Jazz, struggles to survive
Jazz, struggles to survive
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
More often than not, the American legacy in this country is
perceived negatively; it is invariably associated with
capitalism.
However, there is one legacy that has remained and needs to be
nurtured: Jazz.
According to www.wartajazz.com, in its interview with Sudibyo
Pr., an architect and jazz aficionado, the history of jazz in
Indonesia dates back to 1922, when Dutch colonialists brought
jazz records here.
There was also a Dutch saxophone player who came to this
country after staying for a long time in the United States, and
formed a jazz band here with his fellow Dutchmen.
In that early period of jazz here, the music was played mostly
by Dutch Indonesians, with very few locals tuned into it.
Although reports stated that the first Indonesian jazz musician
was an Acehnese.
Aside from the Dutch, sources said that the jazz waves were
also brought in by Filipino musicians who came to Jakarta from
1925 to 1927. Some of their descendants even still live in
Bandung, according to Sudibyo, namely Benny Pablo, Benny Corda
and Sambayong, among others.
Jazz in the early years here was centered in Jakarta; Bandung
and Bogor in West Java; Surabaya in East Java and Makassar in
South Sulawesi. The music at that time was more of an
entertainment, rather than an art form as it is perceived today.
Jazz musicians comprised of military officers, as musical
instruments were still rare, who played for the Dutch and upper-
class Indonesians.
A little note on the lack of instruments, only jazz bands at
that time used drums because they were expensive. Therefore,
drums were equated with jazz and people called a band a "jazz
band" when it had a set of drums.
The first Indonesian jazz bands probably comprised of army
cadets living in Yogyakarta circa 1948. Some of them then moved
to Jakarta, and played Hawaiian pop and then later on light jazz
like Manhattan Transfer.
The musicians who rose in popularity at that time were Boetje
Pesolima, Doddy Hughes, Dick Van Der Capellen and Tjok Sin Soe.
There was also Sigar Lucky Brothers, who moved to California for
better prospects, pianist Nick Mamahit, Iskandar (father of
singer Diah Iskandar) and Etto Lattumeten who established a band
called Dixieland.
At the end of the 1940s, there was an excellent pianist
Marihut Hutabarat referred to as the Indonesian George Shearing,
who died young in an accident.
Afterward there was the generation of Paul Hutabarat, Eddie
Gatot, Bill Saragih and also Bing Slamet.
Bing Slamet, who took his first name from his idol Bing
Crosby, was better known as a comedian. But he actually was an
excellent jazz vocalist and guitarist.
And then, of course, there were the late Jack Lesmana and
(still going strong) Bubi Chen. After his first performance at
the Berlin Jazz Festival in 1967, Bubi was highly praised and
even called by Downbeat magazine as "The best in Asia" and even
"One of the best in the world."
Jazz continued to develop in Indonesia, albeit slowly.
The 1980s was probably the last decade when jazz reigned
supreme in this country, with jazz bands like Karimata, and
Krakatau (albeit more fusion), with jazz vocalists like Ermy
Kulit and Rien Djamain excelling in the Top 40 charts.
It has not been a pretty picture since then, with jazz
remaining a very segmented genre.
Jack's son Indra Lesmana, who was hailed as a jazz whiz-kid,
even had (and still has) to stray into pop to survive, and so do
other musicians.
Pianist Chandra Darusman of Karimata became an activist for
intellectual property rights, while Krakatau has veered heavily
into ethnic music nowadays.
Jazz events like Jak Jazz went kaput, while Jazz Goes To
Campus, the biggest and the longest running jazz festival, became
stagnant.
Sudibyo said that the lack of appreciation for jazz is natural
as even in the United States, jazz was abandoned in its early
days. Besides, jazz is not that easy to digest, which is a bit
ironic because back in the 1930s, jazz was an easy listening
music and easy to dance to.
After the 1960s, however, it got more and more complicated so
that young people were reluctant to listen to it.
Despite the limited audience and slow regeneration, however,
jazz in this country continues to survive. Indra Lesmana still
manages to produce jazz albums with his band Reborn, for
instance, as well as noted musician Tjut Njak Deviana Daudsjah
who with her music school Institut Musik Daya, strived to produce
jazz musicians.
There are also young names like Nial Djuliarso or light jazz
band Sova, as well as young vocalist Andien.
Once a year, jazz aficionados can gather at the Jazz Goes To
Campus (this year it will hit its 28th year), despite its
shortcomings.
Early this year, the Java Jazz festival was held, comprising
more than a dozen foreign and local musicians and attracted a
huge crowd. Hopefully, this is a sign of a better future and
appreciation for the local jazz scene.