Lia learns to sing Javanese songs

JAKARTA: Beside playing the role as Rano Karno's girlfriend, Sarah, in the seventh installment of Si Doel Anak Sekolahan TV series, Cornelia Agatha has been busy sharpening her singing skill in tembang (Javanese ethnic songs).

In her newest venture with S. Kardjono's Gitawrta Saijah dan Adinda (Dance and song Saijah and Adinda), the 29-year-old has to explore the Javanese pentatonic scale.

"My mother comes from Solo (Surakarta, Central Java), and she loves to listen to Javanese songs, so I am familiar with the songs. I just can't speak the language, that's all," Lia, as she is usually called, said.

Trained by Kardjono himself, Lia said that she had no trouble singing tembang, especially as she doesn't have to sing in Javanese.

"It's easier for me because I've been given the part of a Dutch person, so my singing will be Indonesian with a Dutch accent. And the song isn't one with such complicated tones," she said. The she sang a short extract of a tembang.

Saijah dan Adinda will open on Sept. 24, 2002, at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta.--JP

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India.Arie sees power of music

LOS ANGELES: India.Arie, the neo-soul singer nominated for seven Grammy Awards earlier this year, said the response of audiences after Sept. 11 reinforced her belief in the power of music.

"I always felt that music had this special power, but it was mostly a theory -- until I started seeing it for myself," said Arie, 26. "There's a connection that you can feel on stage and in talking to people about music -- and that's especially true after Sept. 11."

Arie, who takes her inspiration from singer-songwriters like Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Bill Withers, said she channeled her post-Sept. 11 feelings into Voyage to India, a new album with a strong spiritual edge.--AP