Saudi music festival spotlights pre-Islamic heritage

Yahoo – AFP, Anuj Chopra, 20 January 2019

The Qasr al-Farid tomb (The Lonely Castle) carved into rose-coloured sandstone in
Madain Saleh, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Saudi Arabia's Al-Ula governorate

Bathed in light, musicians belt out melodies among pre-Islamic desert ruins in northwestern Saudi Arabia, a heritage trove at the centre of efforts to put the reclusive kingdom on the tourism map.

Hosted by the Al-Ula governorate -- where Nabatean tombs and art are chiseled into caramel-hued rock -- "Winter at Tantora" is the latest music carnival in the Islamic kingdom, where such events were unheard of just two years ago.

Spread over eight weekends until February 9, the main events are hosted in an auditorium made of mirrored glass that has drawn international artists, from Lebanese singer Majida El Roumi to French classical violinist Renaud Capucon.

And it shines a spotlight on a long-isolated area seen widely as an open-air museum.

"Saudi Arabia is turning a new page," said Zainab al-Kadadi, a Riyadh-based banker.

The 29-year-old attended a musical weekend that also included sand dune bashing -- an adventure sport that involves driving across challenging desert landscapes -- and a tour of an Ottoman-era train station.

The new purpose-built Maraya (Arabic for "Mirror") concert hall hosting the first 

"Winter at Tantora" music carnival among the UNESCO World Heritage listed ruins

The festival is seen as a soft opening of Al-Ula, an area roughly the size of Belgium that is being touted as the centrepiece of Saudi attractions, as the conservative petro-state prepares to open up to international tourists.

Building a tourism industry from scratch is at the heart of a government plan to prepare the Arab world's biggest economy for a post-oil era, an ambition fraught with challenges.

The austere kingdom, which forbids alcohol and has a strict social code, is already seen by many as a hard sell for tourists.

Recent events that drew international censure -- notably the gruesome murder last year of critic Jamal Khashoggi and a sweeping crackdown on dissent -- appear to have made the challenge more acute.

"Saudi has great tourism potential, but after what happened it's hard to come here and say 'Everything is wow, everything is amazing'," said a Westerner who was among a group of global social media influencers invited by the kingdom for an all-expenses-paid trip to Al-Ula.

"When I went to collect my (Saudi) visa, my friends joked: 'Hope you return alive!'."

The October 2 murder of Khashoggi, whose body was dismembered by a team of Saudi agents inside the kingdom's Istanbul consulate, triggered global outrage.

French solo violinist Renaud Capucon performs with pianists during the music carnival

Kingdom of 'fun'

If Al-Ula were in another country, it would be an easier sell, others in the group suggested.

"The biggest obstacle is stereotypes," said Kyle Mijlof, a 30-year-old travel photographer from Cape Town.

A liberalisation drive by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, has brought new cinemas, concerts and sporting extravaganzas.

While it is yet to offer tourist visas, the country fast-tracked electronic permits for visitors to attend the festival.

The kingdom organised a similar process in December for a motor sports event in Riyadh, where performances by artists like Enrique Iglesias and David Guetta -- and thumping after-parties -- were on offer.

"We live in a Saudi Arabia where by day children may be told that music is forbidden but by night they are taken to music concerts," said a Saudi artist, highlighting a social dichotomy.

A liberalisation drive by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has brought new

cinemas, concerts and sporting extravaganzas

In a country where two-thirds of the population is under 30, amping up entertainment that allows citizens to have fun aims ostensibly to blunt public frustration over an economic downturn and soaring youth unemployment.

"MBS may have borrowed from the playbook of the ancient Roman empire, which hoped 'panem et circenses' –- bread and games -– would be enough to make citizens acquiescent," said Cinzia Bianco, a Middle East analyst at Gulf State Analytics.

"The belief is that if they are engrossed in worries about making money and having fun, they will have no interest in politics and dissent."

'Changing the narrative'

Preparations for the Al-Ula festival "accelerated" after the Khashoggi crisis erupted, as authorities have been keen to turn the page on his murder, a Western consultant close to the organisers told AFP on condition of anonymity.

An official close to the organisers denied that it was a diversionary tactic, saying planning for the festival was in the works well before the murder.

