NUGIE: (JP/Ary Hermawan)

His career may not be as stellar as that of his brother's, Katon Bagaskara, a renowned ballad singer known for his evergreen hits with the KLA-Project, but Nugie says he is sufficiently content to stay in the music scene and to do what he believes in.

More than a decade after releasing his first album, Bumi (Earth, 1995), the 36-year-old singer-songwriter is still keeping his passion for nature alive, consistently advocating for its protection through his artwork and social activities.

After producing the single "Dunia Berbagilah" (Share the World), which was performed by the United Voice of Indonesia -- a group of Indonesian artists -- during the United Nation Climate Change conference in Bali last year, Nugie has just released his latest single, "Lentera Jiwa" (The Beacon of the Soul), a song about humanity. The single will be distributed digitally so as to reduce CD and cassette production.

"This is to show people that protecting nature does not mean having to sacrifice the excitement experienced from using technology," Nugie, wearing a causal t-shirt and holding his sophisticated mobile phone, told The Jakarta Post in an interview at Taman Ismail Marzuki cultural center recently.

With the help of Dr. M, a newly established label company in Indonesia that distributes music digitally, the song can be purchased through a cellular phone.

"I think this is the first time in the country you can download a full-track using a cellular phone. The label is working with a big label in the United Kingdom where people have long been purchasing music digitally. It is more environmentally friendly."

Nugie is definitely unlike the stereotypical pro-environment artist, who tend to appear outlandish with their unshaven hair and clothes cluttered with overused political symbols. He looks fairly fashionable and thinks technological innovation could save both humans and the planet Earth.

He tries to live his life in equilibrium, as Mother Nature does perfectly. "Everything must be in perfect balance," he said. This is also perhaps the reason why he survives in the local music industry.

It is not easy for any musician to keep their idealism when they enter the music industry. Nugie knows that in the age of uniformity where romance is virtually the only theme that appeals to the majority, his environmental-themed songs have given producers little confidence.

He recently finished recording a compilation album of his best hits, which was scheduled to be released this year, but his label asked him to delay the release due to an unfavorable "market condition".

"I believe that you have to be selfish when you make art because then you can find your true identity and originality," he said. "But when I am writing a song about nature, I always try to think of my audience too. I do not want to burden them."

He tries not to make his songs sound preachy, blunt or too harsh when criticizing polluters, be it the government or corporations, he said.

His popular songs "Burung Gereja" (Sparrow), "Pembuat Teh" (Tea Maker) and "Dunia Berbagi" are to remind people of the beauty of nature and the importance of preserving it.

"I'd prefer making lyrics that convey a deeper moral message than merely angry protests," said Nugie, who graduated from the school of politics at the University of Indonesia in 1997.

He has made a few love songs, which he says are harder to make than the environmental ones. However, they have been quite successful in the market. He is quite happy with the success of his song, "Mengapa Harus Terjadi?" (Why Does It Have To Happen?), which he wrote for Bunga Citra Lestari, he said.

Born Agustinus Gusti Nugraha on August 31, 1971, Nugie has released a trilogy of albums named after the three basic nature elements: Bumi, Air (Water, 1996) and Udara (Air, 1998).

In 2000, he produced an album entitled Yang Tak Kasat Mata (The Unseen) with his band, Alv, which disbanded after releasing its second album, Senyawa Hati (The Compound of Heart) in 2003.

He was appointed as an environment ambassadors for World Wildlife Fund and the Indonesian Institute for Environment. He was also appointed by Coca-Cola to join the Olympic torch runners for his involvement with the NGOs.

Nugie says he has gained the support of his fellow artists in the United Voice of Indonesia to create corporate social responsibility programs.

"We will try to be independent in the way we decide what format the events that hold will take. If any party wants to join us, they will not have a say in determining what we are going to do. We don't want any party to politicize our programs," Nugie said.

He said that any program held by artists is prone to politicization and he is also aware that not all companies supporting their charity activities are sincere.

"I have friends with whom I often discuss the companies who have labels ranging from black to gold. They join us simply because they need to catch up to targets and to fulfill certain policies," said Nugie, adding that he was musically and ideologically inspired by American act Pearl Jam, a rock group heavily involved in activism.

Besides performing and making music, Nugie is now making a documentary film in an effort to preserve local wisdom. "Indonesia is rich in local wisdom regarding the protection of nature. I started this project two months a go. This is quite ambitious and will take a long time. But I'm optimistic I can do it," he said.

He is lucky that he and his wife, Shinta Dewi, have the same vision about the environment, he said. So does their 16-month-old son, Arkazora Nugraha. "He does not like playing indoors. This is a sign that he will have the passion for nature," Nugie said.

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