It’s not hard to see why yoga, “a practice aimed at calibrating mind and body”, would catch on fast in Jakarta. The commute-work-consume-escape-repeat pattern of middle-class life leads many to seek a way out other than entertainment or shopping. Read More
If you see a smaller wave, go above!
If it’s big, duck and dive … OK !
That’s all I can remember before I got washed out …
Cheerleading in Jakarta started from four high schools in late ’80s, with pioneers from SMA 82 (Daha), SMA 34 (Gecita), SMA 3 and SMA OL. “We were the first cheerleaders in Jakarta. At the time, it started from a dance group, and I trained the first cheerleading squad in ’82 as a senior in high school,” says Nora, a former cheerleader. Read More
Still pictures from www.godisadirector.com
Cina is a Chinese Christian guy
Anisa is a Javanese Muslim girl
God is a director
Religion, society and diversity combine to create a simple formula for the complexity we face every day in this world. It is a delicate issue, kept not particularly behind closed doors, but is discreet enough to avoid any confrontation that can actually turn into a mess. Read More
The images of flying bodies through buildings in the cult movie, Yamakasi (2001), was like a western version of kung fu or ninja movies without the martial arts. Honestly I cannot remember the film, but I remember people running-leaping-jumping-flying through walls and buildings. It’s not your regular kung fu superhero movie. It’s not a Marvel comic, it’s real people in a real world. In real life, there’s no strings attached to your waist to keep you safe. Read More
When I was a kid, I had an uncle who was a member of Merpati Putih (White Dove), which is one of the many branches in a traditional sport called Pencak Silat. He was at the level where he could thrust his opponents out of the way without touching them, just like in those movies where the fight master can throw his opponent with a flick of his hand (perhaps without the exaggerated visual effects).
The origin of Pencak Silat is a mixture of history and myth. Historians believe it’s an ancient martial arts that goes back to Indonesian Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms. Myth depicts the origins of various styles of Pencak Silat, which are inspired by animals in nature from all over the region. Check out this link for more:
http://silatindonesia.com/en/2008/12/the-origin-of-pencak-silat-as-told-by-myths/
For many years, the Indonesian government has been encouraging the youth to have more interest in this traditional sport for both of its heritage value as well as its ability to shape a strong character in a person. Unfortunately, Silat doesn’t look as trendy or cool as other martial arts from Japan or China. I also believe this attitude was influenced by film.
Growing up, I noticed Japanese and Chinese martial arts gain more popularity because you see them kick ass in Hollywood movies. We only saw Silat on local TV channels in stories about the old kingdom that had over the top visual effects, or movies from the ’80s with old school effects (which usually looked more convincing).
1980′s Silat movie
The way Silat was presented in films always indicated that it’s a lower class of martial arts. In real life, the training centers are very basic and a lot of divisions of traditional Silat are still closed to certain groups. “These combination supported a lot of misconceptions about Silat,” explain Andika, who has been learning martial arts since he was a boy. Andika thinks that the opposite presentation in imported martial arts like kung fu and karate by Japanese and Hong Kong movies has made them more popular.
The wait has come to an end, because this year we will see Pencak Silat in a different light through a film directed by Gareth Huw Evans. This British director was fascinated by the sport after an exhibition in London few years ago. The film, Merantau ( Journey ), is an action movie that incorporates the rare Tiger style (Pencak Silat Harimau), and will be released 6 Aug 2009.
Iko Uwais, the lead actor, happens to have been a Silat student for 9 years, but then he went to a special training for 6 months to study Silat Harimau for this movie.
“I believe this film can change the face of Silat among the youth, apparently Merantau has become a huge topic in a lot of online communities largely made up of young people,” says Andika.
Merantau could be the first modern day Silat movie in 20 years. The goal is to popularize Silat to the youth by giving it a brand new image of being super cool.
B2W by dailylife.foto.com
Social trends move like the tide, back and forth, but in different layers. When it comes to bicycling, it’s the case that today’s trend was yesterday’s necessity. There was a time when a push bike was simply the only mode of transport rural people and the working class could afford, while the wealthy (and the colonial rulers) had the fancy horse and buggies, and then automobiles came along. Read More
Hark! It’s a Crawling Tar Tar.
Left: Homicide Necrophone Day CD Launch, July 30 2006
Right: Tempe Mendoan gig, 2006, photo by Norman
What good or harm does major label support and/or corporate sponsorship actually bring to independent or underground bands? In addition to being a subject that has vexed me for over a decade, as both a music fan and organizer, it was the heart of a discussion I had with Ari Ernesto. A Bandung scene stalwart, Ari was in three seminal hardcore bands: Komplete Kontrol (1998), Domestic Doktrin (2001-2004) and Hark! it’s a Crawling Tar-Tar (2005-2007). Read More
Arcade Playmate uses both analog and computer, by Niza
One of the strongest emerging scenes in Jakarta today is the 8biter (AKA Chiptune Community). Read More
Quirk (n)
1. a strange and unexpected turn of events
2. a peculiar habit, mannerism or aspect of somebody’s character
3. a continuous groove running along a molding or separating a molding from adjoining members
“It’s all about attitude,” says Ridwan, the founder of one of Jakarta’s newest arty/club nights. “DJing to us is to share the music that connects us all,” he continues. Read More
Scanning the titles in (ak.’sa.ra)‘s magazine section recently, I was struck by how few local music magazines were on the shelf. Back when I was a music-inhaling teenager, and well into my college years, 85% of my information about bands came from print media: magazines, books, listings and other forms of paper. The other source was scouring record bins and going to shows. Call me old school, but “discovering” a band through Myspace doesn’t really do it for me. I’d rather run my fingers through that dead, bleached tree byproduct! Read More
The group is acknowledged as being the single biggest catalyst for Jakarta’s independent arts scene — the Ruang Rupa artists-run collective is approaching its ninth year of existence. Read More
In July 2006, I was planning my boyfriend’s birthday party in Balin and contacted my friend’s friends in Bandung. They were in a band with a funny name, The Changcuters (from the slang, kancut, for “underwear”), and the nicest guys imaginable. When I explained we didn’t have a budget to pay their way to Bali, they responded that it was okay, they were simply excited to go on a ‘road trip’ and play at a new place, and asked if I could recommend a cheap hotel for them to stay in. Read More
For years, I’ve anticipated a hybrid sound to emerge from Jakarta. While a lot of Indonesian bands have a sound that combines diverse influences, I’ve never encountered one that does so with the intensity of Ghaust. Read More
Pics from Black Out Apocalypse, 2008
BLACKOUT
Blackout started about a year ago, as an effort to revive Jakarta’s dormant post-PARC (R.I.P.) scene. The movers and shakers of Blackout were a big part of PARC, one of Jakarta’s most seminal and sorely missed venues back in early 2000. But this time, they decided to move on, progressing from the rock and indie scene to a universal state, embracing all genres and scenes. Read More