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Bunga Citra Lestari raises the bar
Bunga Cinta Lestari’s It’s Me BCL concert was an emotional ride through the singer actress’ life journey.
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Lady in red: Bunga Citra Lestari gives a spectacular performance in her maiden solo concert It's Me BCL. (JP/Bagas Rahadian)
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stage with extended walkways in monochromatic colors designed to look like a tubular screen with curved walls welcomed the audience at the Plenary Hall of Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on March 1.
The stage was lit up to show an art video of Bunga Citra Lestari, popularly known as BCL, introducing herself as “a dreamer,” which was followed by the entrance of a full orchestra led by composer Andi Rianto, a longtime friend of the artist. Andi was also the music director for the concert.
The stage was filled with mist and a video mapping shiny dots to represent the Milky Way and shooting stars. Bunga (her name means “flower”) rose from below the stage wearing a long crimson gown and a matching flower-shaped headpiece.
She sang a part of her hit “Karena Ku Cinta Kau” (Because I Love You) before a group of male dancers entered, attaching her to a red cape while singing “Aku Tak Mau Sendiri” (I Don’t Want to Be Alone). Without a break she continued singing “Tentang Kamu” (About You) while the dancers attached her to long red pieces of cloth that served as choreographic props.
Next, a portable stair entered and Bunga climbed to the top as the bottom part of her outfit was dismantled to sing “Kecewa” (Disappointment).
“I have to be honest, I’m afraid of heights,” she said to the audience’s cheers.
As she reached the stage floor again, the dancers gathered around her and as they dispersed, Bunga had changed into a mini white jumpsuit.
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“At last my dreams of having my own concert have come true. It’s not easy to get here. I dedicate this night to all of you. So, enjoy the show,” she said before singing the next song “Rindu Kamu” (Missing You) — a duet with actor Joe Taslim who appeared on stage through a video mapping.
She also had duets with composer Yovie Widianto, Singaporean crooner Nathan Hartono, Ariel and Ari Lasso as well as rock group PAS Band, the band that scouted her singing talent and featured her on a track, “Kumerindu” (Yearning), on its album Stairway to Seventh in 2004.
The concert included notable guests, former president BJ Habibie, her husband actor Ashraf Sinclair and her son Noah along with her parents and in-laws.
In a bright blue ballerina gown wearing white heels, she swirled around the stage and at one point, sat on the edge of the stage, facing the audience.
She wore magical wings as she sang and danced with fellow actor Reza Rahadian while performing “Jangan Gila” (Don’t Go Crazy) which was inspired by a scene from award-winning film La La Land.
The concert was indeed a feast to the senses thanks to creative directors Ashley Evans and Anthony Ginandjar of Los Angeles-based Squared Division.
The dreamy images that dominated the first sequence of the concert were replaced by a dancer flying over the stage carrying a bright red umbrella as Bunga sang a track from one of her films, “Aku Bisa Apa” (What Can I Do), and later disappeared through a trap door.
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In “Legenda” (Legend), a tribute to the late Suwardi Widjaja of Aquarius Musikindo that took Bunga under the label management during her early singing career, the creative directors cast an illusion as if the artist was floating behind a black curtain.
Bunga sang Andy Williams’ “(Where do I Begin) Love Story”, a favorite of Habibie’s and his late wife Ainun and was tearful singing “Ayah” (Father) and “Bunda” (Mother) for her parents.
The stage turned into a dance floor during the last sequence of the concert that presented DJ Dipha Barus accompanying Bunga’s upbeat numbers, such as “Hot”, “Ingkar” (Deceitful) and “Aku Wanita” (I’m a Woman), which was popularized by Reza Artamevia.
Near the end, she sang “Wanita Terbahagia” (the Happiest Woman) for her husband and son as an art video depicting the small family flashed on the screens.
The concert closed with her first single “Sunny”. Throughout the concert, it was noticeable that Bunga has upgraded her singing skills and trained her vocals so that she could control her pitch without losing her breath.
Andi Rianto did a good job in re-arranging Bunga’s songs with surprising mash-ups in some of them.
The LED wristbands distributed to the audience — that lit up in sync with the concert’s stage lights and the music — were another magical touch to the world-class concert.
