The musical journey of The Stage Bus
JAKARTA (JP): Soul music was suspended in air as the evening's lingering afterthought and jazz never seemed so eminently unforgettable. Luluk Purwanto and the Helsdingen Trio made one thing clear -- impassioned suggestions of the jazz note could not condone the much-hyped conjecture of faring well as musical exhibitionists with a ubiquitous bus. Musical epicureanism was the elixir to soul-stirring music more than seemingly penitential fervor.
The performance had soulful depth, but the bus garnered most of the publicity. Part stage and part transport, the glamorized packaging of The Stage Bus comes complete with a grand piano, drum set and a sound system with 16 canal mixers. Touring in cities of Europe, Australia and Asia, the troop came down to entertain Indonesian jazz music buffs with exceedingly rare live jazz concerts. Beginning the Java-Bali tour on July 25, 1997, The Stage Bus will stop at major cities and end the tour on Sep. 15.
A new image is donned to counterbalance economic indulgence in the influential business tumult -- a nonprofitable cause to support the nascent modernized artistic culture in Indonesia.
The 30 concerts to be held are in collaboration with local universities, music schools and hotels through cities of Java and Bali.
The Stage Bus signifies an intriguing concept -- the work of art tours places to entertain different nations. The object of art is brought to the eye of the public rather than the usual way round.
The multipurpose bus also holds exhibitions to introduce local artists' works, using the initial concept of supporting the artistic culture.
Before the Stage Bus earned its justified name, the 12-meter long public bus ordinarily rode on streets of Dordrecht, Holland. Dutch visual artist Aart Marcus made the transformation with help from the Indonesian-based show agency called The Stage, which once had an office at Ratu Plaza, Jakarta.
The modifications made were characteristic of the sofa-into- bed concept. One side of the bus was cut and modified to enable opening and lowering it to the ground, forming a stage which could be lifted back up and closed. Walls of 16 mixer canals were installed complete with an audiovisual system.
The stage itself is covered by thick canvass material secured by a wire and cable nexus. The top of the bus features a second stage for painting exhibitions. Ordinarily, it takes 30 minutes to pack up and leave for the next town.
The Stage Bus has been the delight of 350 cultural festivals in European and Australian cities. In the year 1994-1995, violinist Luluk Purwanto and pianist Rene van Helsdingen orchestrated the quartet through international blues and jazz festivals -- in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Poland, England and Italy -- including the Bergen Festival, with its official opening by Norwegian King Harold V.
In late 1996, The Stage Bus headed for Australia by ship to commence the tour following 25 concerts. In the pipeline, was the trip to Indonesia.
Violinist Luluk Purwanto studied music at the Sydney Conservatory and Indonesian Art Institute in Yogyakarta. In recent years, she has played alongside her Indonesian-born Dutch husband Rene van Helsdingen for a jazz group. Australian bassist of Jak-Jazz-fame Belinda Moody and Dutch drummer Victor de Boo complete the team.
Authenticity is the buzz word, and with the bus-cum-musical- stage formula paying off, their music is sure to gain considerable momentum. (02)