Lisa Stansfield - photo by Dimas Bayu
As a jazz fanatic it was a privilege to be the Java Jazz Festival this year. Organized for the ninth time, this festival not only attracts artists from all over the world, but visitors also traveled from afar to be at this prestigious event. I think they got what they came for :. Sufficiently satisfactory ear candy until tenth anniversary festivals
Being new to Jakarta first introduced me to the Java Jazz Festival there are only a few weeks. As a lover of music, for jazz in particular, I wondered why I had never heard before. Taking comfort in the fact that it would probably be a small local fair, I started doing my research. More than a hundred artists, a thousand musicians and 50,000 visitors a year later, I found myself quite confused on the screen. This was a major event like the others in the region. It had to be something special for the eyes and ears of any fan of jazz or any music lover for that matter. There was no doubt in my mind; it was an event not to be missed.
Entering the Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran there was a familiar festival feeling. Passing dozens of people selling tickets at incredible discounts, the thump of music originating from inside the expo seemed to drag everyone to entry. Agreeing to European culture, I stood impatiently in the queue. Mesmerized by the thought of all the wonderful things waiting for me there was no tarrying rewarding feeling behind the masses in slow motion. In retrospect, all the fuss really worth it.
Craig David - Photo by Dimas Bayu
Local band The Extra Large had the difficult task of welcoming everybody to the party at the time of my Entrance. Their bluesy jazz was a delight for the ears and with it they set the bar for all musicians to follow. Until that time, I still did not know all the musicians would be so good. As a warm-up for the rest of the day the crowd at the beginning seemed to also enjoy this great group.
To fully grasp the scale of a festival, it is always a good idea to walk around and Whiff air in every corner of the room. Surrounded by large outdoor stages and nine rooms was a large pavilion in which the promoters had their stalls and shops. Without these sponsors the event would have been significantly lower, and because they had their own centralized stage it was inconsiderate. Some music organized themselves, mostly carried out by young, local groups. However, as the bands playing on the main stages, most of them were huge.
With Lisa Stansfield, Basia was the main act of the second day of the festival. I was lucky to be sitting right in front of his fans as hysterical; squealing at the first note of each song, screaming every word with a crazy feeling. Accompanied by his very talented, international band, Basia made some of his greatest hits, as well as lesser known songs. Most of them were allowed a little introduction about the history of how they came to be, as Astrud, a tribute to one of the best singers of samba and bossa nova, original Astrud Gilberto Brazilian.
Gilberto's influence did not stop there; although Basia has a unique style, it obviously is an admirer of the Brazilian singer. Third time lucky and An Olive Tree could easily have been sung by the former, which, to my taste, proves what a great singer and songwriter Basia is.
The recurring layer 80 in most of his songs can be a nuisance for those who have never been fond of the decade, while others may still aspire to the return of those good old days. Performances like how dare you Time and Tide and were greeted with applause and accompanied by elegant visuals of colorful bubbles and gradients in motion.
Some musicians have received well-deserved individual moments during the concert of Basia. Cruising for Bruising was introduced by an incredible solo saxophonist Ian Kirkham, best known as a member of Simply Red. And later, the Italian Giorgio was given the spotlight to show his mastery of the guitar, the Latin American style. After the introduction of the band, the concert was concluded with Copernicus; alleging successful 1989 album London Warsaw New York Basia.
With the calendar in hand many major groups passed the review. Local and international groups even gave different performances from great to fantastic. The only difference between them is the language of words. Regarding the language of music, local artists have as much weight as their counterparts.
Basia - photo by Dimas Bayu
One oddity struck me several times. Except for some jumping and cheering young audience, many visitors seemed to wander aimlessly and large groups sitting on the floor in the hallways, no cheering or spend very energetic sounds. I wondered if it was culturally normal, or if they did not understand the music? After sitting and lying between them, I still hesitated to reply. Regardless of sitting or standing, feet moved with the rhythm and melody imitated my hands as if I was playing one of the instruments myself. It just feels better standing. That's why I'm a bit puzzled that special programs were designed for all seats. Joss Stone actually mentioned during his concert on the first day of the festival: "If you want to get, and have a little boogie, feel free please. Because it is not the music is for? "
At one point, I was doing so many notes on my phone that there was no time to listen to music. It was impossible to give each musician a good ear, just write and be with the next band in time to catch the essence of the music. Fortunately, some of the biggest shows will be on the festival's YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/javajazzfest) s 'there is a downside to a festival of this magnitude, it is just that -. the scale can be difficult to leave a stadium to eat at the food court, or the thought of missing an incredible time because of a visit to the toilet.
These are not complaints. All the reviews mentioned above are excuses to anticipate anxiously line-up next year, because the Java Jazz Festival is something special for the eyes and ears of any fan of jazz or any music lover for that matter.