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Out of the darkness: Ananda Badudu celebrates life on debut release
Ex-Banda Neira singer-songwriter Ananda Badudu releases his highly personal debut recording.
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Calmer waters: On his debut EP, Ananda Badudu dives deep into extremely personal issues. (JP/Courtesy of Ananda Badudu)
F
or singer-songwriter Ananda Badudu, creating music has never been about making a career, but rather a necessity. It was something that he could always rely on. His new and debut EP as a soloist, Angkat dan Rayakan (Lift and Celebrate It), his first musical creation in five years, sees him diving deep into extremely personal issues that many don't dare to talk openly about, much less write and sing about.
Talking exclusively to The Jakarta Post via Zoom on July 22, Ananda said all six songs on the EP were a documentation of the journey he had of “really getting to know himself”. It was something that the 34-year-old said he had failed to do until recently.
“The album is like a statement to myself, to be honest,” Ananda said, “That’s why I’m anxious about its release. Would it even mean anything to other people?”
Post-Banda Neira
After the demise of his successful folk duo Banda Neira in 2016, Ananda didn’t think he would be making music again. He thought Banda Neira was simply “beginner’s luck.”
“After Banda Neira, I tried to find what I was meant to do with my life,” he said laughing.
Ananda moved to Yogyakarta, lived a "bohemian" lifestyle, moved back to Jakarta and worked for a media company for a while, but never really felt completely content with himself.
