Bali Lounge 2
Artist : Bali Lounge 2
Album : Bali Lounge 2
Released Date : 2008
Label : Omega Pacific Production (OPP Records)
Since the beginning of Bali Lounge, Gita Wirjawan, a successful professional banker, a musician (pianist), and also a producer, has had a vision to promote Indonesian musicians internationally through a multi national project. The first Bali Lounge was a huge success that brought Tompi to the top. It was a jazz fusion/world music led by 6 multi national players (Tompi, Harry Toledo, Brune Le Flanchec, Lewis Pragasam, Nicolas Rastoul and Rick Smith). The song entitled “Something’s Wrong” from the album became a major hit in many radio airplays in 2004. Several years later, Gita Wirjawan continued the project and brought it into a new perspective. Bali Lounge 2 was launched! Unlike Bali Lounge 1, Bali Lounge 2 came out with more “popish” nuance.
In Bali Lounge 2, Gita Wirjawan reshuffled the team and still included two former musicians from the previous one, Lewis Pragasam, a Malaysian drummer, one of the most accomplished drummers in Asia and the pioneer of the long live ASIABEAT project and Harry Toledo, a virtuoso bass player that has an ability to dwell into various genres of music. Besides Harry and Lewis, Gita recruited Iwan Abdie, a rising young talented Indonesian singer who also works with Lewis Pragasam’s ASIABEAT, Alvin Loebis, a gifted musician in many facets that has worked with many Asian artists including Erwin Gutawa, and Chris Wright, a standing out Australian guitarist that play spanning from rock to pop, and acoustic to jazz. This strong lineups are more strengthened with some guests like Lou-CP (Lucia Palupi) and Fazariah “Menu’” Hentiasanti, as vocalists; Irsa Destiwi, as a pianist; and Djalu D Pratidina (from simakDialog) on Sundanese percussion, Saat (bamboo flute) and Demas (Balinese percussion), as ethnical musicians.
Together they combined force and shaped the second installment of Bali Lounge. Heavy lineups full of talented artists across nations continued on doing what the first formation has successfully done. If the first Bali Lounge appeared more in ambient ethnical jazz, just like how a stylish lounge would have, this time the “lounge” has brought to the wider scale, entering the society along with its diversity. It’s not mainly ambient lounge but also more like multi-shaped crossovers. Simply said, Bali Lounge 2 appeared to be more in popish nuance to attract different genres of listeners outside jazz. That’s how it is this time. We still can find the beauty of world music as unique as its varied roots though, and that’s the red line from the previous one.
The album starts with a very interesting intro. It’s the demonstration of Lewis Pragasam and Demas’s skill, combining the art of world music with modern drum beat, plus some voices in carnatic style representing the beauty of Indian beat. It only goes for 27 seconds, I wish it could be longer, but at least it could give us enough clue of what this album is meant to be. 
The first song after the intro is “Dogol Street”. We love the grand opening of this song, presenting the beauty of Balinese music before it goes into smooth jazz contemporary style, with still a little Balinese percussions played at the background. The second song, “Get Happy” is more like a celebration of Daniel Powter’s style. An easy going song with bright and happy tone is carried out nicely by Iwan Abdie’s vocal. There won’t be any problem to enjoy the song at all. The lovely pop ballad written by Gita Wirjawan named “Used To” comes next. Lou-CP (Lucia Palupi)’s smooth and clear vocal is a perfect choice for this one and definitely will be a song that you play over and over again.
