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‘Senandung Tanah Air’ Concert: Nostalgic music for future times
Nostalgia, they say, is like chocolate: It can be sweet and bitter at the same time, filling you with memories that made you happy, that meant something in the past, that maybe you can’t get back. As we all know, music is a trigger of nostalgia, big time.
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Lullaby: Twelve-year-old Madelyn Subianto performs "Soleram", a lullaby from from Riau Island, during the concert in Jakarta. (Courtesy of Registry/-)
Who better to serve chocolate if not the Belgians? With music, maar natuurlijk!
On Aug. 18, kicking off celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of Indonesian and Belgian relations, the Belgian embassy served up a unique concert combining Indonesian and Belgian ingredients.
Entitled “Senandung Tanah Airku” (Songs of the Motherland), the performers were Gilbert De Greeve and 28 young Indonesian musicians.
De Greeve is a concert pianist and teacher who has performed and taught in several countries. He came to Indonesia the first time in 2015 and was exposed to Indonesian folk songs. He was so inspired, he arranged several pieces and Musik Maestro had them published in four volumes: Senandung Tanah Airku volumes 1 to 3 for young musicians, and 10 Concert Pieces for more advanced pianists.
Musik Maestro, in collaboration with Musicmind, a music event organizer focusing on music education, then organized the “Senandung Challenge” whereby young Indonesian pianists competed to perform the folk songs arranged by De Greeve. Fifty-eight participated and 28 of the best were selected to perform at the Gala Concert at the Erasmus Huis cultural center in Jakarta.
The first pianist was Nada Dimov, who performed “Bungong Jeumpa” (Magnolia Champaca), a folk song from Aceh. She was 6, the youngest performer, looking so tiny and sweet on the stage, the piano towering over her. Her appearance drew "aaaahs" from the audience, taken in by her cuteness. Such a clever way to hook the audience in!
