On Java Jazz

On Java Jazz

Your article of March 9 and John Holdaway did agree on one
main issue. The Jakarta Post: "The most heartening of all
developments was the presence of numerous jazz groups comprising
of young musicians who turned in impressive performances." John
Holdaway: "The best 'jazz' I saw at the festival was from two
groups of young whippersnappers from right here in
Jakarta."

The two bands Jaktones and Tomorrow People Ensemble, being
mentioned as examples of the bright future ahead, are made up of
students from the Institut Musik Daya, a jazz and contemporary
music academy founded by Tjut Nyak Deviana Daudsjah in 2001 when
she returned to Indonesia after 25 years abroad in Germany to
bring up a new generation of studied musicians. The lack of music
education in the past is now being slowly reversed. Institut
Musik Daya was described as a rare music school in an article
that appeared in the Post on Jan. 16.

DOROTHY POON, Jakarta