A tourist looks at a formation known as "Elephant rock"

Saudi Arabia is seeking to preserve heritage sites that predate Prophet Mohammed's life in the seventh century.

The sites have long been neglected or vandalised, because glorifying them is considered blasphemous by religious conservatives.

Indonesia's World-Class Pianist ... at 14

Jakarta Globe, Katrin Figge, January 15, 2013

Janice Carissa Kurniawan, 14, started playing the piano as a child and has
 since performed around the world. She plays her first recital in Indonesia
tonight. (Photo courtesy of Sienny Debora)

   

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• Practice Makes Perfect for Surabaya’s Piano Prodigy

At first sight, Janice Carissa Kurniawan looks like a regular teenager: the bubbly, charming 14-year-old is a 9th grade scholarship student at Cita Hati Christian Junior High School in Surabaya. She likes to hang out with her friends at a mall on the weekends, hoping to catch a movie.

But as soon as her fingers touch the keys of a piano, Janice drifts off into another world — the world of music.

She has spent two hours every day playing the piano for as long as she can remember. On some days — especially prior to a concert — she practices up to eight or nine hours. Janice has already performed at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York, and will have her first solo piano recital in Indonesia at Soehanna Hall in South Jakarta tonight at 7:30 p.m., organized by the Jaya Suprana School of Performing Arts.

Janice’s mother Sienny Debora, the founder of music school Studio Musik Sienny and a piano teacher for 36 years, realized very early that her daughter had a special gift.

“When she was only 4 years old, she could already follow the melody of very complex pieces that even my advanced students had trouble with,” she recalled.

Janice’s musical talent was certainly harnessed by growing up in a musical family — not only does her mother play, but so does her older brother Ryan and her aunt Ivon Maria, who also serves as a mentor to her.

At first, Janice also played the drums and other percussion instruments, but in the end, the piano won her over.

“Before I actually learned to play and knew how to read notes, I always ran to the piano and hit the keys,” Janice said in flawless English. “That always made me happy.”

When she was 8 years old, she won the IBLA International Piano Competition in Jakarta. It was then that Janice realized she wanted to become a professional pianist and stopped regarding music as a mere pastime. Instead she looked at it as something that could be her calling.

“I realized that this is what I was meant to live for,” she said.

As the winner of the competition, she was invited to travel to the United States and play a month-long tour, which took her to Carnegie Hall, Radford University in Virginia and other venues in Minnesota and Arkansas. It was a journey she still remembers fondly today.

“There was this dinner, and I was sitting next to Mark Stodola [the mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas], but I didn’t realize it was him, so I only had eyes for the food,” Janice said. “And when he told me who he was, I was embarrassed. But hey, I was only 8 years old, so I hope that’s OK as an excuse.”

After returning from America, Janice thrived during her piano lessons. More concerts followed — most notably a tour in Italy in 2008, and in Poland in 2011 and 2012.

Two years ago, she was invited to the Presidential Palace in Bogor to perform for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his ministers. In the same year, she also performed a duet with her brother at the Sydney Opera House.

In 2010, the siblings also entered the first edition of the Trans TV reality show “Indonesia Mencari Bakat” (“Indonesia’s Got Talent”) together. Janice also had the chance to take master classes with renowned pianists from all over the world.

“It’s a great opportunity, because I get to learn something new each time,” Janice said.

Janice has been inducted into the Indonesian Record Museum (MURI) five times already for her efforts on the piano.

Even though she is still very young — or maybe because of that — Janice has never suffered from stage fright. She also isn’t nervous about her recital tonight.

“Whenever I see a concert hall full of people, I get this feeling that I need to get out there and play,” she said. “So, I am excited, but in a good way.”

She has chosen pieces from Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Nikolai Kapustin, Carl Vine and Jaya Suprana for her debut — a colorful mix of classical music from baroque to contemporary.

When asked who her favorite composer is, Janice had to think hard about an answer.

“I love all the composers, they all have something unique to them,” she said. “But I think I like Franz Liszt the most. Whenever I play his pieces, I can feel in my soul what he was trying to say through his music.”

Janice knows that constant practice is the key to a successful career in music.

“If I take a break for only one day, my hands will feel different the next time I sit at the piano,” she said. “It’s already a little bit messy.”

Looking ahead, Janice doesn’t know yet where her path will take her once she has graduated from high school.

