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View all search resultsAt a Glimpse: Politics, news, music: Banda Neira
(Courtesy of Banda Neira)At first glance, the name Banda Neira, conjurs up images of the small settlement where Indonesiaâs founding fathers, Mohammad Hatta and Sutan Sjahrir, were exiled
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(Courtesy of Banda Neira) (Courtesy of Banda Neira)
(Courtesy of Banda Neira)
At first glance, the name Banda Neira, conjurs up images of the small settlement where Indonesia's founding fathers, Mohammad Hatta and Sutan Sjahrir, were exiled.
But for journalist Ananda Badudu and social worker Rara Sekar, Banda Neira has taken on a more melodic tone.
'We found ourselves at a spontaneous gig where we were going to play Bon Iver's songs. But we didn't know what to call our band. After throwing about some alternatives Banda Neira was our favorite,' said Bali-based Rara.
The friends later concreted their musical commitment after Ananda shared some of his self-penned songs with Rara who was keen to continue collaborating. Ananda's lyrics are very sharp and he often chooses an interesting subject matter.
This lyricism is apparent in Banda Neira's debut album Berjalan Lebih Jauh (Walk Further), which includes songs about the 1998 riot the kidnappings that followed.
'Every day, I eat politics and heavy news. The more, the merrier; the more you read, the more inspiration you get,' explains Ananda, referring to the topsy-turvy politics in Jakarta.
Politics, Bon Iver and acoustic music are among the many other things that influence these two creative individual.
'Sometimes I still cannot believe that I have an album,' jokes Rara.
'Four songs on this album were recorded in Jakarta while we were both here but the rest were produced while we were in different cities; distance controlled our recording sessions,' tells Ananda.
Berjalan Lebih Jauh will have two album release events; one in Bandung and the other Jakarta.
'For us, making our music honestly works very well as an ethic. We let the work speaks for itself,' says Ananda.
Banda Neira can be followed on Twitter @SiBandaNeira. Berjalan Lebih Jauh is available nationwide.
' Felix Dass
*) At a Glimpse is all about the local music scene. Give us a shout atsundayglimpse@gmail.com. Also, become our friend at facebook.com/sundayglimpse and follow us at twitter.com/sundayglimpse.
