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'Salute' concert to honor three female musicians
The upcoming concert 'Salute' seeks pay tribute to Melly Goeslaw, Dewiq and Dewi "Dee" Lestari on Feb. 9 with an all-male line-up.
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At the concert next month, led by Indonesian composer Erwin Gutawa, nine male singers spanning several generations will present their own take on the songs created and performed by the three female artists. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he “Salute” concert, led by composer Erwin Gutawa, is set to honor three female Indonesian singer-songwriters -- Melly Goeslaw, Dewiq and Dewi "Dee" Lestari -- at the one-night event slated for Feb. 9.
To be held at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) in Tangerang, Banten, the concert will showcase 30 songs written by the female artists, with 10 chosen to represent each one. As a twist, the songs will be sung by an all-male line-up to pay respect to the female musicians. They will be accompanied by an orchestra led by Erwin.
"As an arranger and orchestrator, I am always interested in the power of song; the melody, the lyrics. And these three women -- Melly, Dewiq and Dee -- with their respective strengths have such a strong perspective and style. Their songs have their own character and are worthy of appreciation," he said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Melly, who started her singing career as a member of the band Potret before establishing herself as a solo artist, is best known for writing and performing the soundtrack for one of the nation's most beloved films Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (What's Up with Cinta?), which was released in 2002. She subsequently went on to score other hit soundtracks for popular films, such as Eiffel I'm in Love in 2003 and Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2 in 2016.
Meanwhile, Dewiq, a singer in her own right, is more known as a songwriter, creating hits for other popular singers, including songs such as "Cinta di Ujung Jalan" (Love At the End of the Road) that was sung by Agnez Mo in 2005, then still known as Agnes Monica, as well as "Sunny" performed by Bunga Cinta Lestari.
Dee is a well-known novelist and her short story Filosofi Kopi (Coffee Philosophy) was adapted into a film in 2015. However, she has also written popular songs throughout her career, including the 2003 hit "Firasat" (Feeling) that was sung by her former husband Marcell Siahaan.
Read also: Dee Lestari and her most challenging novel yet
Nine male singers spanning several generations will present their own take on the songs at next month’s concert. The line-up includes stars such as Afgan, Armand Maulana, Harvey Malaiholo, Once, Rendy Pandugo, Sandhy Sondoro, Vidi Aldiano, LIB3RO and Reza Rahadian.
Harvey, whose singing career was launched in the 1970s, highlighted the importance of paying respect to singers from previous generations as well as remembering their journey and body of work.
"This concert is a platform to pay tribute to them. It is important to show respect and appreciation to artists who are no longer with us or who are still working, like the three women we are highlighting in this concert," Harvey said. (wng)
