The gig last Sunday evening at Score bar in Cilandak Town Square seemed much like any other organized by major sponsors trying to tap in to the youth market, most of them cigarette companies, as this particular shindig was.

A host of indie bands of various genres were playing; some were familiar to me, others I had never heard of. One of the acts scheduled to perform that night was Tika, the chanteuse I consider to be one of the most underrated yet magnificent performers in the country's music scenes, be it indie or mainstream.

I arrived late; the show was about one quarter of the way through. The first sound I heard when I walked in was the band Sonnic, playing the blandest sappy poppy concoctions this side of Peterpan or Radja. Trying my best to block out the sonic pollution being spewed out by the band onstage I immediately walked toward a table where a group of friends was sitting. Nearby our table was Tika, looking casually radiant in a long white blouse and short jeans. She was scheduled to play eight songs that evening, she said, but she was only going to play six, and allow her pianist Luky Annash (a talented solo musician in his own right) to play two songs. "There's one more band after this, then it's our turn," she explained.

It's been nearly three years since the release of her debut album Frozen Love Songs on Aksara Records. An album of dark deep jazz and trip-hop tinged material that created for her a small but strong and almost fanatical fanbase. She planned to play some new material that evening, including her newly released single "Mayday".

The next band, a twee-pop band called The Ellis, came and went. I won't waste words describing the generic nature of their music but will go directly to Tika's portion of the show.

Tika and her outstanding band of musicians (Susan on Bass, Nobon on Guitar, Luky Annash on Piano, and Okky on Drums) came on stage. After warmly greeting the audience, they began to play a new and rockier arrangement of one of Tika's hits "Under Their Feet". A pandemic of goose-bumps spread throughout the audience. The audience was focused and entranced. As she sang, I could hear the people around me (myself included, I must admit) singing along enthusiastically. This was the mood that permeated her entire set, which ended with a powerfully delivered "Mayday".

Three new songs, including "Mayday", were featured during her short set list; the sharp and in your face "David Hasselhoff v. Don Johnson" and the brilliantly sassy yet slightly angry "Waltz Muram (Dreary Waltz)".

The new materials presented showed to the audience that a new Tika has emerged; a singer that has departed from songs about her own inner-workings and interior sadness to launch herself into a place where she can freely express her opinions about the world around her."During my last record, I felt as if I had to become someone else when I went on stage. The music dictated me to dress a certain way and behave a certain way. This time it's more personal, it's more who I am. I want to be able to go on stage and talk s**t and drink beer. That's what gigs are for; to let loose and be who you are." The songstress explained when asked about her new rock-inclined direction. "The direction of our next album is friendlier, and more outward looking. We want to take an organic approach to making the music but don't want it to be clich*d. It's about taking these four basic instruments and making them sound extraordinary with simple notes and chord explorations."

When asked about her fans' reaction to her new musical direction, she explained that there are mixed reactions; some love it while some feel that she's better off sticking to darker fare. Her response to the detractors is "I don't want to sound like a bitch, but they should be more open-minded, this is where the music is going. As a person and a musician, I change. And they (the fans) will change too. All this is fleeting, the fans will eventually leave me one day, anyway."

"Honestly, I've become a bit jaded about public reaction and how to make them react. Most of the public taste is media-driven anyway, and I refuse to kiss-ass. Music is just something that I have to do as a person. I'm just a singer. No gimmicks, no nothing, just music."

This highly individualistic attitude is, in the humble opinion of this music critic, what highlights the brilliance of her work. Tika's voice is a voice of honesty, a voice of pure expression, a voice of sheer independence, and a voice of unadulterated strength. May her glorious voice be continuously heard for a long time to come.

Tika's new single "Mayday" can be heard on her myspace page at www.myspace.com.

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