(Courtesy of Mahdesi Iskandar)

“He told me to follow my passion. [He told me] not to be like the majority who feel trapped at work because they have no enthusiasm for it,” Puti Chitara Kesuma Sekar, also known as Puti Chitara, told The Jakarta Post recently.

She was referring to Joseph Progler, her professor at the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) in Beppu, Oita, Japan, where she received a scholarship to study comparative musicology for four years.

“What he means is that it’s good to be part of a minority as long as we are persistent in the pursuit of our passion. Red among blue will steal the spotlight because of its difference. So, here I am, focusing on my music,” she continued.

The first time Puti ever performed in public was in university. She played at an APU annual event and gained a number of fans. Her experience in Japan encouraged Puti to fight for her music.

“I remember when I graduated from the university, an unknown Japanese person came up to me and said that she really liked my performance and hoped that I would continue on my musical path,” she recalled with a smile.

As a young Indonesian who got the chance to study abroad, Puti did not waste any time in Japan. She immersed herself in student activities, such as the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific Indonesia Community, APU Orchestra and the university’s Japanese traditional dance group Mairaku, earning the Self-Motivated Student Award in 2009.

Puti also graduated with an outstanding thesis on music titled Resonance of Javanese Conscience.

“Actually, I was developing other research about [the development of] Javanese gamelan in Japan and America. Perhaps the theme is what makes the thesis outstanding. It explores why our traditional music is more welcomed abroad than in Indonesia, its country of origin. The professors at APU seemed to think that this research should get attention and be developed. So, I think that’s why [it was called outstanding]. Well, thank God,” Puti said.

Definitely, music is nothing new for Puti. Her singing skills and piano playing are the result of years of practice since childhood. She grew up as the third child of four in a musical family. Back in the 1970s , her mother, Dina Megawardani, was a drummer for the Surabaya-based all-female band Pretty Sister.

 “My mom is my inspiration,” she said.

After returning from Japan in 2009, the 25-year-old started her career by forming the band Gogo with her cousins. The group performed at various events and festivals, mostly Japan, before breaking up in March 2011.

“[The band split up] because we were busy and we found it difficult to adjust to each other’s schedules. So, we preferred to disband rather than doing it half-heartedly,” Puti explained.

Deciding not to give up on music, Puti is back on track, performing as an independent solo act since Sept. 15 last year.

The fun part of being an independent musician for Puti is that she does all the records by herself, in her bedroom at her house in Cirendeu, South Jakarta. Her recording equipment was provided as a form of support from her aunt, who sees Puti’s earnestness.

For Puti, it’s not solely about making music. She also wants to embed a color of her own in her music.

“People often told me that I sound like Frau [a musician from Yogyakarta], Endah N Rhesa, or Tika and The Dissidents. They have the right to comment like that, but for me, it means that I haven’t succeeded in making my own sound. Therefore, I have to work really hard to sound unique and different,” she said.

Right now, she’s working on her first album, which she hopes will be released early in 2013.

She plans to record 10 tracks for the album, with nine tracks already on the books. Speaking of which, seven tracks — “Chasing You”, “Faster than the Wind”, “Mystery Shadow”, “Sarsaparilla Dream”, “Silly Dolly”, “Universe” and “Voices” — are available for streaming on her Soundcloud account. Links to the songs can also be found on her website putichitara.org.

Puti is most well-known for her single “Sarsaparilla Dream”.

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