“It’s three more years, and I should decide what to do next soon,” she said earnestly. “Three years sounds like a long time, but in reality, time flies.”

While she still wants to be able to travel and perform all over the world, Janice thinks that she will always keep her base in Indonesia.

“It’s my country, and I love it,” she said. “This is my home. And there are so many young and talented kids who are now interested in classical music, who haven’t been discovered yet. But maybe I will study in Europe or the US first. I am still trying to find the perfect school.”

Her mother supports Janice and shares the same dreams with the young girl: seeing her perform in great concert halls in front of enthusiastic audiences. But if, for whatever reason, Janice should change her mind about becoming a pianist, Sienny said that she wouldn’t mind either.

“So far, she has never once said that she was bored with the piano,” Sienny explained. “But if she was, that would be fine with me too. I want her to follow her heart and do what’s best for her.”

While the majority of her life is focused on the piano, Janice also allows herself some time outside of the music world to explore her other passions.

“I am interested in photography, I love to take pictures,” she said, but added that nothing could ever replace her love for the piano. “It’s the biggest part of my life, and I could never let that go.”

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More of human DNA is active than was thought

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"The Quantum Factor" – Apr 10, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Galaxies, Universe, Intelligent design, Benevolent design, Aliens, Nikola Tesla (Quantum energy), Inter-Planetary Travel, DNA, Genes, Stem Cells, Cells, Rejuvenation, Shift of Human Consciousness, Spontaneous Remission, Religion, Dictators, Africa, China, Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Animals, Global Unity.. etc.) - (Text Version)

"..... DNA - A Quantum Force 

Now we get to the core truth, don't we? So I will tell you. The ninety percent of DNA which is quantum, is filled with information, both esoteric and timeless. It is a quantum blueprint for everything you are and have been since you arrived on the planet the first time. DNA contains instruction sets for your life; everything from your full Akashic Record - every single lifetime you have had - to the benevolent creator's fingerprint within the seeds of creation itself. Every single talent you ever had is there, even if you don't have any of those today... the record is there. Every predisposition of weakness and strength are there. Biologically, every single instruction to every single stem cell is there. . ..."

"..... DNA is a Dynamic Molecule, not a static one.

Humanity is stuck in the 3D portion of their biological thinking. In your 3-D life, you simply accept the chemistry you're given. You act as though the three percent gene producing part is all there is. You believe it is a chemical protocol that is unchangeable and simply "you." You don't see it for the way it's designed. It's dynamic and always has been. It's not set, but will continue to simply repeat what it does unless there is another quantum influence on it.

Therefore you live with the 3 percent as though it were all there is, and since it just "came with your body" and seems to control everything, you never talk to it. Many of you come in with pre-dispositions based upon the karma which is put upon you from your past lives. You don't come in clean [without karmic energy]. Instead, you arrive with pre-dispositions, fears and phobias. Some are positive. Perhaps you come in as a prodigy continuing your last life... the 8-year-old who can paint like a master and do brushstrokes that take 30 years to develop. What does that tell you about what must be in the DNA?

Perhaps you come in as the composer, the pianist, the prodigy, the violinist, just waiting until your hands can go on the fingerboard or can reach up and fret the notes. Perhaps you come in knowing how to play the piano, just waiting for your hands to get big enough to do what you used to do... without any lessons. How do you explain that, dear ones? The answer is that all this is contained in the dynamic quantum instruction sets of your DNA... the part you never talk to it. .."

Rock for Bali's Shore

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, April 30, 2010

A beach clean-up with Make a Change Bali draws a fair-sized crowd. Saturday’s concert will promote clean beaches and green living. (Photo courtesy of Gary Bencheghib)

Over his two-week Easter break from school, 15-year-old Gary Bencheghib was hard at work. Set on a mission to save Bali’s beaches, he believes the only way to do this is to get more people involved, locals and tourists alike.

“Balinese young people seem to be very influenced by famous Indonesian rock bands,” Bencheghib said. “So I decided to organize a ‘green’ concert. I hope to touch a large number of people and make them individually more concerned about maintaining Bali’s pristine beaches.”

With his 12-year-old brother, Sam, he developed a concert plan, sending proposals to sponsors and NGOs, and designing posters, banners and televised animations to advertise the event.

