Suburbia, The First Folk Festival in Cirebon Went Surprisingly Well
If we talk about indie music Mecca in the West Java, the answer mostly turns out to be Bandung. However, Cirebon is not a region you should side eye. Suburbia, deemed as the first folk festival in Cirebon held by Go Ahead People Cirebon proved that the music enthusiasts in this city also appreciate indie music and folk music in particular. The line up is filled with names that are no stranger to the ears of music enthusiasts in Indonesia, they are Danilla, Klopediakustik and Hanyaterra. “The line-up is onlly filled with three talents because we want to create an intimate interaction with the audience through folk music,” explained Ipong, the head and the man in charge of the event. Danilla also had a little Q&A session with the media and she uttered her excitement to play in Cirebon. She added, “Cirebon has a strong potential in terms of creativity and appreciation for art no matter what the medium is.” Other than the music performance, there was also photo exhibition by Klise Unsgawati being displayed on the venue at Metland Hotel Cirebon.
Nearing the show time which was at 7 o’clock in the evening, we headed to the venue and we could see many plush sofas, unique photobooth, marketplace which was filled with F&B tenants, record stores and many more. With IDR50,000 the audience could attend this event and got complimentary snack and beverage in return as well. There was no high stage, it was made as intimate as ever so there was no gap between the performers and the audience. It created a warm and close atmosphere and the addition of low lights and pretty decoration made Suburbia became very solemn and serene. Klopediakustik became the first performer of the night and they brought a very gentle and swaying music. “Persimpangan” as the opening number with a strong pop jazz influence managed to awe the audience. They also sang “Cerita Gunung”, “RIP”, “Kopi Manis”, and “Rain and Star” as more people were swarming up the place and saw their performance.
Next, there was Hanyaterra, a band hailing from Jatiwangi. Pop rock music becomes their forte and they also became representatives of their hometown’s culture by using musical instruments that are made of clay. Jatiwangi is known as a region who produces the highest rate of clay in West Java. Hanyaterra sang “Hidden Soul” and we were amazed at how they could create such music using unconventional instruments. The vocalist also conveyed a message that God has given us natural resources that we should make use of and they simply utilized it to entertain others and make music. As the main guest star of Suburbia, Danilla was up on stage as the last performer. She and her band opened their setlist with “Oh No!” taken from her debut album “Telisik”. She then continued with “Junko Furuta”, a song that is inspired by the victims of sexual violence during the Japanese colonization era. She also shared some facts about sexual harassment in order to raise the awareness for fellow female or general public.
She then performed almost all the songs from album “Telisik” and lastly brought her newest track “Kalapuna”. She also told us about the current state of her upcoming album that is planned to be released later this year. “Kalapuna” proved her exploration in music and offers us a new change that is both refreshing and intriguing. Cirebon that night surprised us with its high enthusiasm in folk music. Its citizens and youth especially, were willing to appreciate art and creativity. Suburbia has nailed its first edition, hopefully there will be second, third, fourth, and more Suburbia in the future.
Writer & Pic: Zakaria/Editor: Novita Widia