Medan, Indonesia – Indonesian feminine steel band Voice of Baceprot is nervous about their upcoming efficiency at Glastonbury in western England, however not as a result of they are going to be enjoying in entrance of 1000’s of individuals at one of many greatest music festivals on this planet.
As a substitute, they’re excited about the climate and what they might eat.
The trio, made up of vocalist and guitarist Firda “Marsya” Kurnia, 24, drummer Euis “Siti” Aisyah, 24, and bassist Widi Rahmawati, 23, had by no means been to the UK earlier than. they usually have been watching movies of the pageant on YouTube to organize.
“We’ve got heard that it rains rather a lot in England and, even when it does not rain, it all the time drizzles,” says Siti, with a pained face.
They’re additionally, he says with a grimace, “nervous about meals.”
Voice of Baceprot (VOB), which implies “loud” in Sundanese – a language spoken by round 15 per cent of Indonesia’s 270 million folks – would be the first Indonesian band to carry out at Glastonbury, which begins this week.
For Siti it was the band’s “greatest dream” and a shock when the supply first appeared through e-mail in March.
“We thought we must play different smaller venues first, however we acquired the gig instantly,” Marsya stated. “We’re very excited.”
VOB was based in 2014 in Garut Regency, a conservative area in West Java province, when the trio joined an extracurricular theater group at college. Based on Marsya, their efficiency was “horrible” and, in an effort to cheer up the women, her instructor instructed they fight music.
On the age of 14, the women picked up their devices for the primary time and started to be taught to play them. That they had by no means heard steel or rock songs earlier than, however their instructor gave them his laptop computer they usually found playlists filled with songs by bands like Crimson Sizzling Chili Peppers and the Armenian-American heavy steel group System of a Down.
“That is once we found steel,” Marysa stated.
The ladies started enjoying at native music festivals and importing their reveals to Fb, the place they shortly started to draw curiosity. Additionally they launched cowl songs that additionally acquired constructive opinions.
In 2018, they launched their first single, “College Revolution,” which took on an sudden lifetime of its personal because of social media.
“In 2019 there have been protests [by students protesting against changes to the criminal code] Throughout Indonesia and other people have been importing movies of the protests with our tune enjoying above,” Marsya stated.
From that time on, the group turned synonymous with music that resonated with Indonesian youth and addressed themes of feminine empowerment, environmental destruction and pacifism, with the trio singing in English, Indonesian and Sundanese.
Flourishing music scene
Indonesia isn’t any stranger to heavy steel and outgoing president Joko Widodo, higher often called Jokowi, is thought to be a fan of bands similar to Metallica and Megadeth.
The nation additionally hosts the Hammersonic Pageant, the biggest steel music pageant in Southeast Asia.
“All through its historical past, the punk and rock scene in Indonesia has been drastically influenced by occasions over time,” Mikail “Mike” Israfil, lead singer of the Indonesian punk band, advised Al Jazeera Marjinal.
“Expertise and modernity have had an incredible affect on the form and improvement of the scene. The present problem going through artists is how to reply to change itself. The fascinating factor is that the punk and rock scene in Indonesia is more and more open, conscious of house and kind, so as to present its high quality.”
On this context, Israfil stated, the VOB “continues to push the boundaries of classlessness and borderlessness.”
Hikmawan “Indra” Saefullah, who performed guitar within the Indonesian indie band Alone at Final from 2002 to 2013 and is a professor of Indonesian research on the College of New England, advised Al Jazeera that “the existence and achievements of VoB deserve recognition.” ”.
“The rock music scene in Indonesia has fairly an extended historical past and legendary bands and musicians. Sadly, it has typically been dominated by male bands and musicians with few feminine performers, though within the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies we did have a legendary all-female rock band known as Dara Puspita.”
With this in thoughts, Hikmawan described VOB as “the brand new technology of the Indonesian rock music scene.”
“They began their careers from the underside and developed dynamically. Her look sporting hijab. [the Muslim headscarf] “It hasn’t stopped them from persevering with to play rock and steel, although many individuals have criticized them, particularly in conservative circles.”
These “conservative circles” included the ladies’s personal households, who have been initially hesitant.