Thanks to their efforts, this Saturday afternoon six Indonesian rock bands — Superman Is Dead, Navicula, De Buntu, Dialog Dini Hari, Natoena and 55 Frets — will perform live at Bali’s Kuta Beach. About 1,000 people are expected to turn up for what Bencheghib calls the Bali Environment Day Concert.

“With big bands like Superman Is Dead performing, more than a thousand people will come,” he said.

For a first-time concert promoter, Bencheghib has landed some big sponsors, such as Rip Curl and Quiksilver, and some high-profile promotional spots on Bali TV and Hard Rock Radio Bali.

In between the music performances, a number of Bali-based environmental organizations will present short lectures and video presentations on their missions to preserve the island’s pristine environment.

“In the long run, we want to organize this concert as an annual event by making the first of May a day for Bali’s environment,” Bencheghib said.

Organizing the concert meant a huge amount of work and responsibility for the teenager.

Bencheghib enlisted the help of Faiz Lovell, his father’s secretary, to act as translator when he met with local village communities and police to ask for their permission and support for the big event.

“I certainly grew up faster over this past month,” he said.

Since his family relocated from the metropolitan city of Paris to Bali five years ago, Bencheghib has become infatuated with the island’s pristine beaches.

“Coming from an urban place like Paris, where stress floats within the streets and the buildings, my first impression of Bali was that it resembled a paradise,” he said. “It’s a little island that possesses natural and cultural riches. Living here is an existence less superficial and more authentic. It’s like an endless vacation.”

Inspired by his new, pristine surroundings, the eldest son of Catherine and Malik Bencheghib has become more in tune with his musical talents. He is learning to play piano, guitar, bass and drums, and composes his own songs. Last year, he received the internationally recognized grade-five Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music certificate for piano.

Bencheghib, who loves the humanities, also excels at school. Last semester, he passed his exams with high honors. In

March this year, he attended the Global Issues Network Seminar in Hong Kong, hosted by the Chinese International School.

“It was a real opportunity for me to meet young students from different backgrounds, all with the hope to make a change in this world,” he said.

The ocean, however, remains Bencheghibs’s true passion. He loves diving and surfing, as well as running on Bali’s golden beaches in the afternoon.

The copious litter, he says, mars the image of a paradise island.

“Cigarette butts and candy wrappers are scattered everywhere in Kuta,” he said. “In Sanur, the ocean has become a dump of plastic bags and dead seaweed, only meters away from where tourists are sunbathing and local children are swimming. Up north on Amed Beach, syringes lie in between the black oval stones.”

“I couldn’t bear to see these once-pristine beaches turn into trash heaps,” he said.

In October 2009, Bencheghib recruited Sam and five schoolmates to establish Make a Change Bali, an organization aimed at saving Bali’s beaches. They organize weekly beach clean-ups, during which these young students scour the beach to collect inorganic waste.

“Our beach clean-ups often last for an hour,” he said. “On average, we’re able to collect seven bags full of garbage.”

The garbage is then sent to the Eco Bali recycling company.

“It’s a puzzle,” said Paola Cannucciari, founder of Eco Bali, referring to the huge amount of waste collected during the beach clean-ups. “Our lives have become modern and sophisticated, yet in the matter of throwing garbage, we still behave like 2 year olds.”

Since 2005, Cannucciari’s company has been working on sustainable solutions to Bali’s waste disposal problems.

“Almost all waste can be recycled or composted if properly disposed,” she said. “It’s necessary to raise awareness of that. People should start taking responsibility for the waste that they produce.”

Ani Yulinda, program officer of Gelombang Udara Segar (Waves of Fresh Air) Foundation, agreed with her.

“If the people care more about their environment, they’ll certainly look after it,” she said.

The foundation has prepared a 10-minute presentation to be shown during the Bali Environment Day Concert to educate people about waste management.

Through its beach clean-up programs, Make a Change Bali has been gaining popularity. Today, the organization has more than 1,100 members on Facebook. Its first major project will be the Bali Environment Day Concert.

“We’re very excited about this concert,” said Lia Pasaribu, manager of punk band Superman Is Dead. “We admire the efforts of these young people in organizing the concert. It’s about time the young generation takes the initiative to do something for the environment.”

