Together: Krakatau Reunion members (from left to right) Dwiki Dharmawan (keyboard), Donny Suhendra (guitar), Gilang Ramadhan (drums), Trie Utami (vocals), Pra Budi Dharma (bass) and Indra Lesmana (keyboard) perform for Jazzphoria at the Motion Blue café in Jakarta on Friday evening.

There was no need for introductions and the audience cheered loudly as the six-piece band walked onto the stage.

All seats had been reserved for a month for the first show of Krakatau Reunion at the Jazzphoria event at Motion Blue, Fairmont, Central Jakarta, on Friday evening.

The fusion jazz heroes from the 1980s not only quenched the thirst for nostalgia but also showed off the upgraded skills they had picked up over the past 30 years.

Dwiki Dharmawan, Indra Lesmana, Pra Budi Dharma, Donny Suhendra, Gilang Ramadhan and vocalist Trie Utami belted out 19 instrumental pieces and songs, including three from their reunion album to be released later this year.

The lively, intimate mood in the cozy restaurant was created through conversations among the personnel and their interaction with the audience they called keluarga Krakatau (family of Krakatau).

Indra’s musician-daughter Eva Celia shared a table with her aunt, and the evening also saw the attendance of filmmaker Mira Lesmana, who came with her actor-husband Mathias Muchus, as well as musicians Anto Hoed and Melly Goeslaw and their sons.

Dwiki’s wife, singer Ita Purnamasari, sat together with fellow singer Atiek CB and Hungarian diplomats, while guitarist Dewa Budjana and his family sat next to them.

Trie’s parents also came and Trie, perhaps inspired by the presence of her family, sang impressively to reach incredibly high notes.

“I suspect whoever wrote the music didn’t mean it to be performed by humans. The music was originally made for instruments, and somehow as an afterthought, someone gave lyrics to them.”

“Well, we were told to add lyrics,” said Pra to Trie’s delight.

“She was incredible tonight,” added Indra. “FYI, none of the keys were lowered.”

Trie, nicknamed Miss Pitch Control because she often uses the term in judging contestants of a TV singer-scouting show, said all the hit songs in the show had been rearranged, but the original keys had been preserved.

Krakatau, whose formation is now the same as the line-up between 1986 and 1990, has overblown, high-key notes as its signature.

They opened the show with “Anyer” — the region where the phenomenal Krakatau volcano stands off-shore — an unreleased song they usually play during concerts.

The band also inserted three songs from their new album: “Aku Kamu Kita” (I You Us), “Cermin Hati” (Heart Reflection) and “Dari Mata ke Mata” (From Eye to Eye) that served as a cross between Krakatau beats and emo tunes.

In “Passport”, taken from Krakatau’s first album, the audience could observe the synergy between Dwiki and Indra at close range. Indra was the rhythm keeper, while Dwiki was the ad-lib maniac. But in “Haiti”, Indra controlled the reggae soundscape.

Gilang also took the opportunity to offer a solo performance with his large drum set that can emulate the sound produced by a complete Balinese gamelan ensemble.

The show ended with four hits in a row: “Kau Datang” (You’re Here), “Sekitar Kita” (Around Us), the floor requested “Cinta Pasti” (Certain Love) and the song that started it all, “Gemilang” (Dazzling).

Jazzphoria served as a one-stop jazz entertainment destination that night. The show was presented by MLDSPOT in collaboration with Motion Blue and Metro TV.

Megapro Communications CEO Albert Widjaja, who often promotes jazz events, said the event would bring high-quality music to a cozy, intimate surrounding. “It is a new way for fans to enjoy real jazz,” he said.

— Photos by JP/Arief Suhardiman

--------------

Next Shows :
The next performers in the pipeline are Once, Indra Lesmana and Eva Celia, Balawan Trio, Sandhy Sandoro, Dewa Budjana and Syaharani as well as the collaborative MLD Jazz Project. More updates and reservation can be made at mldspot.com and motionbluejakarta.com.

Popular

Furniture exporters decry new quarantine rule

Explore nearby, spend wisely: intra-provincial travel boom

Jokowi faces storm of lawsuits six months after stepping down