What the first Bali Lounge was more into was back again in “Samba Sunda”. Presenting the Sundanese (West Java traditional music) into jazz, especially with the former simakDialog’s traditional percussionist Jalu D Pratidina and Saat’s ethnical bamboo flute playing. This song brings the magic of fusion between east and west, traditional and modern, and ethnic and jazz. The pop rock in the style of Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day” entitled “Tell Me” is the next, again by Iwan Abdie’s easy going voice. If you like Daniel Powter’s songs, you will definitely love this one as well. It’s time for another world music touch in jazz. “Mean Curry” is started brilliantly with Lewis Pragasam and Demas’ ability to give a strong opening through drums and a set of Balinese percussions. “Mean Curry” is a song that combines smooth jazz with Balinese ethnical touch here and there in harmony. There are spaces provided for improvisations in this song, and these spaces were used nicely by the musicians. In “Free” we get the combination between traditional percussions, flute and Indian sitar play in light pop with little jazzy feeling. “In Doubt” sung by Menu (Fazariah Hentiasanti) appears as an easy listening pop jazz. Irsa Destiwi takes the piano part in this one. They both continue their role in the next song, “Cukup Tak Mengapa”, but this time on piano. A sweet jazzy song reminds me of Sheila Madjid’s songs, especially by Menu’s voice that sounds like hers. The album ends with the Beyonce-like “Jimbaran Jive”. I’d say Jimbaran Jive is a song representing “bootylicious” in jazz taste. This song, “a bit naughty”, appears cool, funky and groovy. Lou CP and Chris Wright do their jobs as the lead vocals on this one amazingly.
If the first Bali Lounge with Tompi focused on the magical world music lounge, the second one is meant to be for wider audiences. Bali Lounge now goes outside, bringing the lounge into the society in many different colors, in more compromising concept towards the trend. Nothing wrong with that though, as this project still shaped as a multi national project that gives Indonesian musicians a chance to collaborate together internationally. It still riches in concepts, offers many things, and consists of great talents. 11 great songs included in the album will surely be loved by various genre listeners and nicely to be played over and over again. There are no difficult songs to enjoy. You can even sing along when listening some of the songs. I earnestly hope this project won’t stop here. And if Gita Wirjawan plans on making the third edition of Bali Lounge, I will wait impatiently to see what is going to be offered next. One thing for sure, a project like this is important to be the melting pot of ideas, styles, and creativities, and can be used as a model for a peaceful world and for living in harmony. Well, the door of the lounge is open now. Bali Lounge, an album that will be one of your collections for its colorful variety and interesting song selections has gone outside to greet everyone stylishly.
Personnel:
Harry Toledo: Bass
Lewis Pragasam: Drums & Percussion
Chris Wright: Guitar ( and Lead Vocal on “Jimbaran Jive”)
Alvin Loebis: Piano, Keyboards & Programming
Guests:
Jalu D. Pratidina: Sundanese Percussion on “Free” & “Samba Sunda”
Saat: Bamboo Flute on “Free” & “Samba Sunda”
Demas: Balinese Percussion on “Intro” & “Mean Curry”
Iwan Abdie: Lead Vocal on “Get Happy”, “Tell Me”, & “Free”
Lou CP: Lead Vocal on “Used To” & “Jimbaran Jive”
Menu’: Lead Vocal on “Cukup Tak Mengapa” & “In Doubt”
Irsa Destiwi: Piano on “Cukup Tak Mengapa” & “In Doubt”
Chandra: Backing Vocal on “Get Happy”, “Tell Me”, “Used To”, “In Doubt”, & “Cukup Tak Mengapa”
Uci: Backing Vocal on “Used To”, “In Doubt”, “Free”, “Cukup Tak Mengapa”, & Jimbaran Jive
Executive Producer: Gita Wirjawan
Tracklistings:
1. Intro
2. Dogol Street
3. Get Happy
4. Used To
5. Samba Sunda
6. Tell Me
7. Mean Curry
8. Free
9. In Doubt
10. Cukup Tak Mengapa
11. Jimbaran Jive
Visit Bali Lounge 2’s official myspace and Bali Lounge 2’s page at OPP Records website
pictures taken from Bali Lounge 2’s myspace
Reviewed by: Riandy Kurniawan
Special thanks to :
Alhenri Wijaya
Popularity: 5% [?]
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[...] but lately she’s exploring her passion in jazz too. She appeared in the international project Bali Lounge 2, a project made by Gita Wirjawan, consists of around the world talented musicians including Lewis [...]
[...] Asia, Lewis Pragasam (Malaysia) and Chris Wright (Australia). Two of her composition were taken for Bali Lounge 2 album, “Cukup Tak Mengapa” and “In Doubt”. Through these songs we could see [...]