Lia added that environmental issues had long been at the top of the band’s concerns. On several occasions, the band members have joined the beach clean-ups organized by Make a Change Bali.

As a major independent music group in Indonesia, Superman Is Dead has a lot fans who look up to it, Lia said. She said she believed this presented it with an opportunity to make a major difference in society.

“People listen to SID,” Lia said. “Therefore, we try to voice these environmental concerns more loudly and give a good example for people to follow. It may not leave a big impact now. But in time, if we’re all consistent in our efforts, people will become more concerned and protect their environment.”

Before every performance in Bali, SID cruises along the beach on low-rider bicycles to encourage people to reduce their carbon footprint.

“This has now become an icon for our shows,” Lia said. “Our fans look forward to it and local bike communities often join us on our cruises.”

Superman Is Dead has prepared a set list of 15 songs to perform during the Bali Environment Day Concert.

Navicula, a Bali-based grunge band, is also excited about taking part in the concert.

“It’s remarkable how an expatriate 15-year-old student cares enough to organize this big event to save Bali’s beaches,” said Dankie, guitarist of Navicula. “The locals should learn from this effort. In fact, local communities should be front-liners in conserving their own natural surroundings.”

The band will perform eight songs, including “Pantai Mimpi” (“Dream Beach”), which comments on the current deteriorating state of Bali’s beaches.

“My dream is that one day everybody, including the Balinese, tourists and surfers, will be aware and make an effort to protect Bali’s beaches,” Bencheghib said. “But until then, one thing is certain: that I will always be involved in preserving and protecting the environment.”

He said his next projects would include educational videos on natural conservation to encourage people to get more involved and working with local NGOs. He also plans to finish high school in Bali and obtain his International Baccalaureate diploma before pursuing his secondary studies either in the United States or Australia .

Bencheghib has traveled to more than 24 countries for short trips and vacations, but he says that he feels at home in Bali.

“Wherever I’ll be in the world, I’ll always come back here,” he said. “I’ll always try to protect my sweet home, Bali.”

Making Music, With Feeling

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, March 28, 2010

Bagus Adimas Prasetio playing at the Mall of Indonesia, above. Bagus receiving an Indonesian Museum of Records certificate from Salim Segaf Al Jufri, the minister of social affairs, center, and Jaya Suprana, the museum’s founder. (JG Photos/Sylviana Hamdani)

There was an undercurrent of excitement among the 50 or so people gathered at the main atrium of the Mall of Indonesia in North Jakarta on March 19. Jaya Suprana, chairman of the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI), was up on the stage, heaping praise on the star of the show, whom he likened to one of the greats of classical music.

“When Frederic Chopin was making his debut in Paris, no one acknowledged him, as he was still young and unknown to the world,” Jaya said.

“It was Robert Schumann who recognized his talents and said, ‘Hats off, gentlemen. Here is a genius and pianist of the future.’ Today, please allow me, Jaya Suprana, to say to you, ‘Hats off, gentlemen. Here is an Indonesian genius and jazz pianist of the future.’ ”

Breaking into loud applause, the audience welcomed Bagus Adimas Prasetio. The pianist, seemingly oblivious to everyone and everything else, bowed his head over the piano keys and smiled thinly before proceeding to play. His fingers lightly tapped out “Fragment,” a classical piece composed by Jaya, who is also a composer and pianist.

The sweet and soft haunting melody of “Fragment” suddenly progressed into an elaborate upbeat tempo. As beads of perspiration started to dot Bagus’s forehead, he continued to play flawlessly.

“It’s a very difficult piece,” said Ivon Maria Pek Pien, Bagus’s teacher. “We trained day and night for eight days to master the composition.”

The performance was even more impressive considering that Bagus is blind and there is no Braille music sheet for “Fragment.” Ivon had to teach Bagus how to play the piece by helping him coordinate his movements.

“We worked on the right hand first and then on the left. However, when he started to play with both hands, it was a mess,” Ivon said, with a chuckle. “He banged the piano lid once because he couldn’t get it.”

Ivon’s patience and Bagus’s perseverance paid off in the end.

“Once he got it, about two days ago, he was good to go,” Ivon said.

The 22-year-old played 12 songs for the crowd at Mall of Indonesia over an hour and 15 minutes, in the process becoming the first blind Indonesian pianist to put on a solo recital.

