Harvey helps U.S. singer reach the shore

By Achmad Nurhoeri

JAKARTA (JP): Man is no island. We all need assistance to reach our shores to survive. Definitely, this also applies to the entertainment business which is too well-known as a place with numerous pitfalls. Singer Harvey Malaiholo proved that the act of helping fellow entertainers still exists in the limelight world.

It seemed like business as usual at Jakarta's Planet Hollywood Restaurant last Wednesday night. Dandy people in chic fashion, expatriates with impeccable business suits, young couples with dazed looks. Some were drinking the restaurant's various collection of movie-named cocktails. Some were eating delicacies of Sly's kitchen. No big crowd. Even the bar section offered plenty of vacant seats.

A lot of visitors did not know that Indonesia's most celebrated male singer Harvey would be the night's guest star. Most had no idea about the debut appearance of an American singer named Tricia Tahara, who was said to be going to release an album with maestro Herbie Hancock next September. On that very night, Planet Hollywood was launching their new program called WOW (What's on Wednesday).

"I did not come here because of the singers. I even haven't heard of Tricia Tahara before," said African-American Steve Wilson, whose table was just a step away from the stage.

So, what was on that particular Wednesday evening? A show with help in the air. Harvey, who opened the night with a repertoire of Western pop songs, actually was helping Tahara in dealing with elite Jakartans who are sometimes very reserved when it comes to applauding.

"Entertainers should help one another. When I was in Malaysia, I was helped by Sheila Madjid," said Harvey, the winner of numerous singing festival awards home and abroad, referring to the popular Malaysian female singer who has made a name for herself in Indonesia.

Harvey did not sing any of his own songs, although earlier this month he held his first solo concert in almost 20 years. "I saw that most of the audience was foreigners. They weren't my fans, so I decided to sing songs familiar to them," quipped Harvey, the Ambonese singer who chose singing over finishing his studies at the prestigious University of Indonesia.

Unfortunately, if you don't know Harvey maybe you would have considered him just another praiseworthy pub singer that night. He sang eight evergreen songs, like Sinatra's My Way and New York, with his usual strong and exquisite voice -- something you could get at a few abundant Jakarta nightspots. And he sang Happy Birthday to a visitor who was celebrating her day by dining with friends -- something you rarely find at any primo-singer concert.

Harvey then presented the supposed-to-be popular singer to the laid-back audience. No hurrahs. No warm welcome. Harvey and Tahara started their show with a song that was especially created for duos, Somewhere Out There. It was a rather terrific gig. They both displayed their vocal talent to the limit and cuddled each other, making the soundtrack of Spielberg's American Tail come alive.

"They did OK. She's good," said customer Steve Wilson at a front table.

But after the second song, Harvey disappeared leaving the stage entirely to Tahara, like openers frequently do at main shows.

"It was not just an opening act. I don't feel there was a No. 2 on stage," said Harvey. "I was introducing Tahara to the audience. You know, opening night is always difficult."

Tahara was hired by Planet Hollywood to perform for about three months. A long time for someone who is supposed to be releasing an album in less than three months.

After Harvey left, Tahara presented an assorted repertoire more colorful than a bowl of jelly beans. She started with Whitney Houston's Saving All My Love showing a strain of gospel grace. But surprisingly as the show went on, she hopped from a hit from the disco-divas Ace of Base, I Saw The Sign to a Police classic Every Breath You Take. No specialization whatsoever. By the end of her performance, more than half of the audience had gone home.

Without a doubt, even though help still exists on stage, giving someone a free ride is too much to ask for. No one can sincerely try to help another without helping themselves.

For Harvey, he could take something home from the performance. "Indonesian singers have a hard time finding work. Most big stages hire foreigners," he said. "This is why we are behind them in the matter of entertainment skills. Indonesian singers need more places to become complete entertainers."

As a matter of fact, that has been Planet Hollywood's plan from the beginning. The What's-On-Wednesday setup was designed for high-quality, local artists -- a rare display for a place big on American pizazz. So, homemade artists can at last become masters of the stage while also babysitting pub-quality foreign singers to get used to a Jakarta audience.

"We are committed to presenting local singers," said Planet's public relations officer Fiona Mambu.

Helping someone get their boat across doesn't appear to be too bad after all, especially when you know how to make the most of it and make your own boat reach the shore as well.