Ever so often, we are privileged to witness a kind of uniqueness that serves as a reminder of our infinite talents as a species, and how we they can be used to bring light to a world clouded with the threat of darkness; we observe the emergence of certain individuals who seem as though divinely sent to remove doubt and resume our journey through life reinforcing our need to have faith in faith.Saharadja is a pure example of such a beauty. Their music boasts a fusion of styles that include various ethnic and contemporary types of music delivered with a soothing blend of acoustic harmony.It is said that music can change your state, and undoubtedly, Saharadja continuously takes you to a variety of pleasurable locations, with each track individually poised to explore your emotional response…An absorbing synchronization of strings, chords, horns, drums and vocals; Saharadja use all there is to create genuine food for the soul. A truly riveting experience in every sense of the word… An experience worth sharing with anyone whom you appreciate and even the ones you choose not to. Saharadja originate from the exotic island of Bali. Their music carries the same mystique as the island, and provides an access to a world where nature is valued in its true essence. Bali is truly a magical place and this unique export fully lives up to the essence of all that is Balinese. The spirit of Bali lives in Saharadja’s music, as they skilfully, through their music, acknowledge the world as a place not void of mystery but filled with information accessible to the spiritually enlightened. Saharadja embraces all that is beautiful and translates it into sounds that awaken your consciousness. It frees your mind.Ema Apenu II – 2006.
RIO SIDIK (Band Leader, Vocals, Trumpet and Guitar)
Rio Sidik was born and raised in the city of Surabaya in Java, Indonesia. Sidik's grandfather, Dariono, was a trumpeter with the Indonesian Navy and today continues to perform nightly with his big band. It was Dariono who inducted Sidik into the world of music, taking personal responsibility for training the young boy in jazz trumpet and the techniques of improvisation. Sidik first performed on stage at the age of ten with his brothers and sister, going on to appear regularly with his grandfather's big band Dariono not only kindled Sidik's passion for music, but also taught him the importance of dedication and discipline. Sidik has appeared as a soloist with many of Indonesia's top musicians , like Indra Lesmana, Buby Chen, Erwin Gutawa Orchestra. Rio has a talent for composition, and is a driving force behind much of Saharadja's original work. His true passion is jazz - his favorites including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Arturo Sandoval, and Freddy Hubbard, to name a few. Rio and Sally Jo married in 2002
SALLY JO (Electric Violin)
Sally Jo was born in Darwin in the Northern Territory and was raised in Perth, Western Australia. Sally trained from the age of six in classical music, first on the violin and later on the viola. As a young teenager, she was selected for the Western Australian Youth Orchestra (WAYO), with whom she toured around Australia and in Japan. She was also selected for and attended several Australian National Music Camps. After completing high school, where she was the Concertmaster of the school orchestra, Sally went on to study music at the Western Australian Conservatorium (University of Western Australia). Sally had always had a love for Celtic music, and so, in 2000 she took a break from her classical music studies at the University of Western Australia to pursue this passion, under the instruction of well-known Western Australian fiddler, In late 2000 Sally took a working holiday in Bali where she taught English to school children. Soon after arriving in Bali, she met and fell in love with Rio Sidik. She began to learn jazz with Rio, jamming with his friends and credits him with showing her how much fun she could have doing something she loved. Now with Saharadja she finally feels that she has found her destiny. During the Saharadja process she has studied Indian, Gypsy, Cajun, Jazz, Chinese, Arabic, Balinese, Javanese, Sumatran and many other styles of music.
MARINA NASMAN (Lead Vocals)
Marina hails from Surabaya, Java and happens to be Rio’s younger sister. She grew up listening to her Grandmother, Mother and Aunty singing with big bands, which inspired Marina to start her musical career. She began lessons with her mother at age 6 which she recalls as a very tedious yet exciting course. At age 10 she began jazz lessons with her Aunty who was also a singer and trumpet player. She performed all over Surabaya with her 3 brothers on trumpet as part of the Trio Stamp Kids starting from the age of 7. She was actively involved in the local Singing Competitions and was often awarded first place. As soon as she graduated from high school, Marina devoted all her time to music. She auditioned for and was awarded a position in a cover band called ‘Wild Horses’and they performed in all the hot night spots in Surabaya for one year. She then went on to join Master Band- Surabaya’s most popular cover band. Master Band had regular guest appearances from Indonesia’s top pop stars including Krisdayanti, Ruth Sahanaya, Titi DJ, Syaharani and Andien. Marina and Master Band often performed for Government Events with guests including Governors, Mayors, and The President of Indonesia. Her international appearances include Finland and China. She moved to Bali in 2006 to pursue a world music career with Saharadja and has since enjoyed exploring different styles of music from all over the world and infusing it with her own style.