“Bagus has been blind since birth,” his father, Bambang Haryanto, said after the recital. “The doctor said that he might have contracted German measles when he was still in the womb. It was very hard for us to accept this reality.”

Bambang and his wife did everything in their power to help Bagus succeed and excel in life. They enrolled him at a special-needs school, Sekolah Luar Biasa, in their hometown, Surabaya.

“As parents of a child with special needs, we thought, ‘How can we provide for him and his future?’ ” Bambang said.

There was no easy answer. Bambang, who works at a freight forwarding company, only earned enough for the family’s current needs and was worried about his son’s financial future.

“As a man, Bagus had to be independent and earn a living for himself,” Bambang said. “Being blind, he could either study to become a teacher, a masseur or a musician. So we encouraged him to learn music. We didn’t want him to beg for a living.”

Bagus said he was happy his parents helped steer him toward music. “I had to have something to be proud of,” he said. “Other children may be good at sports or academics, and I also needed to be good at something.”

He started taking piano lessons at his school when he was in the third grade. He started by learning classical music from Braille music sheets. He had to memorize the pieces by heart because he could not refer to the sheets once he stared playing.

But classical music, with its fixed structure, soon bored Bagus. “There was not much room for improvisation and spontaneity,” he said.

His father, a jazz aficionado, suggested that maybe jazz would be more up his alley. And study jazz Bagus did. From 2001 to 2009, he trained under Bubi Chen, a renowned jazz pianist in Surabaya, who helped Bagus discover his true passion.

“My restless and rebellious spirit finds expression in jazz,” Bagus said.

Growing up among other kids with various special needs at his school, Bagus was often frustrated by the way some of the teachers and his fellow students would limit his capabilities.

“They would say, ‘You’re demanding too much of yourself,’ ” he said. “ ‘It’s not possible,’ they’d say. But I’ve found out that there are no boundaries to what one can achieve, except for the ones that you have set yourself.”

To prove his point, Bagus enrolled at SMU GIKI 1, a regular high school in Surabaya, which he attended from 2002 to 2005. To hone his skills, Bagus also attended music clinics in Surabaya organized by the Chicago Jazz Quartet from the United States, the Ad Colen Quartet from the Netherlands and Alexey Sokolov, a professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

In 2009, Bagus started to study music under Ivon, who in addition to being a music teacher is also chairwoman and an international jury member of the Ibla International Awards, a prestigious world music competition.

As Bagus developed his skills as a pianist, his self-confidence grew as well. He started taking part in jazz festivals around the country.

From 2003 to 2006, he was named Outstanding Performer at the jazz piano festival organized by the Virtuoso Music school in Semarang, Central Java. In 2006, he was a finalist at the Mezzo Young Generation Jazz Festival organized by jazz musician Luluk Purwanto and the Helsdingen Trio in Jakarta.

Having already achieved so much, Bagus made up his mind to become a professional jazz musician. However, he was disappointed when the Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) rejected his application in 2005 because of his disability. “I don’t harbor any hard feelings, however,” Bagus said. “God has meant it for the best.”

The rejection certainly did not thwart Bagus. He instead chose to pursue a degree in music and the arts from University of Surabaya (UNESA) and graduated in 2009.

He played his thesis, a 15-minute piece titled “Diamond,” during his recital at the Mall of Indonesia. The tempo, slow and tentative at first, becomes loud and forceful in the middle and ends on a more upbeat note.

“The melody consists of three parts,” Bagus said. “Each of the parts portrays a phase of life when someone is exploring their talent.

“The first part is when one is first trying to find out more about himself. It can be a slow and tedious process. The second part is when one hones his skills and finds obstacles along the way. For example, harsh critics or misunderstandings. But you have to press on. The third part is when one has succeeded and is enjoying the fruits of his labors. Thus, the music becomes light and cheerful.”

At the end of his concert, Bagus received a certificate from MURI recognizing him as the first blind Indonesian pianist to hold a solo piano recital.

Salim Segaf Al Jufri, the minister of social affairs, presented Bagus with his certificate of merit.

“Bagus is a national asset,” the minister said. “With this recital, he’s saying to the world, ‘Don’t look at my disability. Look at my skills and talents instead.’ Young people like him help develop our country.”

