Moving to Wordpress

Announcement:

After a year blogging in piringanhitam.blogspot.com, since April 2008 we move to piringanhitam.wordpress.com. The new update will be published only in the new blog.
Thank for your attention.

Kelik M. Nugroho
piringanhitam.wordpress.com

The Soul of Indonesia Raya

Trijaya FM, one of radio channels in Jakarta airs a programme entitled Sketsa Negeri. The first debut at 7 April 2008 is featuring speaker Hardi, painter and culture critic, with a topic about Indonesia Raya, a national anthem. Hardi said that Indonesia until now does not cultivate yet his soul, while awakening the soul is the essential message from Indonesia Raya lyric: “Bangunlah jiwanya, bangunlah raganya”.

Indonesia Raya was composed by Wage Roedolf Soepratman (1903-1938) when he was 21 years old. Born as Javanesse, WR Soepratman later study music especially violin, after getting such fund from Duetchman. Actually WR Soepratman wrote Indonesia Raya for song writing competition on 1924, as Hardi said to Trijaya quoted from Timboel magazine.

According to Wikipedia, the song Indonesia Raya was introduced by its composer at 28 October 1928 in a national youth convention in Batavia (now Jakarta). The song marked the birth of the all-archipelago nationalist movement in Indonesia. Though Indonesia Raya was chosen as the national anthem when Indonesia proclaimed its independence at 17 August 1945, but WR Soepratman was recognized by government as national hero on 1971. *

Popularizing Keroncong

Making keroncong song popular is not easy. It needs an extra effort. May be this album is such effort to make keroncong music popular by using pop singer May Sumarna and Sandra Singer. Especially May Sumarna who has mild voice and timbre, comparing to Bing Slamet who has baritone timbre.

An other experiment toward keroncong music was ever done by Djaduk G. Verianto, an avant garde composer from Yogyakarta. With his friends like Bobiet, he released a keroncong album entitled Musik KATeBE - Model - Ngetrend - which was experimental one (Gema Nada Pertiwi, 1995). They featured popular theme in writing lyric, and arranged the music eclectically -- keroncong mixed by rap, blues, and so on. But so far, this album failed to get it's popularity. Though this album is very recommended to be collected. *


Track list
Artist : Diselina, May Sumarna, Sandra Singer ect
Album : Diselina
Band : Diselina band under direction Ismet Januar
Producer : Mesra records

Side one
1. Bunga Mawar (nn) -- Sandra Singer
2. Malam Sunji (May SUmarna) -- MAy Sumarna
3. Di Suatu Sendja (Sandra Singer) -- May Sumarna
4. Stambul Djakarta (nn) -- May Sumarna

Side two
1. Lagu Untukmu (May SUmarna) --- May Sumarna
2. O Minahasa (Sandra SInger) -- Sandra Singer
3. Kerontjong Kemajoran (nn) --- Ismet
4. Pergi Ke Desa (sandra S) --- Sandra S

Museum for Long Playings, Why Not

One of Indonesia television channels ANTV airs a programme entitled Berbagi Cerita (Sharing Stories) every Saturday. On 5 April 2008, they featured some museums in Indonesia, such as Museum Kretek (Museum for Cigarettes), Museum Kereta Api (Train), even Museum Makam (Cemetery). This programme attracts viewers like me not because it's host Irfan Hakim, but because it's content is really unique and inspiring -- like Irfan Hakim tags.

But what makes me curious so far, is there a museum for recorded music? Is there museum for long playing? The record industry owned by government Lokananta once ever opened it's door for public to show their products and later become their long play collections on August 2006, but what's next? Who cares to this long play Puspa Ragam by Thung Boen Liong which was not published by Lokananta any way? I think we need a museum for recorded music, even a data base for Indonesian musicians. This blog I think is such kind of that effort. Do you support my idea? *

Europe Taste of Massada

Some Indonesian musicians are popular in Europe, but not very popular in Indonesia. Slamet Abdul Sjukur, Tonny Prabowo and Tri Sutji Kamal are mere examples from avant garde genre. While Discus is an other example from proggressive rock.

Massada is an other jazz-latin-ethnic band from Maluku, referring to Johnny Manuhutu fam. Johnny is lead vocalist for this band, and wrote some songs. The name Massada is searchable in internet, but not findable in well-known websites, such as Wikipedia, Britanica, or Indonesia commercial media.

Massada recorded in Netherland studio and released their album in long play format since 1979-ies. It is something unusual for Indonesia musicians in that time. Over all this album shows Massada's international standard for their skill and taste in music, comparing to mostly Indonesian musicians taste in eighties.

This album entitled Pusaka consists of 8 songs. The lyrics used English languages in certain songs, and ethnic language in other songs. Some songs are jazz-latin-fusion, and some other songs are folk and ethnic. It's mean that though they released long play in Netherland, Massada still promote Indonesian culture. *

Track list

Artist : Massada
Album : Pusaka
Publisher : The Company of the Two P(i)eter B.V., Hillersum, England, April/Mei 1980, for Kendari Record.
Musicians :
Johnny Manuhutu (vocal)
Eppy Manuhutu (drum)
Zeth Mastumu (percussion)
Nina Latuny (rhythm guitar)
Rudy de Qoeljoe (accoustic guitar)
Truv Leerdam (bass)
Walther Sell (keyboard, prophet 5, clarinet, fendher rhodes, minimoog
Peterr Kyl (trumpet)
Jan Stam: sax, flute

Side one:
1.Tumbu (DE Quljoe)
2.Akar Bahar (idem)
3.Discrime (Leerdam ect)
4.Feelin' Lonely (J. Manuhutu)

Side two:
1.I never had love like this before (Eppy and Johnny Manuhutu)
2.Ibu dari Adzal-ku (Mustamu)
3.Toto Buang Tomah (J. Manuhutu)
4.Sajang e (J. Manuhutu/D. Qoeljoe)

Salanti and HOS Tjokroaminoto

Some reasons to buy this Salanti Bersaudara album is because it's song Pitik Tjilik, and it's Titi Qadarsih name, beside a mysterious name HA Tjokroamanito as one of it's composers. Who is HA Tjokroaminoto? Has he close ties with Haji Omar Said Tjokroaminoto (1882-1934), influential leader in early Indonesia history, who tutored young Soekarno who-then became the first Indonesia President?

