Jakarta not cut out to host int’l artists, say experts, fans

Hasyim Widhiarto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 11/17/2009 10:48 AM

Twenty-five-year-old Girindra Pradana, a resident of Pejaten, South Jakarta, says attending music concerts in Jakarta is a bittersweet choice for him.

“Most of the concerts, especially those presenting famous foreign artists, are packed into venues that are too small, creating uncomfortable acoustic and viewing experiences for some members of the audience, including me,” Girindra, who runs an events agency, said.

But, that was not the only problem, he said.

“Before and after shows you can almost guarantee, if you are a motorist like me, you will have to spend a long time dealing with cars because often at concert venues there are not enough parking spaces.”

Finding that watching concerts in Jakarta was often stressful, Girindra said he preferred to save up and fly to Singapore if there were any top international bands or favorite artists performing there.

“Even though it is a bit expensive, at least I don’t need to worry about the quality of the show or getting to the venue,” he said.

In recent years, Jakarta has been attempting to position itself as the creative industry hub of the Southeast Asia region, by holding dozens of music festivals such as the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival, Java Rocking Land, JakJazz and Jakarta International Blues Festival.

Earlier this month, at the opening of the blues festival, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said he hoped to see Jakarta become “the city of music festivals.”

Experts, however, say the governor’s vision will be impossible to achieve if his administration does not place more concern into improving infrastructure for the music industry in Jakarta.

Music industry observer Denny Sakrie, for example, said the administration should build a new venue that could accommodate an international-scale music concert.

“At present, most music concerts are held in venues that were not designed for music,” said Denny, citing the Jakarta Convention Center’s Plenary Hall and Senayan Indoor Stadium in Central Jakarta.

“Instead of allowing investors to build more shopping malls, why doesn’t the administration allocate some city spaces and budget to build a representative concert hall?”

The establishment of a world-class music concert hall would be a good investment for the city since it would attract international artists and concertgoers to Jakarta, University of Indonesia urban economics expert Sonny Harry Harmadi says.

“It will be a strong icon to show Jakarta to the world,” he said.

The idea to develop the city into an arts and cultural center is not a new concept.

Singapore, for example, has gone a few steps further by establishing its Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, which features a 1,600-seat concert hall and a 2,000-seat theater, aiming to be a leading center for performing arts in Southeast Asia.

The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Singapore (Photo: Mori Hidetaka)

Hong Kong also plans to build a 40-hectare integrated arts, cultural, entertainment and commercial area in the city.

Responding the call from residents and experts to build a more representative concert hall, Deputy Governor Prijanto said while he welcomed the idea the city administration currently had to prioritize budget and resources for more important programs, such as flooding mitigation and the improvement of road infrastructure.