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Ngayogjazz 2015 to celebrate diversity in society
Coming back: ESQI:EF, which comprises singer Syaharani and Queenfireworks, close the 2014 edition of Ngayogjazz in Brayut village, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta
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Coming back: ESQI:EF, which comprises singer Syaharani and Queenfireworks, close the 2014 edition of Ngayogjazz in Brayut village, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta. The group is slated to spice up the annual jazz event again on Saturday.
The jazz festival Ngayogjazz 2015 is ready to kick off this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. within a village setting on the foot of Mount Merapi in Pendowoharjo subdistrict, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta. This year marks the ninth incarnation of the popular music event.
Held under the tagline Bhinneka Tunggal Jazz-nya, the theme of this year's festival is diversity unified by jazz.
'This year Ngayogjazz celebrates the open nature of jazz, the plurality of the local community and the visitors, and even a national diversity,' co-initiator and conceiver of the festival, musician Djaduk Ferianto, told a press briefing on Thursday.
Ngayogjazz is designed as a public space for the musicians, organizers, audience, local communities and the villagers to interact in and enjoy jazz music.
The ambience of diversity, Djaduk says, could be quickly felt at Karangtanjung and Karangkepuh, the two villages where the festival will take place.
He says both of the villages had mosques and chapels. During Idul Fitri celebrations, local Christians participated. During Christmas, local Muslims helped their Christian neighbors prepare for the celebrations.
In term of content, the festival will present various jazz performances including contemporary, world and mainstream jazz, alongside traditional art performances including bregada (Yogyakarta royal soldiers), pantomime and street magic shows.
'Of the six stages we prepare, one will be dedicated to the local community to present their traditional art performances,' Djaduk says.
He adds that the Lokananta stage will be available for collaborative performances involving jazz musicians, local performers and even visitors.
Among the performers set to appear in this year include Trie Utami and Kua Etnika, ESQI:EF (Syaharani and Queenfireworks), Dexter Band and Panjul, Megan O'Donoghue with Gemati, Jazz Mben Senen community, Etawa Jazz Club, Jazz Ngisoringin Semarang, Solo Jazz Society and Gubuk Jazz Pekanbaru.
Djaduk notes that since first being held in 2007, Ngayogjazz has always been consistent with its basic concept of presenting jazz in a way that moves beyond mere entertainment. The festival hopes to prepare and support communities that wish to produce art and jazz.
This accounts for why at every Ngayogjazz held, the organizers present jazz alongside other performances that have nothing to do with jazz.
'Ngayogjazz is a reconstruction of Yogyakarta's specific situation and condition,' says Djaduk.
Djaduk claims that Ngayogjazz's concept is a unique selling point that cannot be found at any other jazz event in the country.
'Everyone who is at the event will experience jazz music at that particular moment and at that particular scene. It will never be precisely repeated anywhere, anytime,' he added.
Veteran singer Trie concurs with Djaduk, arguing that Ngayogjazz had succeeded in bringing jazz music closer to grassroots societies.
'The spirit of jazz is a forum that can be enjoyed and participated in by anybody. This can really be felt at Ngayogjazz,' Trie said at the press briefing.
Separately, architect and installation artist Eko Prawoto said that the selection of a village as the venue for Ngayogjazz was the right choice because villages usually lived life at a more humane speed compared to the industrial speed of life found in urban areas.
'With such a humane speed, we will be able to see things in a more detailed and careful way,' he said.
Pendowoharjo subdistrict head Catur Sarjumiharta welcomed making the two villages in his jurisdiction this year's venues for the festival, saying that the local people were very enthusiastic about hosting the event.
'We are familiar with the idea behind Ngayogjazz. We expect to see at least 26,000 visitors during the event, the same as last year,' said Catur. The locals in Catur's subdistrict are by now familiar with the demands of hosting a jazz festival. The Pendowoharjo subdistrict previously hosted the event in 2012 and 2014.
' Photo by JP/Tarko Sudiarno
