Exclusive Interview with Bandanaira (Lea Simanjuntak and Irsa Destiwi)
The Indonesian jazz scene should be lucky to have this new promising duo’s arrival. When two awesome talents joined forces together, something big should come out as the result. Let’s give a warm welcome to BANDANAIRA, a name that we are all going to hear a lot in the near future. Bandanaira is a duo of Lea Simanjuntak (vocal) and Irsa Destiwi (piano). They have been friends for a long time, since they both studied at FKIP Atmajaya University Jakarta.
The name Bandanaira was taken from the name of a very beautiful island in Maluku Islands (Moluccan Islands). This name was surely used to represent their strong Indonesian identity together with the beauty they possessed inside. Unique, easy to remember and able to describe them nicely, Bandanaira is definately the right name to choose.
Let’s see closer who they are. Lea Angeline Simanjuntak has successfully bridge her career in two different segments. Standing in secular and gospel music, she continues to have a growing number of fans from both sides. She is a multitalented artist. A musician, teacher, composer and also entertainer, all these blessings has made her become who she is today. She has been collaborating with many big names in various genres, such as Tohpati, Riza Arshad, Jikustik band to name a few. Establishing her career first in pop, now seems like Lea has found the world that suits her vocal character perfectly, the world of jazz. Without a doubt she’s going to succeed in jazz with everything she has. Her broadway-ish style and vocal character, her wide range of vocal and being an entertainer herself will surely help her existance in this wonderful world of jazz.
The other half is Irsa Destiwi. She’s known as a great pianist with many achievements. Winning YPM Award for most outstanding performance pianist and for Theory, 3rd Winner of Jazzeed Djamin Award – a music rearrangement of great composer Ismail Marzuki are listed in her biography. Irsa started with classical, but then found herself fitting in comfortably in jazz. She was involved in Andien’s 2005 album, Gemintang, and also included in the second form of Bali Lounge, working together with around the world musicians such as with one of the best drummer in 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 her ability to make lovely compositions that should be acceptable to music listeners across genres. Irsa establishes herself as pianist, composer and once a teacher.
Now imagine when two awesome talents like them join forces. Taking their path fully into jazz, a genre that many artists in Asia would avoid if they want to make money for living, we should be thankful for this daring decision. Now we have a new promising duo entering the scene, offering something fresh, looking forward to broaden our jazz horizon with their talents. Soon their debut album entitled “The Journey of Indonesia” will be available at the nearest music stores.
As we watched their first-ever gig at Halaman Monthly Jazz last night (August 12, 2009) at Cafe Halaman Taman Sari Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, we got the chance to interview them both right after their performance. Let’s get deeper with Bandanaira.
First of all, please tell us how you decided to form this duo.
Lea: We have known each other for long. We have been friends since we both studied at Atmajaya University Jakarta.
Irsa: yeah, then I made some demos of Indonesian patriotic songs, and then thought why didn’t we just join together. Lea would be perfect for it.
When did you formed Bandanaira?
Not long ago, Bandanaira was formed last March.
Irsa, first you were known as a classical pianist, then went to pop, but now seems like you have found your comfort in jazz. Why is that?
Irsa: Well, actually I’ve been playing jazz for quite long. Yes I played some pop music, but it wasn’t pure pop though. I like to play all kinds of genres, including jazz of course.
What about you, Lea? You were known as an established gospel singer, then you entered the secular world of pop, like your song “The One You Loved” from Pelangi Di Atas Prahara OST, your collaboration with Jikustik in “Aku Datang Untukmu” also your albums. But now, look at you, you sang just like a senior jazz vocalist who has been doing it for many years!
Lea: haha.. no, I’m just a newcomer in jazz. I’m still learning how to sing it.
How did you start to sing jazz?
Lea: It was started when Idang Rasjidi asked me to join him on stages a couple of times. That’s how I was introduced to jazz. And I actually liked it.
You are also an established gospel singer. Now as you enter the secular music world, would you still continue your career in gospel too?
Lea: Of course. Being a singer in secular doesn’t mean that I’m stopping my career in gospel. I’m just focusing myself one at a time. Right now I’m focusing on Bandanaira, but there will still be gospel albums to come. I’m still doing both.
How do you feel as a jazz singer?
Lea: I’m loving it! Now I’m passionate to explore more about jazz.
Where did the name Bandanaira come from?
Irsa: It was taken from a really beautiful island in Maluku Islands.
Why did you choose that name?
Irsa:Well, before we had great jazz bands using Indonesian island as their names. Karimata, Halmahera.. so we tried to find another island to use as our name, and we found Bandanaira.
Lea: We want to have a name to represent Indonesia and that name should be able to represent us too, that’s why we decided to take Bandanaira as the name.
It’s an interesting name indeed. It’s a name representing only you both right?
Irsa: Yeah, Bandanaira is a duo.
What about the other musicians in your debut album? (In Bandanaira’s debut album there are some additional musicians, including Donny Sundjoyo, Philippe Ciminato, Indra Artie Dauna, Tengku Ryo Rizkan and The Jakarta Broadway Singers).
Irsa: They helped us a lot. We always put them in priority whenever we have a gig or making an album, but the main personnel of Bandanaira is us. (at Halaman Monthly Jazz they performed with Rudy Zulkarnaen on bass and Icha on percussions).
