Stefan Mahatani’s Amazing Gig Review on “Paperless” Concert

One of my students in the Introduction to Indonesian Music and Culture wrote an amazing gig review on Paperless concert that was held on May 19^th 2015. Stefan Mahatani (BINUSIAN ID: 1501174026) wrote about how the concert although not being too popular but managed to gain the audience attention through its rich music composition, sincerity, simplicity, and experiment. I myself had goosebumps when he described the performance of Jubing and Ki Fathur Gamblang in this gig review. This gig review is definitely worth to read.

 

Gig Review: Paperless Concert May 19^th 2015

By

Stefan Mahatani

The concert was held in Gedung Kesenian Jakarta. It was the Suropati Chamber Park Concert. Suropati Park is the only one that concerns about nationality so that introducing national songs mostly on instruments. Since it is park, the students are learning the instrument in the park. The purpose of Paperless Concert is for the students to be aware of nature as they are losing their scores without thinking about the paper itself. Nature is the greatest teacher that God ever gave to us. It is us that protecting the nature for the future. Not just for that, but also to practice their listening skill and the communication can pass through without any help of gadgets. There are divisions by class such as Bibit class where the children under the age of 10, Akar class which containing the talented students from children until young teenagers, and the ensemble Dahan, Ranting, and Batang Class that learns in Suropati Park. Not just Suropati Park’s students that played in there but there were also many features such as SMA Tarakanita 1 Jakarta, Jubing Kristianto, Ki Fathur Gamblang, and Keroncong Batavia Mood.

As I came to the concert, I was amazed as the opening of the concert was disabled children. Some of these disabled children were playing angklung and some others sing. They were playing and singing three opening songs. One of the songs that were moved me was the song that telling a story of they are not weird, they are not as strange as everybody would think they are, but they referred that they was the special children. They sang all the songs with all their passion and energy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the disabled children were finished with their three songs performances, we were welcomed again with the traditional dance from Padang danced by three ladies from SMA Tarakanita. The Central Jakarta Mayor was given the honour to give us some speech regarding this concert and why this concert was so meaningful to us and to the nature.

 

After that the Suropati Park’s students appeared in the stage. This time was the time for Bibit class to show their performance. They were performing three songs again. Yet these three songs were the three traditional children’s songs that I rarely hear it again. Those were Burng Kakaktua, Lihat Kebunku, and Kupu – Kupu yang Lucu. These songs were arranged in a way so that it became instruments songs played by more than 25 students in the stage. They were all playing violin all the time. Accompanied by their teacher and they were playing piano and guitar. I was amazed looking at these little children who were able to play violin at such young age. In addition, I was proud as they grew with the national children’s songs that was hopefully would be able to grow nationality in the heart of each children.

 

 

Image 3. Bibit class was performing in the stage.

After the Bibit class, the MC as well as the head teacher of Suropati Park Chamber introduced us to his Akar class where the talented students from children until teenagers were there. They would perform two national children’s songs with violin and one student singing the songs. These sings were Desaku and Burung Kutilang. They were really showing their talents by the songs that they brought. There were some students being the leader of each part of the songs alternately. I was surprised that the boy in Akar class would move in the front and playing some part of the song by himself. It was stunning performance. The songs that they brought were really reminded me of my childhood.

 

After that, the MC gave us the background of what was happening before this, the practice they had to face, and the purpose behind this entire concert as we were waiting for the classes ready. The classes that we would see were the ensemble classes from: Dahan, Ranting, and Batang class. They would play two songs: Lestari Alamku by Gombloh and Heal the World by Michael Jackson. As they were playing, they brought us into the soothing and relaxing feeling where someone sang along the song and somebody closed his eyes and seemed to really enjoy the two songs they performed. Mostly they played violin and one of them played cello to present the songs. Same like before, the students were presenting their skills by being the leader of some part of the songs while others just waited.

 

SMA Tarakanita 1 Jakarta danced after the ensemble class was finished. This was where the featured came in. Three ladies from SMA Tarakanita danced the traditional dance again but this was coming from another province. This dance came from Betawi. They danced 3 minutes more or less. After the dancing was finished, the Keroncong Batavia Mood was now on the stage. One of the students in Suropati Park was singing with the Keroncong Batavia Mood. The MC had mentioned her before that when she was at fourth grade school she was eager to know the Keroncong music and sing. She was singing Di Tepinya Sungai Serayu and Sabda Alam by Chrisye. She was singing flawlessly in those two songs. Yet I was so grateful when she sang Sabda Alam. She was really deepening the song and really enjoying it bringing the audiences especially me to her enjoyment.

 

After that, the MC introduced the audiences with the very talented nationally known guitarist, Jubing Kristianto. Head teacher as well as founder of Suropati Park Chamber and Jubing Kristianto would play as well as Ki Fathur Gamblang would draw from paint what he felt about the nature now. They played in about 3 minutes. Personally, I really enjoyed seeing they performed because they played with a high – skill performance spontaneously.

 

The head teacher was expert in violin and he was played the violin like a Camar bird sound. While Kristianto was blending in with his great guitar play, Ki Fathur Gamblang was still drawing from paint in the big canvas. It was amazing. All were laughing and they were singing the song. As Burung Camar by Vina Panduwinata was famous at 80’s, all that knew this song would definitely sing it along the song. At the end of those 3 minutes, Ki Fathur Gamblang was finishing his picture about nature and the two musicians came to an end. Those were 3 minutes worth watching because they blended in like coffee and cream, fulfilling the sound of each other. They finished all together.

After that dazzling performance, SMA Tarakanita was playing the orchestra with the instruments, keyboard, gendang, and xylophone. They were playing the Edelweiss song. After that, the national song aired again, Tanah Airku, as Batavia Keroncong Mood was playing also with them.

As the closing all classes that were already performing and all the guests that were also performing, they gathered around in the stage while the Bibit class lined in every rows. They were all together playing the real orchestra of Rayuan Pulau Kelapa. After that, they bowed out.

I think this was a very good concert because both the audiences and the performer need to know more about our nationality. This concert concerned about the nationality and raising the protection of the world, also the communication between face to face with the musicality. They packed it from the youngest until the oldest. The name of the classes also, Bibit (seed), Akar (root), Dahan (branch), Ranting(twig), and Batang (trunks), are all name of parts of the tree. That is representing we all humans is connecting in a way like trees so that by keeping the right thing from a small thing eventually it is going to be a big thing if we work together.