T

here are many ways to celebrate a nation'€™s independence day.

For two old friends '€” composer Yovie Widianto and pianist Bubi Sutomo '€” a reunion through a special musical performance is their way to commemorate the country'€™s 69th independence anniversary.

Collaborating with Smart Indonesia Study Center (PSIC), Galeri Indonesia Kaya and Progress in Harmony Society (PIHS), they presented a special performance called Raya Indonesia: Denting dan Selenting Kemerdekaan Bangsa (Indonesia the Great: Chime and Talks of a Nation'€™s Independence).

The performance, held at the Galeri Indonesia Kaya ballroom in Jakarta on Aug.12, was staged before a limited audience, mostly close friends that the two had known since they began their musical careers during their university days at Padjadjaran University and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) some 20 years ago in Bandung, West Java.

The concert'€™s ambience was very personal and intimate, with Yovie and Bubi not only performing but also connecting with people they knew.

Bubi opened with the traditional Balinese song '€œJanger'€, a strong opening to heat up the night. The song was rearranged in line with Bubi'€™s jazzy style and preference.

Bubi then introduced his band members, most of them, apparently, not full-time musicians, for which Bubi said there was a reason.

'€œWe need to hear more artistic expression from regular people,'€ he said.

The night continued with Bubi and his band playing 12 nationalistic-themed songs from the Raya Indonesia album, which was released in 2007 and was co-produced with Yovie.

All songs were composed by Bubi and most of them, in terms of lyrics, tell of the greatness of Indonesia, its land and its people.

In some songs, Bubi tried to highlight social criticism of the country'€™s current situation, such as widespread corruption and poor law enforcement, as in a song called '€œYang Terba(l)ik'€ (Upside Down), which was sung by an old friend and amateur singer, John Mart.

It is fair to say that in terms of composing socially critical lyrics for a song, Bubi is not Iwan Fals, who is well-known for his anti-establishment and anarchic songs. And despite Bubi'€™s best efforts to use his highly rich arrangements and notes, as well as John'€™s relentless attempt to light them up,
it was just ordinary.

In between performances, Yovie and Bubi occasionally paused to have quick chats either between them or with the audience.

Although the show was meant to celebrate Indonesia'€™s independence, the dialogue between Yovie and Bubi often touched upon other issues, such as trends in the music industry '€” a subject on which both musicians passionately argued with each other.

Regardless of their long friendship, Yovie and Bubi were not hesitant in having a go at one another when they argued about the industry, using their respective idealism, adding more emotion and sentiment to the overall performance.

In some of Yovie'€™s banter, he did not hesitate to say Bubi was the kind of musician who needed to put aside his ego a little bit to step out of the ivory tower of Indonesia'€™s highest echelon of musical stratosphere for the sake of the industry.

'€œPlenty of musicians, like Bubi, have criticized me for performing in teen pop shows. I have to say that if I didn'€™t go down there and perform real music, then how would younger generations know about good music? That is why I am willing to perform in light and teen pop shows regardless of criticism from my peers,'€ Yovie told the audience.

In his defense for performing in such shows, Yovie said what he had been doing was simply a strategy to compromise so the local music scene would remain alive and growing.

Perhaps, since it was a reunion, Bubi decided not to press his side of the argument.

Instead, during Bubi'€™s banter, he talked mostly about the beginnings of his friendship with Yovie in Bandung, how he believed his friend was one of the smartest men on the planet and how he missed the old Yovie who liked to play complicated compositions and music.

It seems that although Bubi nodded to some of Yovie'€™s arguments, he was not yet ready to give up his musical idealism to cater to what the market wanted.

The debate between Yovie and Bubi on the music industry was, perhaps, one of the show'€™s few elements that had relevancy with the country'€™s independence and its history as a nation.

Throughout its 69-year history, Indonesians have witnessed numerous collisions of ideologies and interests. Some of them were bloody, some of them were settled through more civilized democratic means.

And just like Yovie and Bubi, who remain friends despite their differences, Indonesia and its people keep on growing as a nation regardless of the continuous collisions of ideas.