and village huts, in English, Indonesian and even Sundanese.

But the second album, I Was Born To Sing, was a disappointment. Maribeth's powerful voice was trimmed to mediocrity. The third album Abhyanga was even worse and failed in the market.

"I was surprised that it was released here. The sound and taste are Japanese. I knew that it wouldn't sell," she said.

In the end, the music industry has again proved its power to smother artistic quality for the sake of the dollar.

"I don't really like my own songs. On the first album I was not too dictated to. But in the second and third, they (Sony Music Japan) completely dictated me," said the 25-year-old Filipino.

"They wanted me to change my voice style and used a lot of fake voices. I don't like that," sighed Maribeth, who is now her own manager. "It's only now that I have the freedom of speech and choice. Now it's all up to me. I tell you, a part of singing is about enjoying it."

Strong

But bad experiences are what make people strong, especially this singer, who is practically unknown in her home country.

"I realized my mistakes. And they have to change for the better. So, I've been praying to the Lord that my 1992 success will happen again in 1997," she said noting that she will retire in five years unless her star continues to shining.

She is now preparing her fourth and fifth album here with PT Indo Semar Sakti, Sony's Indonesian distributor. One is in English but the other album will be the one she has hopes for. It will consist of 10 songs, all in Indonesian. It will be furnished by various strokes of ethnic and contemporary Indonesian music.

One song, Tarian Dewata (Dance of Gods), is a copy of Denpasar Moon with heavy blows of gamelan. The other songs will be filled with pinches of Sundanese strains, brushes of dangdut beats and high pitched notes and ad-libs. Both albums will hit the market next September.

Asked why she wanted to make it big for the second time in Indonesia, Maribeth confidently said, "I must maintain my image."

"I want to be classified as an Indonesian celebrity. I prefer that because here is where I am accepted the most. The people always wanted me here," she proclaimed, adding that she does not miss her home at all.

Maribeth confessed that she has a grudge against certain parties back home. "I want to prove to the people in the Philippines who never accepted me that I'll make it big outside. And once they know, they'll regret it.

"They will get their 'karma' for using me. Just let God de cide," she said after explaining an unpleasant incident in her early days.

Dry comeback

Getting up from a fall is never a simple task and Maribeth found out that Indonesia had begun to forget her.

Her reappearance at the laser-splashed Poster Cafe was filled mostly by people who were not the fans she desired. Most of them were dandy-suited people who only clapped at the end of each song. The Voice of Asia quality rushed back but it was just not enough.

She used her broken Indonesian to stimulate the mood. She forced several people to sing along with her. Some refused, some shied away. "Jangan malu (Don't be shy)," she said to a gray haired chap while she sang the 1960s oldie Stand By Me. Luckily she discovered a beautiful young lady none other than model Cut Keke for her target, which excited the crowd a little.

Pitifully, the dry audience just made her another Filipino pub singer you frequently see in Jakarta's many pubs. Maribeth only sang twelve songs, one song less than planned. Ten were Western songs you usually hear in cafes these days. She skipped Ruth Sahanaya's Bawa Daku Pergi (Carry Me Away).

Only Denpasar Moon was able to excite due to the six Balinese dancers who were too much for the tiny stage. "That's the song that made me famous," she said to the audience.

A couple in the audience gave her a bouquet and asked for an encore. But no one said a comeback would be easy. If Maribeth wants to be more than the singer of Denpasar Moon, she will need more than confidence, broken Indonesian, a remarkable voice and a pretty face.