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At a Glimpse: Discovering Fraya
(Courtesy of Sarita Fraya)Another starlet rises from the heart of Java
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(Courtesy of Sarita Fraya) (Courtesy of Sarita Fraya)
(Courtesy of Sarita Fraya)Another starlet rises from the heart of Java. Her name is Sarita Fraya.
Fraya, as she prefers to be called, released her first EP, Imperfectly Perfect, a couple of months ago. It is the result of a long journey starting in 2010, when she was caught in action for the very first time at the Java Jazz Festival.
'I was just a simple bedroom musician. Then I moved to Yogyakarta and met people who added color to my musical journey,' she says.
'My demo arrived on the desk of Eq Puradiredja ' Java Jazz Festival's program director ' and he called to ask me to play at the festival. I felt like Cinderella. After that, a few labels contacted me,' she added. 'It took me a long time to understand what I needed in music. I felt that I didn't want to leave my fate in music in other people's hands.'
In 2012, she decided to work on her first independent album, which was eventually named Imperfectly Perfect.
'I previously never knew such a choice existed,' she jokes.
Imperfectly Perfect has six tracks that reveal the strong character Fraya has in her style of music ' she has talent in writing songs and a brilliant, bold voice not found in many local singers.
In the record, she mixes many elements from the early 1990s, when Sinead O'Connor, Everything but the Girl and 10,000 Maniacs were at the top of the game. It also has a tinge of folk-like music.
Her duet with Risky Summerbee from Risky Summerbee and the Honeythief (RSTH) in a song called 'Amber', for example, instantly brings that mixture to the surface.
Fraya spends lots of time in the RSTH environment. Erwin Zubiyan, the band's guitarist, has played an important role in Fraya's musical journey.
'Erwin contributed to a few songs to the album and has helped me a lot in my career, especially in the searching phase when I was a bit lost. He makes music feels so natural to me.'
Their interaction, generally, resulted in Imperfectly Perfect, which tells the life of a young woman trying to see the world as a best picture.
'Songs in Imperfectly Perfect are my personal stories. It captures dialogue with my own inner self,' Fraya says.
Although she is in the early phase of her music career, Fraya is definitely here for the long haul.
'I want to proceed to the next level with a long-play album. Becoming a full-time musician is my main focus at this time. I feel that it is my most useful role as a person.'
Fraya can be found at Twitter.com/SaritaFraya. Her Imperfectly Perfect EP is available at stores nationwide.
' Felix Dass
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