Photo courtesy of Anom Sugiswoto
October 1st, 2016 is an important day for the choir group called Dialita. On that day, they released an album entitled “Dunia Milik Kita (The World Belongs to Us)” under the banyan tree named Beringin Sukarno, Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta. The album contains 10 songs, produced by digital music label Yes No Wave Music and Indonesian Visual Art Archive (IVAA). The presence of Dialita’s album is supported by various parties. Starting with Woto Wibowo, a.k.a Wok The Rock, a.k.a Wowok, first time saw the performance of Dialita at the opening of the Biennale Jogja XIII in the end of 2014. Wowok, which at that time served as curator of BJ XIII, very interested with the choir that consists of mothers of survivors and families of the survivors of the 1965 events. And then, after finds out from Irawati Atmosukarto (Ira), as the manager of Dialita, who is being wanted to make an album for Dialita. From there, Wowok is willing to help. Wowok who owned Yes No Wave is already helped to release the album digitally of a lot of musicians who work independepenly via its website yesnowave.com.
Ira revealed that at the very beginning Dialita’s members want to live recording in the home studio because they lack of funds. It would be very unfortunate if it happens. Wowok then formed a small team with Agung Kurniawan (Artistic Director of Kedai Kebun Forum) as executive producer, Venti Wijayanti as a production manager, and Adi Adriandi as assistant producer. Not just it, Wowok as a music producer, then pick up a couple of young musicians, including Frau, Cholil Mahmud, Sisir Tanah, Lintang Radittya, Kroncongan Agawe Santosa, Prihatmoko Moki and Nadya Hatta. The young musicians are in charge to accompany the choir of Dialita and aransement songs for the album “Dunia Milik Kita”.
Frau, is the stage name of Leilani Hermiasih or Lani, who is very good at plays Oskar, her beloved piano. Her musical arrangement for Dialita can be heard on the song titled “Ujian”. Her music was dark and plaintive managed to create an atmosphere of song composed by a Jus Djubariah sounded emotion. At first, Dialita’s members has difficulty with the arrangement from Lani because they were not familiar with the arrangements from the young. But now, you can hear the strains of solemn of “Exam” song on the first track “Dunia Milik Kita” album. In addition to the song “Exam”, Lani also made arrangement of the song “Di Kaki-Kaki Tangkuban Perahu”, and “Kupandang Langit” together with other young musicians.
There is Cholil Mahmud, the lead singer of indie music group called Efek Rumah Kaca from Jakarta. Wowok considerated to invite Cholil because he wants the shades of Indie Art Wedding in his arrangements. Indie Art Wedding is a project album containing sweet rhythmic songs made by Cholil and his wife aimed as their wedding gift. On the album “Dunia Milik Kita”, a sweet arrangement of Cholil for Dialita can be heard on the song “Salam Harapan” and the song “Lagu Untuk Anakku”. Together with Lintang Radittya, Cholil also arranges the song “Dunia Milik Kita”. But unfortunately, he could not be present to accompany Dialita in their album launching that early October because today he has been domiciled in New York, United States.
Lintang Radittya expertise in creating the sounds of electronic instruments called synthesizer course makes Wowok keen to involve him in the making of the album of Dialita. The beauty of his sounds creation can be heard in the song “Di Kaki-Kaki Tangkuban Perahu”, “Kupandang Langit”, “Dunia Milik Kita” and “Asia Afrika Bersatu”.
In the song “Padi Untuk India” and “Viva Ganefo”, we will listen to the melodious strains of acoustic guitar. Behind both tracks, we know Sisir Tanah, is a folk music group with songs that are poetic. Sisir Tanah presents two arrangements for Dialita’s album.
Then, Wowok is very optimistic of the present figure of Nadya Hatta in order to get a feel that post-rock marching in the song “Asia Afrika Bersatu”. Together with Prihatmoko Moki on percussion and Lintang Radittya in electronics, they managed to make the song sounds upbeat. Of course the sound of piano from Nadya made the song beautiful.
Then Wowok invites keroncong group fronted by Erie Setiawan, namely Kroncongan Agawe Santosa. With their musical instruments that are not simple, the music group were able to bring the beauty of rhythm of keroncong music in the song “Garden Flowers Plantungan”.
Dialita album “Dunia Milik Kita” is a marker that the songs were initially silent should not be sung, now can be enjoyed freely by the public. In these songs, contained sadness, hopes, and desires of Dialita’s members who want to be heard by young people. It is hoped these songs could give motivation and encouragement, as perceived Dialita’s members when it sings. Since August 17th, 2016, Dialita album can be downloaded for free on the site Yes No Wave Music. Releases in the format of compact disc (CD) by Cakrawala Records can be get at Kedai Kebun Forum.