JakJazz needs govt, private sector support

JakJazz needs govt, private sector support

JAKARTA (JP): The A Mild JakJazz festival '96, dubbed the
country's biggest musical event, was held last weekend.

Thirty-six local jazz bands and seven foreign groups performed
this year. The festival had fewer jazz stars than last year, but
the organizers managed to bring in big names such as Japanese
saxophonist Sadao Watanabe, American guitarist Mike Stern and the
Mezzoforte group from Iceland.

Watanabe is indisputably a big name and a favorite of
Indonesian jazz lovers, and Mezzoforte earned a place in the
hearts of Indonesian jazz lovers in past performances.

Other foreign participants were American saxophonist Eric
Marienthal, ethno-jazz group Itslyf with musicians from Austria
and America, multinational female group Inside Out, and the
Latin-style group Los Caballeros.

For the first time in JakJazz history, campus musicians took
part in the festival. There were eight campus groups from
Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya.

Jamz Matra Big Band, which groups Indonesia's best jazz
musicians like Bill Saragih, Benny Likumahuwa (leader), Embong
Rahardjo and Oele Pattiselano, had the honor of opening the
festival.

But the stars of the festival were the Mike Stern trio and
Sadao Watanabe who enthralled more than 1,000 spectators at the
main stage with high-speed jazz action.

However, this year's festival, which cost about Rp 1.5 billion
to stage, failed to attract a larger audience than last years'.

A lack of preparation and promotional efforts, inadequate
funds, and rain on the first two days of the three-day Jakarta
International Jazz Festival made for low attendance and left an
audience of only true jazz aficionados.

Minister/State Secretary Minister Moerdiono, who sang a
modified version of the Indonesian pop song Bujangan (Bachelor)
with the Jamz Matra Big Band during the opening of the festival,
proudly or cynically commented, "This festival was prepared by
the committee in only 26 days. Only Indonesians can prepare an
international festival within such a short time."

The JakJazz festival, founded by local jazz musician Ireng
Maulana, was first held in 1988 in Ancol, North Jakarta. The
second festival in 1991 was also held in Ancol. It became an
annual event in 1993 and thereafter was held at the Senayan
parking lot, Central Jakarta.

This year, however, it was held at the Soemantri Brodjonegoro
Youth Center after the committee signed a sponsorship agreement
with the Bakrie group, which manages the center.

The Bakrie group has agreed to co-sponsor JakJazz for the next
five years with the festival's longtime sponsor Sampoerna
cigarette company. This would spare the organizer of festival the
financial difficulties it has always faced. Last year, the
government helped finance the festival but in return the JakJazz
committee had to change the festival's name to Red-White JakJazz
in conjunction with Indonesia's golden independence anniversary.

Despite all the shortcomings, the organizer of the festival
deserves praise for its dedication and untiring effort in
presenting delightful yet serious entertainment.

The government, the private sector and the music industry must
support the JakJazz organizer if we are to have a more
professional festival in coming years. (jsk/raw).