GEDE YUDHANA (Acoustic Folk and Classic Nylon Guitar, Vocals)
Gede was born on the beautiful Island of Bali in a village called Singaraja in Northern Bali. Gede began to teach himself the guitar at age 6 when the guitar was still much bigger than he was. Gede's father was a bass player in his youth and performed for many years in Malang untilthey moved to the small island of Lombok where Gede was raised. Gede passed many hours each day learning the guitar. At the age of 12, Gede formed his first band called 'No Name'. This cover band played at the Provincial Festival of Lombok alongside guest musicians. Gede always had a passion for jazz but unfortunately there wasn't a place for that in Lombok. Gede played with his cover band until he had saved enough money to buy his parents a small house, and then moved to Bali where he thought he had more of a chance to play the music that he was passionate about. He jokes, "8 years of playing covers was enough!!" In Bali, Gede worked with Pak Philmon, a renowned jazz pianist in Indonesia, learning how to play jazz, and also how to work together with a band.Gede claims he found his true love when he was first invited to play with Saharadja. "I love Saharadja so much. I was an only child growing up, so now I feel that I have 5 new brothers and a sister! Each member of Saharadja is always moving forward, so I always feel challenged. We are all so close, seeing as we spend every day of our lives together. I am confident about our future because we work so well together and never stop challenging each other."
BAROK KHAN (Banjo, Tabla, Sarod, Sitar, Guitar, Percussion)
Barok is the free-spirited member of the band who is always led by his heart. He began learning guitar at age 12 in Malang, East Java. During his school years he performed regularly at Indonesian Folk Music festivals, Religious Events, and often went busking from door to door. He moved to Bali in 1987 when he says: "My musical life really began." His brother visited from Germany and brought with him a set of Tabla. His brother knew that Barok had a talent for music so left with him the tabla and a huge variety of world music CDs. Barok discovered his love for World Music, especially Indian music and began performing with a variety of groups which took him to Jakarta, Yogyakarta and a range of festivals in Bali. He started with Saharadja in 2002 at a time he says: "I was born again!". He had finally found a group where he could play his Indian music, yet still explore other ethnic music. Finally in 2003 he took a chance to go to India for 2 months to experience the authentic classical Indian music. He studied with a Tabla Guru called Yusuf Khan in Jaipur, Rajistan where he studied Tabla and learnt to play music with his heart. He then traveled up to Daram Shalla where he met musicians from all over the world who gather there to perform classical Indian music. On his return, he brought with him new Tabla and a Sarod. This added even more variety to the Saharadja sound. He is committed to Saharadja and he feels after all that's happened in his life, he is happy to spend his life with this band. He states that playing with Saharadja is "like a social communication with the music as the mediator. I've found peace playing music, as it always brings good energy and brings me closer to God. I've played with many other groups before, but I've never felt the mutual respect and commitment that the band members have to each other like in Saharadja"
BADUT WIDJANARKO (Fretless Bass)
Badut hails from Surabaya on the island of Java in Indonesia. As a child, Badut was inspired by his grandfather - who played traditional Javanese music in a gamelan orchestra - to dream about becoming a musician. As a youngster, Badut enjoyed all kinds of music, from traditional music to pop music, and he took up the guitar. Badut's musical career began as a banjo player in a country music band that he formed with friends from other parts of Indonesia. Known as 'Surabaya Country', the band played at local events in his hometown of Surabaya. In 2000, Badut moved from Java to Bali because the island was becoming well-known as a melting pot of musical styles. There Badut met the other members of Saharadja and became one of the band's founding members. Badut is the quiet and enigmatic member of Saharadja who prefers not to be in the spotlight when on stage. Rather, he prefers to focus on the music, providing Saharadja's music with its strong bass structure
EDY SISWANTO (Drums)
Edy is the newest member of Saharadja, having joined them in 2004. Edy started to learn the drums as an extra-curricular activity at age 14 at his school in Denpasar. He formed a rock band with his school mates called Sandikala Band and together they performed at rock festivals throughout Indonesia. They once made the top ten finalists of a band competition created by Indonesian producer Logzelebhore. After graduating from high school, Edy became a full-time musician, performing in the cafes and bars around Bali. He played with a range of bands that played rock, covers, reggae, blues, dance and latin music. He studied jazz with pianist David Wijaya and performed as part of Wijaya's Jazz Trio - an outfit that often featured Bertha, a distinguished jazz singer in Indonesia. Because of his musical versatility, Edy became a highly sought after drummer. As a member of Jiwa Band, State of Mind, Dian Karan band, Duotones and Kayane, he has recorded and performed at various festivals. When he was invited to join Saharadja in 2004 Edy was excited because he had been wanting to play in a band that played a mixture of musical styles. He says "It's an extraordinary experience playing with this band because there is a huge assortment of instruments - from traditional to electric and the music is such a challenge. I also feel there is a strong bond inside Saharadja and I know that together we have a strong future."
source by myspace.com/saharadja
0 comments:
Post a Comment