Significance and Reception of JKT48 at Java Jazz Festival

Late last week, organizers of the 10th Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival (JJF) surprised many with the announcement of JKT48 on its line-up of artists performing during the three-day event. They would be given a one-hour time slot to perform on a dedicated outdoor stage. Initial reaction to the announcement varied—from enthusiastic to dismissive, questioning how they could be allowed to perform at the event. JKT48 has performed at many public events and music festivals in the past. What makes JJF different that it would generate such polarizing reactions?

JJF was first held in 2005 and is a symbol of Indonesia’s emerging middle class which sought out a local music festival of international quality which would attract the best Indonesian and international artists. For the past three years, JJF has attracted over 100,000 attendees during its festival weekend. Its international line-up has headlined Grammy Award-winning artists such as George Benson and John Legend. By nature, JJF is a jazz festival, but in the past it has also included non-jazz musicians such as pop rock artist Jason Mraz, R&B musician Brian McKnight, and soul legend Stevie Wonder. JKT48 seemed like the new kids on the block among the line-up of Indonesian and international music industry greats.

How did JKT48 take up this challenge of performing at JJF? By bringing out the artillery: Team J. This was no ordinary Team J; it was a veteran line-up of all first generation JKT48 members, of which only 16 remain active in the group. Only Jessica Vania did not participate in the performance, replaced by Haruka Nakagawa who is a repeat senbatsu member. I have said before that JKT48 is best experienced for the first time by watching the original members who started it all. Their performance at JJF was no exception.

Their set list was also not to be underestimated. After starting off with their newest single “Flying Get”, JKT48 took the audience on a trip to the past with medley performances of “Ingin Bertemu” (“Aitakatta”), “Karena Kusuka Dirimu” (“Kimi no Koto ga Suki Dakara”), “Baby! Baby! Baby!”, and “Ponytail dan Shu-Shu” (“Ponytail to Shu-shu”). This is the same medley used by Team J in their current theater set list. To seal the deal, they then shook the stage with “RIVER”. It should also be noted that almost all of the songs performed that evening were done with live vocals rather than pre-recorded ones. Midway through the set list, their faces were drenched in sweat from the humidity because they were performing on an outdoor stage.

For most of the audience at JJF, this was their first time experiencing JKT48. A successful performance would allow JKT48 to break into the emerging Indonesian middle class, most of whom do not spend much time watching television. This limits their exposure to coverage of JKT48 in traditional media. By performing the songs above sequentially, JKT48 has simultaneously exposed the audience to the group’s past (album singles), present (debut single), and future (new single). This was intentional, and the result can be considered a phenomenal success.

Indonesia’s state news agency Antara accuses JKT48 of being “mischievous” for not performing jazz-themed arrangements in their festival debut. Yet this refusal to conform to the mold of JJF was an “oasis” for festival attendees, according to the news agency, as audience members could dance along to the group’s unique rhythms. The news magazine Gatra reports that JKT48’s youth fans largely assembled in front of the stage, while older viewers and onlookers stood further away.

Gatra also spoke to a 50-something-year-old regular attendee of JJF, who questioned the decision to invite JKT48 to perform. He speculated that organizers might be attempting to attract a wider audience to increase attendance. “It’s good to know, I guess, but I won’t be watching.” Jawa Pos National Network took the issue to Eki Puradiredja, JJF’s program coordinator. “Showcasing jazz musicians is the obvious goal, but there are also legendary artists and pop artists,” he said. To that effect, pop artist Agnes Monica would also be performing at JJF for the first time. With that line-up, Dewi Gontha, President Director of Java Festival Production as the organizers, asserted that the target attendance for 2014 is at least 120,000.

Praise for JKT48’s performance was not scarce. Harian Indonesian calls their stage presence “refreshing” and wonders if members felt proud to finally be able to share a venue with internationally renowned artists. An estimated several hundred people watched their stage performance on Saturday night. Solo Pos also reports that a vocal and dance group such as JKT48 was a new addition to JJF because they perform with pre-recorded music, a contrast to jazz musicians who perform live with musical accompaniment. Most of the audience had gathered a few minutes before JKT48 took to the stage in anticipation of their first time experiencing the group’s performance. Some left after listening to the first song, and others stopped by in the middle of the set list to listen for a while before moving on.

By performing at an event with high publicity such as JJF, JKT48 was also exposed to many mainstream journalists for the first time, including renowned Kompas senior photojournalist Arbain Rambey. On Twitter, he posted to followers a set of ten of his photographs of JKT48’s performance. As our resident photographer Djt describes it, Arbain Rambey’s photographs portrayed JKT48 as dancers rather than singing idols. This is a perspective that is unique because the photographs focus on the group’s combined elegance instead of members’ individual appeal. Fan photographers, on the other hand, will usually try to focus their shots on members’ faces and expressions.