'Kantata Samsara': The music of Power

'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.