The musical journey of The Stage Bus
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)