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Jazz in ‘pasar’ provides break from metropolitan routines
Jazzing things up: Musicians surprise visitors with an impromptu performance at Pasar Modern BSD in Bumi Serpong Damai, South Tangerang, on Oct
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azzing things up: Musicians surprise visitors with an impromptu performance at Pasar Modern BSD in Bumi Serpong Damai, South Tangerang, on Oct. 9.(JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
Time flies at farmers market-style shopping complex Pasar Modern (Pasmod) BSD in South Tangerang.
Motorbike drivers rush to deliver their customers’ orders. Housewives carry foldable shopping carts and dads hold their little ones on grocery runs. White-collar employees stop by for a quick and energizing breakfast.
The chaotic, yet exuberant daily routine that feeds life into the fully functional pasar (market) was brought to a halt one Wednesday morning. What used to be the market’s regular audio — white noise — was taken over by the sound of a dynamic bassline met with playful melodious trombone and swingy drums, while the guitar’s rhythmic chords brought the instruments into harmony.
A quartet of musicians performing jazz at one of the market’s entrance points caught passersby by surprise. The one thing in common between the quartet and the passersby was that they were all delighted by the sound of music as both ends tried to take a break from their daily routine.
Street musicians are not as popular in Jakarta and its surrounding area, as in other metropolises, such as New York, London and Singapore.
But the jazz musicians at Pasmod BSD are no street musicians.
Bassist Harry Toledo, dressed in a simple pair of shorts, T-shirt and a pair of overworn sandals, is a bass guru who has traveled around the world, from Hong Kong to Madagascar. Drum instructor Jacob Sianipar, guitarist Roy Kurniawan and Enggar Widodo on trombone are all familiar faces in the jazz music scene.
“Jazz is not supposed to be exclusive music [....] Jazz is music for the people, of struggle. It can be played anywhere,” Harry said at one point during the two-hour jam session, where classic tunes were played.
The rise of Starbucks and coffee shops in Indonesia has added to the popularity of jazz in the country, but its reach stops short at the middle and upper socioeconomic class.
Setting the music further apart from the daily lives of lower-income people is the emergence of international jazz festivals across the country with ticket prices starting at Rp 400,000 (US$28.45), a tenth of the minimum monthly wage in the capital city.
In contrast, the history of jazz is rooted in the people and their struggles. In the 1920s, following the end of African slavery in the United States and at a time of Prohibition and the Great Depression, the African American communities poured out their soul through music rooted in blues and ragtime on the streets of New Orleans. This would later be known as jazz.
“Jazz for Indonesians is generally still segmented, enjoyed by a certain class. Although there are lots of jazz festivals in Indonesia, the performing artists are cross-genre on average. Jazz as ‘people’s music’ is still far-fetched,” jazz and experimental music pianist and composer Mery Kasiman told The Jakarta Post.
Jazz activities at down-to-earth and, therefore, would be extremely good in support of the formation of communities in the areas, said the 37-year-old academic director at the Sjuman School for Music Education.
The scene at Pasmod BSD appears promising, at least for the particular community. The jazz quartet, which remains unnamed as a band, opens itself up to passersby. Some give them pats on their backs, some discussed music with them.
From The Modern Jazz Quartet’s “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise”, “The Chicken” by Jaco Pastorius and George Benson’s “Billy Bounce”, the eye contact between band members was indicative of the spontaneous play that made jam sessions exciting. The rounds of applause and shouting of “yeah” and “woo-hoo” enlivened the scene.
It was the second time the jazz quartet performed at Pasmod BSD and it intends to make the performance a Wednesday routine.
A few meters away from the center of the crowd stood Johan, a ride-hailing app driver awaiting a food delivery order, enjoying the music from afar.
“I like old-school pop. Jazz is music for those from the middle and upper economic class. So it’s quite a surprise to see live jazz music at a market, and it’s actually quite fun to see,” said the 42-year-old fan of Didi Kempot, the Indonesian maestro of songs for the brokenhearted, for campur sari mixes traditional Javanese and pop.
Passersby caught by surprise stayed for a while to enjoy the music. It was reminiscent of the unity that music can bring to society.
Rina, 31, and her acquaintance stayed for a little over 20 minutes to enjoy three songs. Drawn from inside the wet market, she noticed a major difference in sounds from what she was used to encountering in other public spaces.
“Music in public spaces is usually different [pop or rock], but it’s quite a surprise that it’s jazz in the middle of a market,” said the nurse at a nearby private hospital.
The music community appears to be united as well by the jazz collective’s act, as its third show at Pasmod BSD invited guest musicians to play the extra guitar and keyboard. Two singers also got to sing their hearts out with the jazzy tunes of “Semua Bisa Bilang”, “Waiting in Vain” and “Stand by Me”.
The impromptu jam session ended after a couple hours with a round of applause and a dancing audience catching their breath. The sounds of hustle and bustle once again dominated the market.
The quartet closed its performance with an impression, an indicator of success. Jacob smiled, seeing the reception, knowing he would return for at least another week. On his hand, a broken drum stick became a memento.
