Musicians Raise Money for Cianjur Earthquake Victims
A charity concert Guitarists for the Country: Cianjur Earthquake Donations will be held on Wednesday evening at Bentara Budaya Jakarta. The donations will be contributed to survivors of the earthquake in Cianjur regency.
By
SEKAR GANDHAWANGI
·4 minutes read
IVAN DWI KURNIA PUTRA
(Left-right) Guitarist and singer Endah Widiastuti, Guitarist Dewa Budjana, General Manager of Bentara Budaya Jakarta Ilham Khoiri, Artist and Guitarist Tommy Garux, Director of Humanitarian Funds Kompas Tomy Trinugroho, Curator of Bentara Budaya Jakarta Putu Fajar Arcana, Curator of Bentara Budaya Jakarta Frans Sartono gave a press statement before the Guitarist Charity Concert for the Nation: Cianjur Earthquake Donation at Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Jakarta, Monday (05/11/2022).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — A total of 48 musicians as well as a number of poets and artists will join hands in a charity concert, Guitarists for the Country: Cianjur Earthquake Donation, on Wednesday evening (7/12/2022). The funds raised will be contributed to survivors of the earthquake in Cianjur regency, West Java.
The concert will take place at Bentara Budaya Jakarta, at 7:00 p.m. Some of the country’s guitarists to join the concert are Dewa Budjana, Endah Widiastuti, Tohpati, Denny Chasmala, Gerald Situmorang, Baim, Boris Simanjuntak and Josephine Alexandra.
Others are also Gugun, Ridho Hafiedz, Ernest (Cokelat), Tommy Garux and Sony (J-Rocks). Among the vocalists who will appear are Tompi, Ipang Lazuardi, Sheryl Sheinafia, Kaka (Slank) and Kikan.
“Totally there are 36 guitarists, four companion musicians and eight singers. The musicians are thus 48 people, [of whom] around 40 guitarists are also singers,” said guitarist Endah, who is also a concert-organizing committee member, in Jakarta on Monday (5/12/2022).
The trans-genre musicians will perform in groups. Endah, for instance, will first share the stage with vocalist Sheryl. Dewa Budjana is slated to appear with among others Gerald Situmorang and Andy/rif.
Guitarist Dewa Budjana said several musicians had tight schedules after the COVID-19 pandemic had been controlled. Nevertheless, they accepted the invitation to participate in the charity concert. “When it comes to disaster-relief events, we all have never refused to join because this is what we can do to contribute,” he said.
General manager of Bentara Budaya and Kompas Gramedia Communication Management, Ilham Khoiri, said donations could be contributed via the account of the Kompas Humanitarian Fund. Donors can also contribute directly during the concert or by buying works of art.
IVAN DWI KURNIA PUTRA
Guitarist Dewa Budjana (center) speaks at a press conference before the Guitarist Charity Concert for the Nation: Cianjur Earthquake Donation at Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Jakarta, Monday (05/12/2022).
Poetry and auctions
Besides, several poets like Joko Pinurbo, Hasan Aspahani and poet president Sutardji Calzoum Bachri will also present a poetry reading at the charity show. Joko Pinurbo, who is in Yogyakarta, is expected to send his poems to the committee.
“Poet president Sutardji will read his poetry himself. This is a rare and infrequent opportunity,” said Bentara Budaya curator Putu Fajar Arcana.
In addition, donations are also collected via painting and guitar auctions. At least three guitars will be auctioned, one of which belongs to musician Ridho “Slank”. The guitars auctioned will bear the signatures of relevant guitarists.
There are also 10 paintings to be auctioned. One of them is the work of guitarist and painter Tommy Karmawan entitled “As Long As You’re Happy”. Others are the paintings of several artists like Ilham Khoiri, Ika W Burhan, Diana Dee Mohy and Gihon Nugrahadi.
According to Putu Fajar Arcana, the arts constitute the most humane and gentlest language used by man to express grief, sympathy and compassion to disaster victims. “I think this is the art language. The arts are utilized to serve as a medium to convey sadness and togetherness to earthquake victims in Cianjur,” he said.
Fourth concert
This is the fourth Guitarists for the Country concert to be held. Previously, it was staged in 2010 to help survivors of the eruption of Mount Merapi in Central Java.
The concert was also held in 2014 to aid Mount Sinabung eruption survivors in North Sumatra and flood victims in Jakarta. The donations raised amounted to Rp 1.7 billion (US$109,570) (Kompas, 15/2/2014).
In 2018, the same concert was again able to solicit funds for survivors of earthquakes in Central Sulawesi and Lombok. The contributions collected a total of Rp 3.6 billion (Kompas, 12/10/2018).
“As guitarists, as musicians, we believe that give and take should be balanced. So, we receive aid in hard times but we also help others when they are in difficulty. This spirit is nurtured by fellow guitarists,” said Endah.
As guitarists, as musicians, we believe that give and take should be balanced.
Based on the information gathered, a number of donors are listed for Cianjur quake survivors. Some have joined a paid workshop for tempeh making to be sold during the concert. From the workshop at least Rp 13 million has been secured.
The information about donations was also notified to entrepreneurs in the Kompas100 CEO Forum at the State Palace, Central Jakarta, on Friday (2/12). According to chairman of the Kompas Humanitarian Fund Foundation (DKK), Antonius Tomy Trinugroho, the Kompas Gramedia leadership said the funds already derived from the entrepreneurs at the time amounted to Rp 2.7 billion. “We only channel the donations so as to be truly beneficial to their recipients,” he said.
