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RRREC Fest In the Valley 2022 braves storm with an intimate celebration
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Rain child: The audience enjoy themselves under the pouring rain during the Bandung folk group Syarikat Idola Remaja's set at Petromaks stage during the RRREC Fest In the Valley 2022, held in Sukabumi, West Java. (JP/Anindito Ariwandono) (JP/Anindito Ariwandono)
M
isty Mountain Hop: A longstanding open-air festival initiated by contemporary art collective ruangrupa returns post-pandemic with an ever-eclectic lineup under the raging rainstorm.
As a festival run by Jakarta contemporary art collective ruangrupa, this year’s RRREC Fest In the Valley faces a particular challenge in terms of attention as the collective was also in charge as the artistic director for Documenta 15.
Fresh off the plane from Kassel, Germany, the team had only a mere one and a half months for preparation, according to festival director Indra Ameng. The festival was temporarily held after its 2019 edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deeming the 2022 RRREC Fest In the Valley a crucial comeback.
Held for three days at Tanakita 5 Star Camp in Sukabumi, West Java, the festival felt like a warm gathering of close friends under a heavy rainstorm. It was lined with an eclectic selection of performers that challenged the idea of what’s currently in vogue, instead celebrating traditions and the past.
1st day: Through the rain and the mud
The festival opened strong at the Gazebo stage with a performance from Sundanese pop and sinden singer Rita Tila, who recently won three categories at Bandung Music Award. Tila performed traditional Sundanese songs such as “Es Lilin” (Ice Lolly) until go-to dangdut songs under a drizzle, all accompanied by her mother, sitting at the side of the stage with a blanket covering her lap.
“I wish for her health,” said Tila on stage as she threw a loving gaze toward her mother. Her performance at the festival doubled as her homecoming as she was initially from Sukabumi. Her session players on kendang, kacapi and keyboard were all her cousins.