Marysa’s dad and mom forbade her from enjoying music, and one night time when she got here residence late after acting at a pageant, she found that she had been locked out of her home as punishment.
“I needed to sit outdoors for hours earlier than they opened the door,” he says, laughing on the reminiscence.
In Widi’s case, her older sister didn’t need her to attend music festivals, telling her that she was “ruining her future” by enjoying steel music, a sentiment echoed by Siti’s household, who known as her new music profession ” a not very critical pastime.”
However because the band’s fame grew, their households modified their minds.
“It was once they first noticed us on native tv that they began supporting us,” Widi stated.
‘Ethical accountability’
The band attracts inspiration for his or her music from their private experiences, and a few of their songs are direct responses to criticism that girls mustn’t play heavy steel.
Marysa’s favourite tune is What is the Holy (Nobel) in the present day, which she says is about ignoring the haters and “surrendering to a better energy,” whereas Siti prefers her 2021 hit, the meant title God, let me (please) play music.
Earlier than happening stage, the band prays and spends time collectively as a trio with out outdoors interruptions, one thing Marysa stated is vital “to foster their chemistry as a band” – though they nonetheless have their variations.
When requested in the event that they ever argue, the ladies burst out laughing. They argue about many issues, Marysa says, however they’re normally trivial, like what they need for dinner.
The ladies lived collectively for 3 years in Jakarta, from 2020 to 2023, earlier than parting methods with their report label and changing into an impartial band. When requested what prompted them to make this choice, they reply in typical steel type.
“We’re too wild and we won’t management ourselves,” says Widi, laughing.
They’re joyful to be again in Garut, for now, the place the climate is cooler and the ambiance calmer than Jakarta, however independence has additionally introduced its personal challenges. They’ve needed to handle their social media themselves and are additionally constructing a studio in Garut which must be managed by the venture, in addition to planning a tour of Indonesia, having beforehand toured France, the Netherlands and america.
Whereas they discover life in Garut extra peaceable in some ways, there was backlash within the conservative regency in addition to on-line, with girls commonly receiving threatening messages. Are they nervous that folks would possibly really harm them?
“I’m very nervous that this might occur,” Marysa admitted.
As soon as, when the vocalist was returning residence after working towards with the band in Garut, somebody threw a rock at her. She did not observe once more for every week. Siti has additionally acquired hate feedback on-line, principally within the type of physique shaming, with trolls calling her “too brief and too fats” and commenting on her pores and skin.
“They stated that as a global musician I ought to watch my eating regimen, then they harassed me about my zits, saying I ought to have cash to deal with it.”
When this occurs, Siti talks to her bandmates in regards to the feedback.
“They normally inform me to disregard them and level out that the folks making the feedback are ugly too,” she stated, laughing. “The following day, I normally neglect about them.”
Widi stated that trolls additionally prefer to assault his expertise as a bassist.
“They inform me that there are a lot of bassists who’re higher than me and ask me why I hassle enjoying. Usually I reply and inform them that I’m going to proceed enjoying no matter they are saying.”
Marysa additionally factors out the plain sexism in the kind of feedback they obtain. Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, has 1000’s of male rock, punk and steel bands who’re by no means accused of doing something haram or forbidden in Islam.
“In Garut there are a lot of male bands they usually by no means have any issues. It’s very contradictory,” Marsya stated.
When requested what the long run holds for VOB, Siti’s message is straightforward.
“After I play music. It makes me joyful and I also can financially assist myself and my household. So it is one thing very constructive for me. We are going to proceed enjoying so long as we are able to,” she said.
“I’ll play music till I do not need to anymore,” Marsya added.
For now, nonetheless, they’re specializing in Glastonbury and plan to camp out throughout the pageant to allow them to totally immerse themselves within the ambiance of Worthy Farm.
They’re additionally busy designing their costumes for the present, which can function conventional Garut materials and Indonesian motifs, together with the nation’s crimson and white flag.
Amid the vortex of controversy that has all the time surrounded the trio, the ladies are conscious of the load that their June 28 efficiency carries.
“It is loads of strain and we really feel an ethical accountability,” Marysa stated. “Not solely is our title on the stage, but additionally that of our nation.”
