Voice from Afar

Last Thursday was very historical. That day, was a very first "serious" show that I attend, after all this time I'm all about Disney on Ice. Feels like I'm growing up, or old.

The ticket of  bliss

It's Suara dari Jauh by AriReda. An album launching, a musicalization poem performances of Goenawan Mohamad's masterpiece. I went there with Rana, it was spur of the moment. I asked her to accompany me a day before and she said yes. 

It was also my first time to set my foot in Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (GKJ). The place itself is so lovely. The old building with a very high ceiling, old tiles, and mysterious ambiance that I liked. There's just something from the oldie but goodie thing that always caught my attention. And GKJ bewitching me right. 

AriReda on Stage

Adrian Yunan opens the show with several songs and very heartwarming. AriReda started the night with two songs at a time, Engkau Menunggu Kemarau and Tutuplah Pintu Rumahmu. It was a very melodious beginning. There were 2 sessions of the show and the songs from the album launching were played in session 2. The stage is laid out simply with Ruth Marbun's artwork.

Goenawan Mohamad greeting us, the audiences, with his confuseness of being asked to introduce AriReda to all of us. He didn't say a thing about it, but his thankfulness to AriReda for their willingness to do musicalization of his poems. He also said that we tend to seek out meanings in every poem. Is it just about meanings? He believed, voice from a poem have to be sounds out.

There are 10 poems of Goenawan Mohamad in Suara dari Jauh: 1. Orang di Katedral, 2. Kwantrin Musim Gugur (IV), 3. Berjaga Padamukah Lampu-lampu Ini, Cintaku, 4. Senja pun Jadi Kecil, Kota pun Jadi Putih, 5. Nota untuk Umur 49 Tahun, 6. Lagi Hujan, 7. Malam yang Susut Kelabu, 8. Sajak Anak-anak Mati, 9. Surat Cinta, and 10. Z.

Goenawan Mohamad was giving greetings before the show

If you ask me, what's my favorite of 'em ten, my favorite is Z. Z was performed at the end of session 2 and it brings me back to a memory when I went to the Kata, Gambar Exhibition by Goenawan Mohamad at Dia.Lo.Gue, Kemang last month. The exhibition presents Goenawan Mohamad's sketches and illustrations that never seen before, representing his inner thought and response to his own poems.

There were 3 themes in the exhibition and Z is part of Gambar, Kata yang Bisu. At that time, I didn't know the title of the poem because I just didn't notice where he puts the title in the sketch. What I remembered is, there's rail and some kind of a tree, with his writing that is so thin that I can't barely read, but so hypnotizing.

Z as a postcard with his signature written,

"Untuk Gening, Goenawan Mohamad"

The sentence that sticks in my mind about the poem is, "Lalu jatuh daun murbei dan engkau terlepas" and that is what all I remembered since I didn't know the title. Until AriReda performed it in the end of the session 2, it's Z. I got an aha moment. The title is Z. It is so relieving to know the title after a month wondering lol. 

It's not that he didn't want to look at the camera,

he just like it to look like a candid

I'm beyond grateful and very happy because it's not just about attending the show, but meeting up someone that I adored since forever. Goenawad Mohamad and Sapardi Djoko Damono. For real. I can't barely talk at the moment when I met them, Rana is my witness. They both mesmerized me. My body was shaking, my eyes were watering. I got goosebump and struck at them right at the time when I saw them. Especially after I shook hands with them.

Please mind my "sumringah" face, oh well

I can't make it when Sapardi celebrated his 77th birthday a day before, but my sadness are gone when I met him in person on the show. His luminous soul spread out anywhere he stepped his foot. Plus, meeting Goenawan Mohamad, a portrait of the man that I always wanted to have in life because he's just so brilliant. His mind attracted me whatsoever. 

The trio that brings me happiness in a night

Ari Malibu and Reda Gaudiamo, thank you for coloring my night with peace and love. And also Rana, who's willing to accompany me even if I just invited her a day before the show.

Cheers,

Gendis.