'Kantata Samsara': The music of Power

By Franki Raden

JAKARTA (JP): When hard rock and underground music in the West brought about social reformation movements in the 1960s, Indonesian youngsters reacted spontaneously. Local musicians had yet to place rock music in a social context, but soon after they flourished in a wave of reformation.

The new social phenomenon was reflected in the emergence of local rock groups, who were dominated by urban youths that had adopted the lifestyle of the flower-power generation in the West.

Indonesian rock music has few roots in this country, and the groups only played the songs of the Rolling Stones, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Yess, Emerson Lake and Palmer, etc.

This demoted their position to that of interpreter instead of composer. When that generation of rock groups passed its zenith at the end of the 70s, Indonesian rock groups lost their cultural orientation. The recording industry started to boom, offering local musicians opportunities in the industry.

However, the groups were not trained to create original music and many felt uncomfortable composing their own songs.

The Indonesian market at the time was swamped with pop cengeng (syrupy love songs) and mainstream pop, making it harder for rock musicians to establish their identity or build a domestic following. The change in situation meant an end to many of the rock groups of the 60s and 70s, many of whom tried to meet market demands by releasing pop albums.

In the 1980s, no meaningful rock music was heard on the Indonesian music scene. One of the groups of the 70s which survived at the time was God Bless (now known as Gong 2000) led by Ahmad Albar (vocalist), Ian Antono (guitarist), Harry Angoman (keyboardist), Yaya (drummer) and Donny Fatah (bassist).

But the group no longer existed as part of a sociocultural reform movement. Their roles were reduced to a regular band whose fate depended on market demand -- which continues to be dominated by pop music. Not surprisingly, Gong 2000 met an unproductive fate in the end.

It was under these conditions that Kantata sprung to life in 1990.

So why is the group so important? Kantata is a multimedia rock group made up of high-profile members. They are Setiawan Djodi, a businessman, painter, guitarist, vocalist and composer; W.S. Rendra, a famous Indonesian poet; Iwan Fals, a singer, composer and artist, who, besides having a following of millions, is also an artist; Sawung Jabo, a cellist, guitarist, composer, actor and playwright; drummer Inisisri, an innovative percussionist; and Joki S. Prayogo, a keyboard player and senior arranger in the world of domestic rock music.

Kantata has the support of keynote musicians like Donny Fatah (bassist of Gong 2000), Totok Tewel, a talented guitarist, and Doddy, a powerful vocalist.

Of interest at every performance of Kantata is the support they enjoy from popular religious leader K.H. Zainuddin M.Z., who always shows up as a spiritual guide.

Aside from K.H. Zainuddin M.Z.'s support, Kantata is also backed up by intellectual Moslems like Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), Nurcholis Majid and Nur Zainur Mohammad.

Powerful patronage has allowed Kantata to take on social problems and larger global themes, as heard on their new album, Kantata Samsara.

Setiawan Djodi, W.S. Rendra, Iwan Fals and Sawung Jabo each contribute songs, while a number of songs are the result of collaborations. Much of the material deals with issues of life, justice, hypocrisy, marginalization, love, ecology, democracy, and mystery.

Aided by Joki's talent for arrangement as well as the powerful abilities of each member, Kantata Samsara has become an attractive album. Apart from the rich themes, the group takes on a variety of genres, from Lagu Buat Penyaksi and Anak Zaman, which are simple and touching, to Samsara, which is monumental as an orchestral composition.

Then there are Bunga Matahari, Nyanyian Preman, Pangeran Brengsek, Asmaragama and Langgam Lawu, a light and easily digestible piece. The vocal piece Langgam Lawu comes out in pentatonic tone which is rich in local color. This is reflected in the lyrics, which reveal the mystery of Mount Lawu in East Java.

Through Kantata's newest album, rock music has found a footing in Indonesia as a medium of progressive expression rooted in societal problems. They just might have the power to reconstruct the Indonesian rock scene.