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Symphony for the Nation: A Tribute for films
Tracing the past: Singer Valentina Aman sings “Syukur” (Thankfulness) from the film Soekarno
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Tracing the past: Singer Valentina Aman sings “Syukur” (Thankfulness) from the film Soekarno.
Award-winning composer Avip Priatna knows how to pay tribute to Indonesian films and filmmakers — through a concert.
Familiar songs from popular Indonesian films — from late director Usmar Ismail’s Enam Djam di Jogja (Six Hours in Yogyakarta) to director Hanung Bramantyo’s drama Perahu Kertas (Paper Boat) — were brought to stage by renowned composer Avip Priatna.
During the 90-minute Simfoni Untuk Bangsa (Symphony for the Nation) concert at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) arts center in Jakarta, Avip aimed at positioning Indonesian audiences closer to classical music.
He said soundtracks were an important element to liven up a film and by playing it with a touch of classical music, he hoped he could translate his mission into reality.
The concert, he said, was a form of his appreciation to classical music and his effort to present a classy entertainment for all music lovers in Indonesia. “This year, we play the soundtracks of Indonesian films across the ages,” said Avip.
Under the baton of the 52-year-old composer, 38 musicians and 109 singers entertained the audience with 19 soundtracks throughout the concert, held with the support of the Djarum Foundation.
Founded by Avip and Toety Heraty in 2002, the Jakarta Concert Orchestra opened the concert with the national anthem “Indonesia Raya” (Great Indonesia), creating a serene atmosphere at the full house hall.
To rekindle the audience’s nationalism spirit, Avip played the pop band Sheila on 7’s popular song “Bendera” (Flag), soundtrack of director Nan Achnas’ film of the same title released in 2002.
Clad in white uniforms and red scarves to imitate the country’s flag, 45 students who are members of The Resonanz Children’s Choir (TRCC), founded by Avip, enthusiastically sang the groovy song.
Under the dim light, the serenity returned when singer Yosefin Emilia took the stage and sang Ismail Marzuki’s song “Indonesia Pusaka” (Indonesia the Heritage), which director Ari Sihasale used on the soundtrack for the film Tanah Air Beta (My Homeland) in 2010.
During the concert, Avip also screened snippets from the films on a big screen, something that he said was never done in his previous concerts.
In Hanung’s polygamy-themed drama Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love), for example, he displayed a scene when Maria (Carissa Putri) is on her death bed in hospital with her husband Fahri (Fedi Nuril) and his first wife Aisha (Rianti Cartwright).
Long and loud applause flooded the hall when on the screen, the audience saw the faces of teenagers Rangga (Nicholas Saputra) and Cinta (Dian Sastrowardoyo) in the popular flick Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (What’s Up with Cinta?), directed by Rudi Soedjarwo. Six singers harmoniously sang one song from the film’s soundtrack.
The atmosphere took a light twist when Batavia Madrigal Singers (BMS) choir’s 27 male singers wittily performed Rhoma Irama’s song “Begadang” (Staying Up All Night) and then late singer Oslan Husein’s song “Andeca Andeci” — from the soundtrack of Mana Tahan, Warkop DKI comedy group’s first film in 1979.
Avip closed his concert with rock band Nidji’s song “Laskar Pelangi” (Rainbow Warriors) for the film, which was based on best-selling novel of the same title by Andrea Hirata.
For Avip, the concert was special since for the first time his orchestra performs songs from film soundtracks. “In my previous concerts, I used to play traditional songs,” he says.
It took the composer a month to prepare the concert but took him around three months to select 19 songs — a process he said was the major challenge because there were hundreds of soundtracks from 1951 to 2012.
Several songs, like songs from films Tante Sun (Aunt Sun) in 1977 and Catatan Si Boy (Boy’s Diary), had to be deleted from his song list.
Avip said Eros Djarot’s song “Badai Pasti Berlalu” (Storm Will Pass), from the soundtrack of late director Teguh Karya’s film of the same title, was the most difficult song that he had to conquer in the concert.
“We always want to play Indonesian songs that likely have been forgotten by many people,” he said.
Concertgoer Faisal Jabbar, who directly booked a ticket after finding out about the concert from a poster, came all the way from his house in the city’s outskirt with his wife and two sons for the concert.
He said he had to see the concert since he loved watching Indonesian films. “I really like Ada Apa Dengan Cinta and Badai Pasti Berlalu,” the 40-year-old says.
Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara said he enjoyed the performance and praised Avip for what he had done for the Indonesian music industry. “I am satisfied with this concert,” he said, adding that Avip’s new rendition for song “Badai Pasti Berlalu” was a mind-blowing piece.
— Photos by A. Kurniawan Ulung
