JP/Ricky Yudhistira
John Legend, just like soul legends Marvin Gaye, Barry White and Isaac Hayes, is the kind of singer who can make hundreds of fans swoon with just a wink of an eye.
Legend had an opportunity to prove his prowess and charm last Friday at the sixth Java Jazz Festival, where he led hundreds of adoring fans to through massive traffic jams, almost non-existent parking spots and highly inflated refreshments prices — to catch his one-night-only performance.
Hundreds of fans, adults, teenagers and tweens patiently waited for hours in a queue to get into the Jakarta International Expo (JIE) Hall D2, the venue for the show.
They clutched tickets bearing the name John Legend as if their lives depended on them.
A scene from a riot transpired when security guards opened the gates to the venue. After fans had got past the festival officials who scanned tickets and granted access, they screamed at the top of their lungs and ran like mad into the venue to save the best spots for the show.
These adoring fans also patiently waited for about an hour before their idols finally made a sign of making an entrance. And, as the curtain was drawn, the audience cheered and gave a thunderous run of applause, in spite of the one-hour delay.
But Legend’s legion of fans got what they had been waiting for when he finally made his appearance. Clad in a black shirt, black pants and a white belt, Legend launched his show with a sultry rendition of “Used to Love You”, off his multi-platinum Grammy-winning debut album Get Lifted.
Legend, a native of Springfield, Ohio, and born John Stephens, certainly knew how to work the crowd who would fall for his every move. Soon after the song started, he made an obligatory move to invite a female member of the audience onto the stage.
“I just want one companion. I don’t want to be alone tonight,” he said, to the screaming of adoring female fans.
And to the heartbreak of hundreds other female fans, Legend only picked one lucky woman whom he seduced by asking to dance with on stage.
The opening stage move set the tone for the 90-minute show, during which fans got carried away by Legend’s collection of romantic songs including “It’s Over”, “Heaven”, “Alright”, “Number One”, “Save Room” and “Everybody Knows”.
Songs such as “P.D.A (We Just Don’t Care)” and “Ordinary People” turned the Hall D2 into an oversized ballroom with couples engaging in a romantic slow dance. The venue however quickly turned into a dance floor when Legend sung tracks like “Green Light” which is heavy on the hip-hop side.
Legend also knew enough that he did not need to jazz up his music, to fit the bill of a jazz festival. His presence alone was enough for his worshipping fans.
“I feel like I was invited here to be myself, to play my music,” he said at a pre-show press conference.
Legend is also confident that the music that he plays would easily gain currency among even serious jazz fans.
“People who love jazz also love soul music. And I think that’s why I get invited to a lot of jazz festivals because, you know, we have common fans”
And this first concert in Indonesia demonstrated that Legend is a musician to be reckoned with, and that he will soon join the ranks of the legends of soul.
His success story also has a familiar ring, the way other soul legends were born. Born in 1978, the singer learned to play the piano when he was only four, and actively took part in neighborhood choirs.
“I grew up with a lot of Gospel and Soul influence. I think Stevie Wonder had a lot of influence on me as well as Marvin Gaye and my family.”
“I’m pretty serious about my social work now and I do quite a bit of
work here, but I don’t want to
become a full-time politician, even though I love spending time to
giving back to make the world
a better place I will continue doing that. But I’m a musician first.”
It has been something of fan lore that after graduating from Springfield’s North High School, Legend was offered scholarships at Harvard, Georgetown University and Morehouse College.
But he turned down the offers, opting to go to University of Pennsylvania to pursue English Literature with a focus on Afro-American Literature.
Soon after graduating, Legend worked as a management consultant, but he soon realized music was his true calling and that he could not stay away from it.
Legend became a professional musician when he lent his piano skills to adorn Lauryn Hill in the song “Everything is Everything” on her Grammy-winning The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
In 2001, he teamed up with then hip-hop superstar producer Kanye West who hired him to sing hooks in his recorded works. His work with West paved the way for a brighter future.
Legend’s dreams finally came true in 2004 when he released his debut “Get Lifted” with hit singles “Ordinary People” and “Used to Love U”.
In 2005, he was nominated for a Grammy and won in the category of best new artist, best male rhythm and blues (R&B) vocal performance, and best R&B album.
Legend released his second album, Once Again, in 2006. And (once again) he was nominated for a Grammy and won in the category of best male R&B vocal performance and best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals (he sung a duet with British songstress Joss Stone and American singer Van Hunt in the album).
Legend continued his success with his third album Evolver in which he collaborated with Andrei 3000 from Outkast, with the single “Green Light”.
The Jakarta Post asked Legend a couple of questions at a media junket organized by the Java Jazz organizers during which he was willing to share some information on his latest projects and what he does in his free time.
“This is my first time in Indonesia. I am excited to be here for the first time. I am also excited to meet my Indonesian friends. I hope I can stay longer and have a vacation,” said Legend in an obligatory gesture to be a good guest in a foreign country.
During the interview he also disclosed some infor-mation concerning his upcoming album Wake Up for which he has collaborated with Philadelphia hip-hop outfit and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’s home band, The Roots.
“It’s a classic soul album, bringing back the music from the 60s and 70s, and there are some really cool covers we did in this album and I’m really excited about it. I’m excited to explore some of the music and bring it back,” he said. The album is due out in June.
Why The Roots?
“
I’m a big fan, and why not? I’m a big fan of what they do musically. I’m so thrilled to work with them.”
Legend said the next album would be a bit different from Evolver.
“The new album is very soulful, very classic, very old school. So it will be quite a different to “Green Light” or any of the songs from “Evolver.”
Music in the next album is something of an experiment for Legend, who did not want to remain in the template that the recording company had prepared for him.
“I just keep learning, growing, exploring and experimenting. And then, you know, sometimes you go back to where you started, like this new album. Like I said, it is very classic, so I just want to get back to where I started musically. So who knows what the next one will be like.”
Legend is also the type of musician who is more than happy to work with others and learn from the best.
“I feel like I’m going into it with personality. Try to get the best out of the situation, no matter what different perspective the person has. I am open to new ideas and I want to give the best final solution and best final answer. And for me, that means try to make a great song.”
In spite of his busy schedule recording, touring and performing, Legend finds time for his socially conscious campaign. He has been involved in a number of huma-nitarian projects, from helping victims of Katrina in New Orleans, to raising funds to help victims of AIDS in Africa.
Legend is a speaker for Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), non-profit organization set up to improve the lives of young African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans in the United States. One of the objectives of this project is to make future leaders of the superpower country.
So, are you interested in politics?
“I’ve always had an interest in it. Ever since I was a kid, I read history, read about some of the world leaders and all of their work and what they did,” he said.
But the do-good campaign aside, Legend admits music remains at the top of his priorities.
“I’m pretty serious about my social work now and I do quite a bit of work here, but I don’t want to become a full-time politician, even though I love spending time to giving back to make the world a better place I will continue doing that. But I’m a musician first.”
However, at times music has to take a back seat, especially when it comes to sports.
“I love sports. I love watching a lot of football and basketball,” he said. When the Post met him, Legend was watching a game of his favorite basketball team, the LA Lakers.
“They lost, unfortunately,” he said.
Legend also is a sucker for good food. “I love food. Me and my girlfriend, we like to go out to dinner a lot. I love trying new food and I love traveling. And I like to read a lot.”
So, when he is not onstage, he is a regular person like the rest of us after all.
