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Iga Mawarni: An improvising jazz siren
(JP/Ade Rizal)Jazz is a musical genre steeped in improvization, according to Iga Mawarni, one of the nationâs most famous jazz singers
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(JP/Ade Rizal) (JP/Ade Rizal)
(JP/Ade Rizal)
Jazz is a musical genre steeped in improvization, according to Iga Mawarni, one of the nation's most
famous jazz singers.
The Bogor-born siren also thinks that festivals need to keep tuning out new variations on the venerable musical form, which got its start in the US. 'I always hope that every jazz music festival can initiate the inception of an embryo of a new 'Indonesian' type in the jazz genre.
Iga, who first came into the national spotlight after performing in Surakarta (Solo), West Java, said that Indonesia had several kinds of traditional music that could be combined with jazz to create new music with a distinct Indonesian tone. 'Jazz is very appreciative and capable of collaborating with whatever kind of music.'
As an example, the 40-year-old cited India, where jazz has been blended with traditional instruments such as the zither to produced 'Indo Jazz'.
She maintains that Indonesia has its own instruments that could be used to improvise, such as the Javanese gamelan.
'That's the function of jazz music festivals. Every such concert is expected to induce an embryo of a new breed of jazz musicians and even a new strain of jazz.'
Improvisation and fusion can occur, according to the singer, because all players at a music festival have the same status and opportunity to display their skills on stage. 'We gather with our abilities, sincerity and common desire to perform and enjoy jazz music in a show.'
As a senior singer, Iga said that she appreciates the zeal of young musicians to keep playing and creating jazz music. She said that she was also happy to see that jazz festivals were sprouting up all over the nation, which might help inspire more young people to jam and improvise. Among the regular festivals she cited were are Ngayogjazz in Yogyakarta, Solo City Jazz in Surakarta, and Jazz Gunung on Mount Bromo in East Java.
For Iga, a festival is a party where musicians need only ensure that they are ready to perform, and so she says she never makes any special plans or preparations for her appearances on stage.
'I've always tried to free my mind and avoid appearing on stage after some planning. I want to make myself appear spontaneously at such shows.'
She said that spontaneity has the potential to make surprises and lead to innovations for the further development of jazz music. 'As many young people are now engaged in jazz music, their creativity is thus expected to give rise to an ensuing jazz genre.'
Since 2008, Iga has also been a member of the ensemble 5 Wanita, along with Rieka Roeslan, Andien, Nina Tamam and Yuni Shara. 'I'm the 'laziest' album maker' of the group, she says, with only three under her belt: Kasmaran, Iga Lagi (Iga Again) and Triangle of Love.
Iga, who was also a runner-up in the 1989 National Radio and Television Star competition, has been so involved in festivals and other activities that her plans to release a new album have been put on the backburner. 'I've actually arranged to issue a new collection since three years ago, but it hasn't yet been realized so far.'
However, her son, Rajasa Satria Tama, has been pushing her to finish the album. 'He says as a really famous singer, ibu should make a new album.'
The wife of entrepreneur Charles Rubiyan Arifin said that unlike her previous albums, which were more about love, the upcoming work would show more maturity in its lyrics and compositions.
'Now the verses for my songs are more profound and vibrant. They used to mostly reflect the troubled feelings of youth.'
Iga expects to release a fresh album in early 2014, declining to name the musicians who will back her. 'I'm working as desired by my mood. So the personnel to be involved will depend on my prevailing mood. I'm going to leak their names when the album is ready.'
She also says that she will produce the album herself, without a major label, and that she will probably work with musicians she collaborated with on her first three albums.
