AriReda Gave a Goosebumps Inducing Performance on Valentine’s Day at Rumah Opa
It was raining that night in Malang during Valentine’s Day, as time was ticking the rain grew even harder than before but that did not stop some people to swarm Rumah Opa, a resto and beerhouse in Malang. Some people went there to spend the night dining with their loved ones with a glass of liquor to warm them up, and some of them went to see the main guest star of that night, AriReda. The latest installment from Rumah Opa’s gig “An Intimate Night” invited the folk duo that consist of Ari Malibu and Reda Gaudiamo after previously inviting Danilla to the place. The MC opened the celebration at half past eight, and the audience could not wait for AriReda to perform and without further ado, they humbly appeared on stage. Although the rain grew thicker, they greeted us with warm smile and chose a perfect number to open the set.
AriReda who have been in the music industry for more than 30 years also slipped out the story behind the project. Many people often mistake them as a married couple, when it is not the case. The two of them met when they were in college through a friend and after times decided to perform as a duo and do poetry musicalization. Renown poets from Indonesia like Sapardi Djoko Darmono, Goenawan Mohamad, Joko Pinurbo, and Acep Zamzam Noor are few examples of whose poems have been turned into beautiful melodies by them. Songs after songs they brought, with such charm and spirit despite they admit that they’re not young anymore. Reda who wore a brown blouse that night was more talkative than her partner, Ari who often smiled and nodded to her statements. Ari’s delicate guitar pick and Reda’s voice have successfully raised goosebumps from those who listened.
In a session, they also read questions from fans who attended, through Rumah Opa’s Instagram page. The interaction was quite fun and it showed an intimate bond between them and the fans. Audience were not shy to sing along with them to songs like “Di Restoran”, “Hujan di Bulan Juni”, “Gadis Peminta-Minta”, or “Sajak-Sajak Kecil Tentang Cinta”. They even brought a new rendition from their upcoming album which will be out this March 23rd. Their new album is said to use poems from Goenawa Mohamad only, filled with 9 songs and 1 bonus track. Their chemistry on stage were undeniable and we were glad to be serenaded with these songs by AriReda during Valentine’s Day. They also encouraged couples there to hold hands while watching them perform, it was truly an intimate night with them and it ended at 10 o’clock and they lingered around to take photos with fans alike.
