Rock legends make comeback for tsunami victims
Rock legends make comeback for tsunami victims
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Several rock legends have recorded new material for an album that
will be sold to raise funds for the survivors of the tsunami in
Aceh.
Singer Ahmad Albar and guitarist Ian Antono from veteran prog-
rock outfit God Bless, Eki Lamoh, the vocalist of heavy metal
group EdanE, singer-guitarist Mus Mujiono and female rockers Ita
Purnamasari and Mel Shandy recently went into a studio and
recorded 12 songs for the album Kedamaian (Peace), which was
released on Tuesday.
Albar said the album was an effort on the part of the
musicians to assist the people in Aceh.
"This is the least we can do to help the tsunami victims. I
hope it will have some meaning," he said during the album's
launch at the Hard Rock Cafe Jakarta.
Albar's band, the now-defunct God Bless, was one of the
country's biggest rock acts in its day. The band, a cross between
Van Halen, Yes and Genesis, made its name with hits like Huma di
Atas Bukit (House on the Hill) and Semut Semut Hitam (Black
Ants). Antono helped shape the band's sound with his histrionic
guitar playing.
The producer of Kedamaian, Reynold S. of 803FR production,
said a portion of the album's sales would be donated to tsunami
survivors in Aceh.
He said the album was sure to be a hit with music fans eager
to hear new material from these rock legends. "They are more
mature musicians and that is an added value."
Released by Warner Music Indonesia, the album is packed with
middle-of-the-road rock songs and a couple of harder rocking
tunes that stand out in a market saturated with three-chord rock
songs with squeaky clean production.
The songs composed by Antono, soulful rock ballads backed by
impressive guitar work, are among the highlights of the album.
The opening track, Adakah Kedamaian (Will There Be Peace),
captures the anguish felt by disaster victims with its wailing
guitar line and weeping piano.
The second track, Gelombang Tsunami (Tsunami Wave), also
composed by Antono, features an angelic choir that will give you
goose bumps.
Lyricist Nugroho Suksmanto penned all the lyrics for the
album, which were later given to individual artist to work with.
Although the tsunami provided the impetus for the album, Nugroho
explored other issues such as corruption, environmental
degradation and terrorism.
The performers were then given the freedom to interpret the
lyrics, consisting mostly of pompous and sloganistic statements.
If not for the superb arrangements by Antono, the album could
simply fall into the category of muzak in the accompaniment of a
public service announcement.