The biggest end-of-the-year music event, the Jazz Traffic Festival, was held on Nov. 27 in the European model of 12 hours of nonstop shows until midnight featuring various styles of jazz musicians.  

Two indoor stages and another outdoor platform had the country’s 19 best jazz players on offer, each performing for about 45 minutes on average.

There was Surabaya’s jazz maestro Bubi Chen, mainstream jazz specialist Idang Rasjidi, LLW (Indra, Barry and Sandy) with their urban mode and Nita Aartsen Quatro with his Latin touch.

The groups with music adhering to more recent trends were BLP (the Barry Likumahuwa Project) offering fusion/funk jazz, Balawan with its ethnic fusion style, Ligro Trio and Maliq & D’Essentials.   

The festival marked a shift in the composition of jazz lovers in Indonesia. “While in the past jazz was identical with the music of seniors and performed in exclusive places, today jazz fans are mostly members of the younger generation,” chief organizer Irma Widya told The Jakarta Post.  

In fact, around 85 percent of those crowding the festival were young people and children, some even claiming they weren’t jazz lovers and had never seen such concerts before.

“It turned out to be exciting, kind of easy listening,” said Dita Febriyani, a Surabaya University student, after watching BLP.   

More proof was the 3,000-ticket sellout of all categories of ticket, with a price range of Rp 80,000 (US$8.75) — Rp 300,000.

The youthful audience had reason to be enthusiastic because the mostly young jazz musicians were so capable they managed to mesmerize everybody.  

Barry’s wild bass style combined elegantly with the high-pitched flute of his father, Benny Likumahuwa, in a jam session presenting the instrumental “Sesaat Kau Hadir” (Your Brief Presence) — once sung by Utha Likumahuwa, Barry’s late uncle.   

Enchanted by their performance, around 150 spectators of different ages sang the pop song of the 1980s to the jazz tune. “It’s my fifth appearance in Surabaya. The audience is very appreciative and the atmosphere is favorable,” said Barry after the show.

Idang Rasjidi performed with his son, Shadu Shah Chaidar, young guitarist Tiko Laksana and drummer Sandy Winarta in his group the Idang Rasjidi Syndicate.

“Whoever comes on stage with me should be a musician. Regardless of any kinship, I’ll remain serious and treat group members as fellow professionals,” Idang said.  

Idang acknowledged the rapid growth of jazz music in the country, with gifted young players boasting fresh styles and leanings as a regeneration of senior jazz musicians popular in their times.

“It should indeed be that way. The players, music and concept should be refreshed. I myself learn a lot from the young ones,” he said, adding that he hoped that in order to boost new jazz musicians and get them closer to young fans such a festival could be regularly held.  

Among the newly emerging young groups, Van Java, with four members from Jakarta, was bold enough to face the mainstream school with their indie label.

“We maintain our independent line to create more freely and maintain our more jazz-rock musical originality,” said Biondi, the group’s guitarist.  

The other jazz-rock band was Ligro Trio, their non-conventional instruments enhancing the music. Guitarist Agam Hamzah, bassist Adi Darmawan and drummer Hendy utilized zinc, nails, hammers and woks to produce unique jazz melodies.   

Ligro also featured young blind pianist Ade Irawan, once described by Idang Rasjidi as the wonder boy of Indonesia’s jazz future. The 17-year-old recently appeared in a solo piano concert at the Sydney Opera House.  

Ade’s great talent enabled him to match Ligo Trio in a jam session without a hitch.

He displayed his keyboard expertise with such zeal that he fit nicely into the experienced trio’s performance, amid the cheers and applause of the audience.

Regeneration is also the commitment of jazz whiz Bubi Chen, a native of Surabaya. He chose young and gifted performers like drummer Sandy Winarta, guitarist Robert Mulyarahardja, saxophonist clarinetist Eugene Bonty,
singer Sierra Soetedjo and bassist Donny Sundjojo to join his various sessions.  

“They’ve all amazed me. It proves that jazz is cross-generational music without age limits. I myself still have four more albums to make … and invite these brilliant young men to participate,” Bubi Chen told a press conference at the end of the event.  

With such encouraging developments, Idang Rasjidi also hoped Surabaya could again be Indonesia’s jazz barometer.

“Let’s revive it. Surabaya should become a jazz city again like the time of the late Mariono. For 14 years I played in the same group with Mariono and Benny Likumahuwa,” Idang said.  

Idang believes that with this program, along with the Java Jazz and JakJazz festivals, the future of Indonesian jazz is guaranteed.

“The young jazz people have gone beyond my capability. We should gather them and allow them to learn from such jazz maestros as Bubi Chen,” Idang added.  

Compared with Malaysia, Indonesia’s jazz community is far more advanced. In Malaysia, said Idang Rasjidi Syndicate’s saxophonist Azmi Hairudin from Kuala Lumpur, only a few new jazz groups have been set up.

“With 40 jazz concerts scheduled annually, I think it’s remarkable. There are many young and talented jazz players here,” Azmi said.

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