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KLa celebrates 25 years of music-making
KLa Project takes their fans on a walk through the memory lane with their popular hits in a concert at the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta on Tuesday
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KLa Project takes their fans on a walk through the memory lane with their popular hits in a concert at the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta on Tuesday. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama) (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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span class="caption" style="width: 498px;">KLa Project takes their fans on a walk through the memory lane with their popular hits in a concert at the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta on Tuesday. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
To celebrate its 25 years in the music industry, KLa Project presented an acoustic concert entitled Grand KLakustik.
The spacious Plenary Hall at the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta was nearly full with KLa's fans ' some came all dressed up for the special night while others looked relaxed in their work clothes.
At nearly 8:30 p.m., the band officially opened the concert, as vocalist Katon Bagaskara strummed his guitar for the first song, 'Gerimis' (Drizzle), one of the band's legendary hits back in 1996, while flanked by guitarist Romulo 'Lilo' Radjadin and pianist Adi Adrian at his sides.
It was a slow start but for 'KLanis' ' the band's fans ' the song's lyrics went straight to their hearts.
'Musim penghujan hadir tanpa pesan [The rainy season comes without a sign]. Bawa kenangan lama telah menghilang [Brings all the long lost memories]. Saat yang indah dikau di pelukan [It was a beautiful time when you were in my arms]. Setiap nafasmu adalah milikku [Every breath you took was all mine],' sang the 47-year-old vocalist. The audience sang along with him.
The Grand KLakustik concert was KLa's second concert held this year in conjunction with the band's anniversary. The first, KLa Project 25 Years: The Glamorous Electronic Journey, was held in August.
KLa Project, one of the country's top bands, is renowned for its ultra-romantic lyrics and harmonious music. The band was formed in 1988 by Katon, Lilo, Adi and drummer Ari Burhani.
Ari left the band after KLa released its third album, Pasir Putih (White Sand), 1992, and Lilo followed suit after. The band once changed its name to NuKLa but reverted to its original name again in 2009 with the return of Lilo. Since then, the formation of Katon-Lilo-Adi has lasted till now.
'It's been our dream. After 25 years, we can finally play music with an orchestra,' said Katon.
Without too much small talk, the band carried on with the second track of the night, 'Lara Melanda' (Ravaging Despair) from its album Kedua (Second) album, which was released in 1990.
In the midst of the song, a full orchestra joined in, providing a beautiful transition from simple acoustics to a sophisticated atmosphere.
Afterwards, the band, which has produced nine studio music albums and six compilations, entertained its faithful audience with 'Kidung Mesra' (Intimate Ballad), 'Dekadensi' (Decadence), 'Mana Ku Tahu' (How Could I Know), 'Prahara' (Uproar) and 'Satu Kayuh Berdua' (A Paddle for Two).
Lilo then took over the microphone, singing 'Meski T'lah Jauh' (When We're Apart), followed by Katon, singing 'Hey'.
Lilo broke the audience's mellow vibe with jokes but the pleasant surprise came when Adi, who is known for being less talkative, came up with a funny quip.
'I can say that I was the most enthusiastic about making KLakustik happen. Our first [recorded] KLakustik [performance] was held live in 1996. I mean, we used to be known as an electronic music band back then,' Adi says.
'We love to go to karaoke houses and sing our own songs. After 17 years, I've become so disturbed with that ugly hair of mine [in those old music videos]. Hence, we have this tonight.'
In 1996, the band recorded its acoustic concert. That night, the band did it again and planned to put it into DVD format to produce 1,000 copies.
The band continued amusing the crowd with 'Jiwa Merapuh' (Fragile Soul), 'Kau Pulihkan Luka' (You Heal My Wound) with young and talented singer Angel Pieters, 'Semoga' (Hopefully), 'Anak Dara' (Young Girl), 'Romansa' (Romance) and 'Laguku' (My Song).
It was getting late and intimate as soulful talent Glenn Fredly collaborated with Indonesian guitar hero Tohpati and pianist Badai of pop band Kerispatih to perform 'Waktu Tersisa' (The Time Remaining).
At Katon's command, audience members got out of their seats and put their hands in the air as they sang along to 'Menjemput Impian' (Collecting Dreams).
The concert was a night to remember, with all-time KLa classic songs such as 'Terpuruk Ku Di Sini' (I Fall Apart), 'Belahan Jiwa' (Soul Mate), 'Tak Bisa Ke Lain Hati' (I Can't Fall for Another) with pop singer Tata Janeeta and 'Yogyakarta', leaving the fans singing.