“I truly admire his talent as a pianist,” Jaya said. “When I first heard about him, I thought, ‘Let’s give him a chance. He might not be very good, but he’s blind anyway,’ even though Bagus did not use his disability as an excuse.

“But today, I have found out that it’s totally the other way around,” Jaya said. “He’s a very gifted piano player. He plays with emotion, in a way that’s beautiful beyond words. I saw the greatness of God in this case. I want to propose to Peter Gontha [chairman of the Jakarta International Java Jazz festival] that he let Bagus perform at the Java Jazz festival next year.”

Bambang held back tears after hearing all the praise heaped on his son. “I feel so grateful,” he said. “At least, the premise of ABK as anak berkebutuhan khusus [people with special needs] has changed into anak berkemampuan khusus [people with special talents].”

Bagus Adimas Prasetio performed 12 songs during his piano recital. 

My Jakarta: Pianist Ferdy Tumakaka

Jakarta Globe, February 08, 2010

"After six years of living in New York, I realize how rich Indonesian culture is," says pianist Ferdy Tumakaka.

Few Indonesians want to return after living abroad. Ferdy Tumakaka is one who has the heart, talent and dedication to come back to help his homeland. At 17, the prodigy won first prize in the 2001 Jakarta Piano Competition. He then went to New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music and was named music director for the New York Theatre Ballet. Now at age 25, Ferdy is back in Jakarta.

What is the first piece you find your hands playing when you sit down at the piano?

It’s a diplomatic answer. I’d play whatever I’m working on at the time. Right now it’s for a concert in February. I’d warm up and practice the most difficult technical passages for 30 minutes to an hour.

What about a non-diplomatic answer?

My personal answer would be pieces from the classical maestro, Schubert. His music has a sense of masculinity and subtlety. It’s not always bombastic. It’s very generous, very intimate.

If money wasn’t a problem, what would you be doing?

One of my missions in coming to Jakarta is to transpose Indonesian music to modern instruments. For example, we can create the sound of gamelan using a piano.

After six years of living in New York, I realize how rich Indonesian culture is. I want to promote Indonesian music as an international and global product. I’m brainstorming with [musician] Djaduk Ferianto and I’m going to Solo and Jogjakarta to enrich my knowledge of Indonesian instruments.

One of the pieces that I’ll be playing at the Feb. 18 concert is an excerpt from Leopold Godowsky’s Phonoramas Java Suite. Leopold was in Java in 1982, and fell in love with Javanese gamelan. His music is not Indonesian music because he has his own style, but it’s got Indonesian characteristics at its core.

I want to do something like that because now that we have all the facilities, we don’t necessarily need to keep Indonesian music as purely traditional. When is the younger generation going to realize our rich cultural heritage and promote it?

On your Facebook profile, you wrote that your religion is Johnny Walker’s Blue Ice two ice. Where can I get that here in Jakarta?

[Laughs] I haven’t found a place to enjoy that actually. But I think the most important thing about it is the company.

What do you love most about Jakarta?

The weather.

The weather that makes you hot and sticky?

Hot and sticky is better than very, very cold.

What did you miss the most when you were away?

Martabak. I tried to make it once when I was in New York but I failed miserably.

Which concert hall would you say is the best?

Actually the concert halls in Jakarta are all very nice. Salihara, Taman Ismail Marzuki and Gedung Kesenian are not much different than concert halls in New York. Lincoln Center is actually not very good .

How do you define a good concert hall?

When building a concert hall, one has to pay attention to the aspect of beauty and acoustics. It’s sometimes difficult to strike a balance between the two.

The balance defines whether a concert hall is good or not.

Have you been to the newest concert hall in Kemayoran?

No I haven’t, but I’d like to see it. I’ve heard it’s really good. I’m also anticipating the Grand Theater in Marzuki.

If you could perform with any musicians, dead or alive, who would you choose?

I’d perform with Vladimir Horowitz because of his capacity to color his music. I’d also perform with Maurice Ravel. For living musicians, Djaduk Ferianto.

People always have at least one teacher that inspires them the most. Who would that be for you?

My teacher Aisha Sudiarso Pletscher is my inspiration. She’s the one who helped me to find music and the piano. She’s the one who encouraged me to seriously pursue my passion in music as a profession. She brings out the best in me, not just in the area of music but also in living, such as humility. I believe how you are as a human being is reflected in your music.