If it is true, history told an ironic story about Salanti Bersaudara, because this group did not enjoy freedom of expression especially in music. As it was well-known, that Soekarno era banned such western-like-Beatles music, so that Salanti life under that repression. While HOS Tjokroaminoto is a founding-father who promoted freedom.

According to Budi Setiyono, a journalist who managed budisetiyono.blogspot.com, Salanti group consists of Titi Qadarsih, Anny Cokro and Siti Salamah Koerniati (a.k.a. Sally Sardjan). This group grew up in the time of Bimbo, Tiga Dara Sitompul and Koes Plus. They launched the first long play album entitled Pitik Tjilik in 1965. It was likely that this group disbanded after they released the second album. By the way, Titi Qadarsih later became popular as a catwalk model and still active untill now. *

Pinoy Way to Reserve Folk Music

Every country has it's way to reserve their folks music. The way the Pinoy is different from the way of Indonesian. Look at this album entitled YBANAG, a collection of original and traditional selections from the province of Cagayan. The songs were played and sung by the Ybanag Rondalla and choir conducted by Pun T. Liban. This album consists of 14 songs, notably Cagayan march and Cagayan (provincial anthem).

This album was produced by Governor Teresa J. Dupaya on 1970, and was part of their performance thru the Dance-Drama Ybanag at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Cagayan is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region, and is located at northeastern corner of the Luzon island.

This album told us many things. First, that Pinoy folks have a deep tradition in composing music, since they have Cagayan march and provincial anthem. Wow. Second, their governor published a long playing album on early 1970, a such thing that never happened in Indonesia. May be because governors in the Philippines have their autonomy for self-reserving the traditions. While Indonesia politics in that time was under centralized government by Soeharto regime. But don't forget, that Indonesia government has his way to reserve folks music thru Lokananta, a recording industry owned by government. *

From Spain to Chick Corea

Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (born June 12, 1941) a.k.a. Chick Corea is a well-known jazz musician. I don't want to pretend to be his critic journalist. So let me talk about my experience with Chick Corea music. The first time I knew his name after watching a jazz concert in Gajah Mada University Yogyakarta on 1986. A local band played a song entitled Spain and I was amazed by that piece. From that experience, later I know that Chick Corea composed that piece.

After that, I try to enjoy his album, firstly from his best of Chick Corea. From Chick Corea music, I notice such likeable jazz despite it's sophisticated chord and skill. Until 1996, if I think about jazz, I just remember two names: Chick Corea and Al Di Meola. Meola is an other jazz musician I like so much, because of his likeable compositions.

Fortunately that when I lived in Metro Manila 1996, I got some jazz long playings including this album Leprechaun by Chick Corea (1976). According to Wikipedia, this album was recorded during Corea's time with his jazz fusion group Return to Forever. Though the album is more jazz oriented than anything Return to Forever had produced up to that time, the fusion edge still rings through quite clearly. *

Track list

1. Imp's Welcome
2. Lenore
3.Reverie
4. Looking at the World (Lyrics: Neville Potter)
5. Nite Sprite
6. Soft and Gentle (Moran)
7. Pixiland Rag
8. Leprechaun's Dream Part 1
9.Leprechaun's Dream Part 2
*

Never Give Up Mus Mujiono

Mus Mujiono (48) is a composer, musician and singer. As musician, this man from Surabaya is a multi-instrumentalist and very well-known as guitarist. His mouth can imitate the sounds of guitar while playing guitar. Exercised with this skill (scating), some people called Mus Mujiono as Indonesia George Benson (Read also Wikipedia Indonesia).

His career as artist began when he joined a pop band De Hands. After disbanded, Mus Mujiono goes his solo career, beside join some temporary band such as Jakarta Power Band, Funk Section (1995), Canizzaro (2004), and A-Dhu band (2008).

If we trace back to his old works with De Hands, like some songs from long playing album Hallo Sayang (Hello Darling), we see that Mus Mujiono always made progress from time to time. He moved from very pop music like Halo Sayang song to more progressive like Tanda-tandanya and jazzy like Arti Kehidupan. And this song Arti Kehidupan is likely his signature song. *

Batak's Lullaby

Some Batak people have a contribution to the development of Indonesia music from the very beginning. Batak is one of Indonesia's ethnics, and Sitompul is one of it's fam names. This album by Tiga Dara Sitompul entitled Riang is one of it's evidence. This trio vocalists consists of Rika, Nessy and Mona. A Composer P. Sitompul was supposed to have a close ties with this trio vocalist.

Some songs from this album such as Riang, Historia D'un Amor, and Tidurlah Bujung are likely to be appreciated. The arrangement for vocal by this trio is undeniable very superb. This is their strongness, beside it's likeable songs. Arrangement by prominent pianist Bubi Chen is an other magic. Tidurlah Bujung (Sleep my baby) is likely to be appreciated, because lullaby song is something important in daily life for every human in this global village. *


Discography:

Artist : Tiga Dara Sitompul
Band : Bubi Chen
Album : Riang
Composers : P. Sitompul, Titik Puspa, Faried.
Producer : Irama
Liner note : Sjaiful Nawas

*