The members of the Indonesian pop duo Banda Neira officially announced on Instagram on Dec. 23 that they are splitting up.

However, the duo’s guitarist and vocalist Ananda Badudu seems reluctant to reveal what was behind the decision. “I cannot tell you the reason,” Ananda told tempo.co. “What I can tell you is only what has been written on Instagram.”

During their performance in February, Banda Neira announced that they would take a long break because vocalist and keyboardist Rara Sekar wanted to study in New Zealand. However, Ananda declined to confirm that this was the cause of their break-up. “Rara will study in New Zealand, but it’s not the cause either,” said Ananda, adding that he would keep on working behind the scenes and as a solo act.

 

Setelah menempuh diskusi yang panjang nyaris setahun lamanya, akhirnya kami sampai pada sebuah kesepakatan. Kami bersepakat untuk tidak meneruskan Banda Neira. . . Bukan hal yang mudah membubarkan Banda Neira, terlebih kini karya Banda Neira bukan hanya milik kami berdua, tapi juga milik kalian para pendengar. . . Namun keputusan sudah bulat. Setelah menimbang-nimbang semua kemungkinan, kami yakin dari semua opsi yang ada ini adalah keputusan paling baik. . . Dengan berat hati, melalui surat ini kami umumkan bahwa kami telah bersepakat untuk berpisah dan mengakhiri perjalanan Banda Neira. . . Kami meminta maaf sebesar-besarnya karena tidak bisa memenuhi harapan teman-teman yang ingin kami bisa terus bermusik bersama. . . Kami hanya bisa berterima kasih sebanyak-banyaknya buat semua pendengar juga teman-teman yang banyak berperan dalam perjalanan Banda Neira. Semoga segala apresiasi, dukungan, kehangatan dan pertemanan yang kami dapatkan dari teman-teman dibalas dengan kebahagiaan dan kebaikan yang berlimpah. . . Terima kasih telah menjadi bagian penting dalam hidup kami. Sebuah kenangan yang akan selalu mengiringi ke manapun kami melangkah selanjutnya. . . Salam, Ananda Badudu dan Rara Sekar 23 Desember 2016

A photo posted by Banda Neira (@bandaneira_official) on Dec 22, 2016 at 9:05am PST

(Read also: Banda Neira launches new album, bids farewell)

Both of Banda Neira’s members stated on Instagram that it took almost a year for them to reach a final agreement, although both admitted that it was not an easy decision. “It’s difficult especially because Banda Neira’s works are not only owned by us, but also our listeners,” they wrote.

“We sincerely apologize because we cannot fulfill our friends’ hope to make music together,” they continued, adding that they expressed their gratitude to their listeners and friends who had been involved in their journey.

The duo's fans have circulated the hashtag #TerimaKasihBandaNeira on Twitter since the official announcement. Most of them expressed disappointment and sadness regarding the news.

too much feelings belong to Banda Neira and now I'm listening to all of them till I fall asleep#TerimakasihBandaNeira

— ア (@adelitabvde) December 22, 2016

Parah sih, sedih banget. Belum sempat nonton langsung, eh udah mau bubar aja huaaargghh..... #TerimaKasihBandaNeira

— Sonya (@sonyapswr) December 23, 2016

#TerimaKasihBandaNeira untuk setiap harapan yang diberikan. pic.twitter.com/83hdd8OvOP

— Dhani (@arman_dhani) December 22, 2016

Banda Neira started off as a part-time project for Ananda and Rara back in 2012. As they gathered more fans, they released their first album Berjalan Lebih Jauh (Walk Farther) in 2013. They later released mini album Paruh Waktu (Part-time) and an album concert Kita Sama-sama Suka Hujan (We all Love the Rain). They recently released their second album Yang Patah Tumbuh, Yang Hilang Berganti (The broken will heal, the lost will be replaced) in 2016. (wir/kes)

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