Returning with its 16^th installment this year, the Java Jazz Festival (JJF) continued to be a magnet for music lovers.

As one of the largest jazz festivals in the world, this year’s edition was held from Feb. 29 to March 1 at JIEXpo Kemayoran. It featured 11 stages and musicians from Indonesia and abroad, including legendary group The Jacksons and musician Omar Apollo as headliners. 

Festival-goers ranged from seniors and adults who attended the event with their children to young adults. All seemed to enjoy each show presented by the festival, including those performed in sponsor booths.

One of the booths, for instance, held a karaoke session that played one of Queen’s most popular songs, “Bohemian Rhapsody”. It took no time for people nearby to sing along.

The first day of the festival included a performance by Bruno Major. The British musician performed his singles “Fair Weather Friend”, “Like Someone in Love” and “Easily”, from his 2017 debut album A Song for Every Moon.

On the same day, composer Erwin Gutawa paid tribute to legendary Indonesian singer Chrisye, who passed away in 2007 with a performance dubbed Chrisye Live by Erwin Gutawa. The show also featured musician Gerald Situmorang as a special guest.

As a large screen showed Chrisye singing in concert in 1994, Gerald played his acoustic guitar along to the songs. Popular and beloved songs such as “Sendiri” and “Untukku” captivated the audience, which instantly sang along.

On the second day, musician Mondo Gascaro and renowned jazz singer Rien Djamain joined forces on “Citra”, “You Don’t Know Me” and “Dian Asmara”. In the show, both Mondo and Rien took the time to express their admiration for each other. “I was flattered when [I found out] she was willing to duet with me,” Mondo said while smiling at Rien.

Immersed in the Indonesian jazz scene since the 1970s, Rien is known for her rich voice. It was especially beautiful when it came together with Mondo's soothing voice, making it a particularly special show. 

Later in the evening, musician Fariz RM collaborated with MLD Jazz Project Season 4, a band founded under the fourth edition of the MLDare2Perform talent search. Fariz, whose presence alone on stage was met by cheers, began his performance by singing his popular song “Sakura”. The 61-year-old singer was still full of energy, mesmerizing concert-goers with his passionate keytar-playing.

“What do you want me to play next?” Fariz said with a wide smile to the audience. He went on to play another popular song of his, “Barcelona”.

On one of the main stages, singer Yuni Shara charmed the audience in her debut Java Jazz performance alongside pianist Glen Dauna, harmonica player Rega Dauna and guitarist Jopie Item. Wearing a strapless black sequin dress, Yuni sang well-known Indonesian pop hits such as “Aku Ini Punya Siapa” by late singer January Christy, “Arti Kehidupan” by musician Mus Mujiono and “Tiada Maaf” with a jazz arrangement.

Celebrated American group The Jacksons, which used to be known as The Jackson 5, headlined the second day of the festival. Enthusiasm was apparent from the concert-goers as they lined up in front of the gate hours before the show began.

Read also: Java Jazz Festival 2019 wraps up after weekend of diverse acts

The show, which was closed to members of the press, started with a video showing The Jacksons’ fans of all ages on the screens. Jackie, Tito and Marlon Jackson later came on stage and performed 17 songs in total, including the group’s upbeat tracks, such as “Can You Feel It” and “Blame it On the Boogie”.

“We want to thank you for your support throughout the years,” said Jackie Jackson before singing a medley of The Jackson 5 songs, including “I Want You Back”, “ABC” and “I’ll Be There”.

Faizal, an attendee from South Sumatra, said he found the group’s performance satisfying. "I've admired them since I was little,” Faizal told The Jakarta Post on Saturday. “I got goosebumps [while seeing their performance].”

One of the things expected from Java Jazz Festival is special collaborations, featuring surprising choice of artists and resulting in one-of-a-kind experience. This year, Janapati of guitar virtuosos Dewa Budjana and Tohpati shared a stage alongside a band with six violinists and a flute player. 

Playing songs taken from their self-titled 2019 album, Budjana and Tohpati showcased complex and hypnotizing guitar skills. They also performed “Ratu Kanya”, inspired by Balinese queen of Klungkung Ida Dewa Agung Ratu Kanya, and “Rahadi’s”, dedicated to the late singer Chrisye. 

On another stage, young singers Rizky Febian, Ardhito Pramono, Cantika, Rebecca Reijman and Nima Ilayla showed promising talents all around with cover songs. Ardhito chose John Mayer's “Waiting on the World to Change”, Rizky Febian sang Marvin Gaye's “What’s Going On”, Nima Ilayla gave a special rendition of Bob Marley's “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and Cantika Abigail delivered an amazing performance of Level 42's "Love in a Peaceful World" while wearing an arm sling due to a problem in her backbone. 

American singer-songwriter Omar Velasco, also known as Omar Apollo, was the final headliner of the event. Sporting a silver sequin suit, the R&B singer performed 13 songs, including “Ashamed” and “Frio”. Both songs are heavy with addictive beats and catchy melodies, and Omar constantly showed his dancing moves on stage, a feat he accomplished without running out of breath. 

Festival-goer Ferdo Raturandang from South Jakarta said he had never missed the event since its debut in 2005. With the abundance of shows on various stages, he appreciated the freedom to choose which show he'd want to see.

He expressed his hope that the festival could maintain its international standard. “Hopefully, they will be able to bring more international performers, such as Madonna, perhaps,” he said. (wng)