JP/P.J. Leo

Caroline Gunawan, aka Alena, sat checking her straight, long hair in the mirror. She polished lip gloss on and powdered her face at her modern house in Karawaci, Tangerang. “Hi, how are you? Please,
come in. Have a seat; I’ll be ready in just a minute. OK?”

Finished with her make up, Alena came over and sat on a comfy gray sofa. Her red tube dress and black stockings complimented her light skin.

“I’m not busy today. So, we have plenty of time for chit-chat,” she said, smiling.

Many people think of this born and raised Javanese woman as a Mandarin singer, but she is in fact, a pop singer who saw the benefits of singing in Mandarin.

Her second album features two Mandarin songs, “Lavender Wei Ni Cun Zai” (Because of You, I Exist) and “Yi Xuan Le Ta” (Have Chosen Him).

Born in Malang, East Java, on Nov. 9, 1981, Alena said that she feels uneasy with this public perception. “I was afraid that it would lead to discrimination. Maybe it’s because of my oriental face.

But, the truth is, I’m not very oriental,” she said.

“I couldn’t speak Mandarin and didn’t even like Mandarin songs.  I’m more into Javanese music. Back in my hometown, I spoke Javanese and ate Javanese food everyday,” said the woman whose Eastern Javanese accent is very clear.

But upon realizing there was a high demand for Mandarin songs, Alena took Mandarin lessons so she could take advantage of the many gigs available for people who can sing Mandarin songs.

Although she has gained popularity for her oriental image, she is now trying to show the public the original Alena.

Now, together with her beloved musician husband Popo Fauza, local band Numata and Krishna Balagita (who once played the keys for Ada), she is preparing her upcoming third album, to be released on Nagaswara records next year.

She ensures the upcoming album will be different from her previous two albums, which had a rather melancholic sound.

“The new album will be fun. The songs are quite easy-listening. There will be about 10 songs on the album. The big surprise is I will do a lot of dancing,” Alena says.

She is also looking to collaborate with newcomers Wali – who have achieved fame with fun singles like “Dik” (Dear) and “Cari Jodoh” (Finding your Soul Mate) – in a bid to strengthen the joyful nuances of the album.

“Wali is under the same record label as I am. So, I hope that the process will be smooth. They have already agreed to do a duet with me. We are just waiting for a good song,” she said.

The idea of collaborating with the band is also a way to cater to more music lovers by following market demand, as pop bands have ruled the charts over the last few years.

Alena said that she had learned a lot from her previous albums, which apparently did not meet the tastes of the masses.

“My hubby and I used to be too idealistic in making music. But it turned out that the songs were too ’heavy’ and not catchy, so it was hard for us to drive people to listen the albums.

“Now we realize that it is important to follow the market demand to be able to survive in this industry. Once we have gained our own market, we can create more idealistic music,” Alena added.

She gave the example of Madonna and Mariah Carey, who always blend with the latest trends.

“This is what I’m trying to come up with. I hope that doing a duet with Wali can lead to success. I want people to recognize my music.”      

Alena has been passionate about since she was little, inheriting the genes from her father, who was the drummer and vocalist of a local band in Malang.

Unlike other Indonesian kids, she was more familiar with English-language songs as she grew up.
Her talent took her to the international level when she won first prize at the Final Grand Champion of Asia Bagus in Malaysia in 2000.

In the same year, she joined in Elfa’s Singer and earned a Gold Medal at the Choir Olympiad in Linz, Austria.

Farhan Purnama and Chaterine Leimena were her music gurus, teaching her about vocals and shaping her unique and powerful voice into a mature instrument.

Even though she had won the most popular music competition in Asia, it was not easy for her to get into the recording studio because the Asia Bagus no longer cooperates with recording company Sony Music.

Together with Popo, who started off as her piano teacher and ended up her husband, Alena worked hard to record her first-ever album, 2002’s Alena. Her dream came true when she finally recorded the self-titled debut with Universal Music Indonesia.

Although her vocals earned the praise of many critics, the album was a commercial flop.

She says this shook her passion for music and led her to seek psychological counseling. “The first six months after the album was released was the hardest time for me,” she explained.

“It was too hard for me. I’m a very melancholic person. I always take everything too personal. It really affected me mentally and physically. The recovery process really took time.”       

During the healing process, she buried herself in books, including motivational and self-help manuals.
“Books are my savior. I like serious books, like those written by John Maxwell, Anthony Robins and Robert Kiyoshaki. I, however, also love manga [Japanese comics] like Kungfu Boy, Kenji and Detective Conan.”

Her savior incarnate is her husband, who has inspired her in many ways.

“He is really the opposite of me. He’s cool, calm and tends not to think about what people might say about him. I felt much better after I married him in 2006,” she said.

By 2007 her courage had returned and she went back to the recording studio.

Although Seindah Diriku (As Beautiful As I Am), which was released in 2008, was also commercially unsuccessful, this time she was not so despondent, thinking of it as a good start.

“I hope that this album will be a success. I want people know who Alena is. I’ve had two albums, but ironically many people still don’t know who I really am. It’s so sad, you know.”

She and her husband even decided to postpone their plans for children to achieve the goal.

“We are not ready yet to have a baby because we think that having a baby is a big responsibility. So, we have to prepare everything, including the financial support,” she said.

As they focus their lives on the music business, they are now trying hard to gain passive income from royalties.

“That’s why it is important for us to focus first on my albums. But don’t get it all wrong. I love kids,” Alena said.

“You know, I even have read tons of books about pregnancy, immunization and breastfeeding, just to prepare myself before we really have a baby,” she said, giggling.

Alena’s love for kids has also driven her to help some of the capital’s disadvantaged children.
She has jointly organized a home schooling project in Tanah Tinggi in Senen, Central Jakarta with Kak Seto Home Schooling, founded by educational expert Seto Mulyadi.

They provide free education to poor children and teenagers, as well pay for them to take examinations and get education certificates.

“Firstly, I just donated books and taught them how to read and write, but I found out that it was not enough.”

“They need legitimate education certificates, not just knowledge, so they can find descent jobs,” she said, adding that there were 15 teachers involved in the program.

 The classes, which are held from 2 to 5 p.m. every day, are quite similar to those taught in normal schools.

“The most important thing is they don’t wander around the streets doing nothing. They have great potential. It will be a waste if they just end up being criminals,” Alena says.

She added that she hopes that the project will expand to other areas across the city so more children could be educated.

Biography        

Full name  : Caroline Gunawan
Born : Malang, East Java, Nov. 9, 1981

Education : Bachelor in Social science and Politics from Pelita Harapan University

Albums  : Alena (2002),
Seindah Diriku (2008)
Husband  : Popo Fauza

Achievements :

* 1st place, Grand Champion Final Asia Bagus, Malaysia (2000)

* Gold Medal, Choir Olympiad, Linz, Austria, with Elfa’s Singers (2000)

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