Bandanaira’s debut album entitled “The Journey of Indonesia” will hit the stores real soon. This is an album with patriotic songs we all familiar with, including Ismail Marzuki’s “Indonesia Pusaka”, “Payung Fantasi”, “Sersan Mayorku”, “Sepasang Mata Bola”, Guruh Soekarno Putra’s “Cinta Indonesia”, Cornel Simanjuntak’s “Maju Tak Gentar”, R. Maladi’s “Di Bawah Sinar Bulan Purnama”, W.R. Supratman’s “Ibu Kita Kartini”, H Mutahar’s “Hari Merdeka” and L. Manik’s “Desaku”. All these songs are composed in jazz.
Let’s talk more about your debut album, “The Journey of Indonesia”. Can you tell us about it?
Irsa: It’s an album contains famous patriotic songs that are widely known. There are 11 songs in the album from legendary composers. (They brought some of them last night at Halaman Monthly Jazz).
And you composed them all in jazz..
Irsa: Yes. It won’t be difficult to enjoy though.. we make it as easy listenings, but yes, it’s a pure jazz album.
Lea: All songs composed by Irsa
That’s cool! Speaking of this album, I find it interesting that you took the patriotic concept for a debut.. That’s something we don’t see often. Can you tell me why?
Irsa: First of all, we started by making demo of these well known patriotic songs, and then we decided to make an album out of it.
When will the album be released?
Hopefully soon. We are in finishing process now.
Now let’s talk about the instruments. You’re using acoustic real instruments, is that also your concept?
Irsa: Actually yes.. we choose to have the acoustic live concept. You know, eventhough we have nothing against the sequencer, but still we prefer to use the real instruments. It sounds real, not fabricated. The same goes in the recordings. We have the real live recordings in studio as well with these real instruments.
Really? You have to be real good if you choose to do that.. I remember back in the 80’s we had some bands that capable for that, let’s say Black Fantasy and Bhaskara for example
Irsa: Exactly. We want to deliver the pure and original sound. But again, we are not against sequencer at all. Who knows, maybe someday we would try it.
While some artists in Indonesia are afraid to take their career in jazz, you choosed to enter this genre. Do you think you can live from this?
Irsa: It depends on the orientation actually.. we think more of our satisfaction in making music, not money.. still if we talk about money, there are many jazz artists successfully gain a lot too. So, we’re not worried at all. We play what we really feel like. And this is the music.
So this is like an idealistic album then..
Irsa: yes you could say that.
Lea: I guess it goes with the age as well.. there were times when we wanted to explore everything and followed what the market wants, but now we think it’s time to give what we really, really love.
Tonight at Halaman Monthly Jazz you sang some jazz standards too like “The Shadow of Your Smile”, “Gentle Rain” and “Softly as the Morning Sunrise”.. will that be how it’s like for the next album?
Irsa: No.. we would rather bring our own original compositions. Maybe that’s how the next album will be.
Irsa, you have worked in a famous project called “Bali Lounge”, listed in the second formation that has launched an album a couple of years ago. Can you tell us how it was working with an international project like that?
Irsa: It was fun! Working together with one of the greatest drummer in Asia like Lewis Pragasam, a skillful guitarist from Australia Chris Wright and other great talents from Indonesia was quite a wonderful experience for me.
Will there be another Bali Lounge coming up?
Well, the problem with an international project like this is the difficulties to find the available time. Lewis goes everywhere around the world having gigs, Chris too, so it’s difficult for us to be together. But Bali Lounge is a project, the name Bali Lounge could be filled with different musicians from time to time. It’s not necessarily has to go with the same members all the time.
I’m curious to know, how does it feel like working together with Irsa.
Lea: For her age, she’s actually above average. Her ideas, her compositions are all awesome, she’s a superb pianist and it could be difficult to cope up sometimes (laugh)
And Irsa, what do you think of Lea?
Irsa: She has quality. She’s creative and multi talented artist. She is an artist with the real meaning, not a celebrities who usually only care about their popularity. Not only a great singer, she’s also a composer and entertainer just as good.
What’s the plan you want to reach in the near future?
We want to make Indonesia merrier with our music. We also want to promote Indonesia through jazz.
Do you have any message for the fans?
Lea: Don’t forget our national songs. we have to care about our own nation. We have too keep our nationalism high, because it’s important to keep this nation alive.
Irsa: and learn to make our nationalism as a life style. Not something we just say, but it should represent who we are.
Okay, thank you for your time. All the best to you!
Thank you.
For more info, visit Bandanaira’s official myspace
Interviewed by: Riandy Kurniawan
Photo by : Eghi 25
The header picture was taken from Bandanaira’s myspace
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[...] Bandanaira was amazing just as all the other performers. Lea Simanjuntak on Vocal and Irsa Destiwi on Piano, both of them are not a stanger in Indonesian music industry anymore. Lea Simanjuntak who has colaborated with many of the amazing musician in Indonesia such as Tohpati, Riza Arshad or Irsa Destiwi who is the composer of “Cukup Tak Mengapa” in the multi-national album Bali Lounge 2. Both of them are magnificent. Their lively and amazing performance made the audiences sing along with their songs which mostly are patriotic songs which they re-arranged into a jazzy-kind. (Check out our interview with Bandanaira). [...]