Is it tough to be openly gay in Jakarta?

I don’t find it tough. I don’t really care about what people think. I am who I am. Being gay is just my sexual preference. It’s not my way of life or my identity. It has nothing to do with my work. Art is sexless and genderless.

Where would you like to live permanently, Jakarta or New York?

I don’t want to stay in any particular place. I dream of being a global citizen. I want to live globally.

Ferdy will be appearing in a concert called “The Wanderer” at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Feb. 18, 8 p.m. RSVP: Frida 0878 844 73155

Bali to host Live Earth concert in April

Avril Holderness-Roddam, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 02/02/2010 6:51 PM | Arts and Entertainment

Bali will host Live Earth: Run for Water 2010 concert in April that will feature local and International artists who will donate their time to raise awareness of the importance of making clean, safe water available to all people.

Participants in the Run for Water event can enrol to run or walk for six kilometers (the approximate distance walked daily by many women and children around the world in order for them to collect water) on the day, April 18.

During the press conferense celebrities and other people involved with the event discussed the importance of providing suitable water to communities and commented that the way to improve the sistaution is through public awareness and public education.

Celebrities present included Slank, DJ. Anton and the present Puteri Indonesia, Qory Sandioriva. You can find out more about Live Earth at the official website: http://liveearth.org/en/. JP/ Avril Holderness-Roddam

The Art of Getting ‘Wasted’ in Yogya

Jakarta Globe, Marcel Thee

Tomoko Mukaiyama’s new exhibition involves a maze of white silk dresses. (Photos courtesy of Cemeti Art House)

Eccentric Japanese multimedia artist and pianist Tomoko Mukaiyama is known for her avant-garde pieces and her use of audience participation.

Her latest exhibition, “wasted,” which is currently being held at Cemeti Art House in Yogyakarta, requires even more intimate assistance from the audience than usual.

The exhibition is built around an aesthetically beautiful display of countless white silk dresses that cover the art space’s walls and create a kind of labyrinth.

Mukaiyama says that “the adventurous routing through the soft silk walls embraces you and overwhelms you with an incredible aesthetic power.”

But there’s more to it than that. Female participants are invited to take a silk dress, provided by Mukaiyama for free, on the condition that they wear the dresses during their menstrual cycle and send the results back to the artist for her to use as part of her next multimedia exhibition.

The involvement of her audience or external sources has become something of a calling card for Mukaiyama. She says that she needs to capture and examine the energy of the audience or an external factor before turning it into a new creation or thought.

Her works are also often related to her classical music background, and her current exhibition involves a musical performance along with the dresses.

In one of her most well-known collaborative projects, titled “For You,” Mukaiyama performed a piano recital for an audience, one person at a time. “For You” took her to the Netherlands and Canada in 2003, where she performed 96 of these recitals in eight days.

Mukaiyama’s current exhibition, which is constantly evolving, has taken her to Japan, Indonesia, The Netherlands, Czech Republic and Belgium, as part of a planned five-year tour.

Aditya Permana, who designed the display of white silk dresses for the exhibition in Yogyakarta, said: “When I was first approached about doing the installation, I thought it was going to be just like the art pieces which we’ve done numerous times before. But when it was explained to us that the dresses were to form a labyrinth and a web that covered almost all of the gallery, we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task.

“To be involved in ‘wasted’ is an amazing experience. This project has certainly broadened our knowledge about visual art, music and audience perception. Tomoko has a wonderful ability to combine all those factors.”

The women who borrow the dresses are also encouraged to create artistic statements to describe their feelings about menstruation during their menstrual cycles, and then send these statements to the artist along with the dresses. These statements can take whatever form the women choose — recordings, poetry, texts, photos, video.

Not to exclude the male members of the audience, Mukaiyama invites men to send in any art they choose to create relating to the female menstrual cycle.

According to the event’s press release, ‘wasted’ is an internationally based art project that “challenges the transience of the feminine virtue to give birth to ideas, creations and, not the least, to children.”

Curious? “Everybody is welcome to find out by attending the concert and exhibition,” Mukaiyama says.

To participate in the exhibition, sign up through the Web site www.wasted.nl or at the venue.