Hundreds of music lovers turned out at Istora Senayan Stadium in Central Jakarta on Friday for the opening of the 10th Jakarta International Jazz Festival, known as JakJazz.
Sultry Brazilian singer Lica Cecato and local band Zarro wowed the audience at the Amphitheatre stage with a sizzling combination of excellent music, vocals and dance.
The performers had rehearsed together for only a few hours, Cecato said, "but we could feel the connection during the performance. I found out that this country is a musical country ... The artists are catching up with music (trends) very fast," Cecato said after the show.
Eighteen-year-old student Vidi Aldiano stole the show with his performance of 10 songs, including five from his latest album, released two weeks ago.
The newcomer kicked off his set with "Masquenada", following it up with "Friday Night", "Tomorrow" and others from his new album.
The show just got hotter as Aldiano brought Keenan Nasution, J-Flow and Tohpati onto the stage.
"This was my first performance at JakJazz. I was a bit nervous at the beginning but when I was on stage I felt free," Aldiano said after the show.
"Jazz is difficult but good to listen to, with lots of variation."
Local band Kunokini hypnotized their crowd with their unique combinations of traditional and modern instruments. The audience laughed and sang along with the reggae version of the traditional Ambonese song "Rasa Sayange", a jazz version of a re-mixed Javanese traditional tune "Gundul Gundul Pancul" and Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up".
Little-known Abe Simpson Trio, featuring young singer Alexandro, had the honor of starting the action at the Jazz on Green stage, watched by a crowd of about 40 people.
Other international acts in the lineup were Ray Harris & The Fusion Experience, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Marina Xavier & Enrique Marcos and Kiboud Maulana & Friends.
Rain delayed the schedules of some shows and some performances overlapped but, as with most festivals, crowds roamed around before deciding where to stop for a listen.(jakartapost)
