Selamat buat mpok Alin dan bang Taufik
I
I met her for the very first time in a soirée in Cibubur two years ago. I was playing the keyboard, she was singing, entertaining the guests while they were dining in a spacious out-door family food-court. turned out that she was (and still is) one of regular backing vocals of the famous old-music-show Tembang Kenangan aired by Indosiar. Tender voice she has, and a wide selection of repertoires as well.
Last December this couple told me about how difficult it was to find a perfect venue for their wedding because most of the Jakartans' favorite place had been fully booked and the waiting list is miles long. In fact, they admitted that they had to postpone the nuptial cerremony until that tedious task is done. Perhaps it would be much easier for them to find free time-slots in many ceremonial halls in Jakarta if only they decided to hold the party on Tuesday or Wednesday.
I couldn't help but wondering whenever I find out a couple decide to throw the wedding party in weekdays. My distant cousin got married in Wednesday, on the date fixed by primbon or some traditional almanac, as people in his wife's village practise. For me this means a good luck. I could make an acceptable excuse "I'm sorry I can't make it because I've to go to work". Lucky, because then I didn't have to come all the way to a nearly isolated place somewhere in Sumedang.
People might think that you're superstitious when you tell them that you, a Jakartan, will hold the wedding ceremony on weekdays. But with this venue shortage, I could call it a pragmatical decision.
Finally I was glad to know that they didn't have to wait for another decade to get married: They found a decent place in Gedung Bangda Kalibata. And they picked just a perfect day, appreciated very much by busy jakartans: Saturday.
II
She invited me to come play the music in her wedding, and I wouldn't say not to that invitation. I'd been practising some Banjar folksongs because I thought the ceremony would be in traditional Banjar.
But a long wait for friends to get dressed up and the traffic jam near Kalibata railway cross made me half an hour late. We arrived at 7.30, just in time before the welcome speech was delivered and the well wishers stood in line to greet the happy couple. We had like ten minutes to arrange the instruments and the sound system. Unexpected troubles like high pitched interference and an eager guitarist insisting on accompanying me were unavoidable but like a pro (I hope I use this term right!), I started to run my fingers over the keyboard to play Sirih Kuning as soon as the guests headed for the banquet tables.
I was glad not only because I could make it just in time before the dinner started, but also because the party was in traditional Betawi. I could play a lot more number of traditional betawi tunes. So after Sirih Kuning, I played Jali-Jali and Kicir-Kicir in fully instrumental style. A guest requested a famous tune of the legendary Benyamin S, Hujan Gerimis. As I play this song on the keyboard, she sang along.
Hujan Gerimis
by Benyamin S
Eh ujan gerimis aje
Ikan lele ade kumisnye
Dek jangan menangis aje
Kalo bisa cari gantinye
Eh ujan gerimis aje
Ikan bawal diasinin
Eh jangan menangis aje
Bulan Sawal mau dikawinin
Eh ujan ujan gerimis aje
Kapal berlayar ke Negeri Cina
Eh jangan adek menangis saja
Kalo jodo gak ke mana
Jalan-jalan ke Menado
Jangan lupa membeli parang
Kalo niat mencari jodo
Cari yang cakep seperti Abang
It should be performed in a duet, just like Benyamin sang it with Ida Royani I suppose, but this young lady performed it beautifully alone.
III
Make friends with profesional singers. Alin does, and she had professional singers singing in her wedding. As for the accompanying music, she gave me the honor to play the keyboard, despite her acquintance with numerous friends who play musical instruments in a band.
For me, it is much better to accompany someone who's already figured out the song she'll sing, memorized each words of the lyric, and could tell me on which key she's going to sing it. I can concentrate on playing, not on signalling her when to start singing in the beginning of each verse or frowning whenever I hear an off-key tune.
I met her for the very first time in a soirée in Cibubur two years ago. I was playing the keyboard, she was singing, entertaining the guests while they were dining in a spacious out-door family food-court. turned out that she was (and still is) one of regular backing vocals of the famous old-music-show Tembang Kenangan aired by Indosiar. Tender voice she has, and a wide selection of repertoires as well.
Last December this couple told me about how difficult it was to find a perfect venue for their wedding because most of the Jakartans' favorite place had been fully booked and the waiting list is miles long. In fact, they admitted that they had to postpone the nuptial cerremony until that tedious task is done. Perhaps it would be much easier for them to find free time-slots in many ceremonial halls in Jakarta if only they decided to hold the party on Tuesday or Wednesday.
I couldn't help but wondering whenever I find out a couple decide to throw the wedding party in weekdays. My distant cousin got married in Wednesday, on the date fixed by primbon or some traditional almanac, as people in his wife's village practise. For me this means a good luck. I could make an acceptable excuse "I'm sorry I can't make it because I've to go to work". Lucky, because then I didn't have to come all the way to a nearly isolated place somewhere in Sumedang.
People might think that you're superstitious when you tell them that you, a Jakartan, will hold the wedding ceremony on weekdays. But with this venue shortage, I could call it a pragmatical decision.
Finally I was glad to know that they didn't have to wait for another decade to get married: They found a decent place in Gedung Bangda Kalibata. And they picked just a perfect day, appreciated very much by busy jakartans: Saturday.
II
She invited me to come play the music in her wedding, and I wouldn't say not to that invitation. I'd been practising some Banjar folksongs because I thought the ceremony would be in traditional Banjar.
But a long wait for friends to get dressed up and the traffic jam near Kalibata railway cross made me half an hour late. We arrived at 7.30, just in time before the welcome speech was delivered and the well wishers stood in line to greet the happy couple. We had like ten minutes to arrange the instruments and the sound system. Unexpected troubles like high pitched interference and an eager guitarist insisting on accompanying me were unavoidable but like a pro (I hope I use this term right!), I started to run my fingers over the keyboard to play Sirih Kuning as soon as the guests headed for the banquet tables.
I was glad not only because I could make it just in time before the dinner started, but also because the party was in traditional Betawi. I could play a lot more number of traditional betawi tunes. So after Sirih Kuning, I played Jali-Jali and Kicir-Kicir in fully instrumental style. A guest requested a famous tune of the legendary Benyamin S, Hujan Gerimis. As I play this song on the keyboard, she sang along.
Hujan Gerimis
by Benyamin S
Eh ujan gerimis aje
Ikan lele ade kumisnye
Dek jangan menangis aje
Kalo bisa cari gantinye
Eh ujan gerimis aje
Ikan bawal diasinin
Eh jangan menangis aje
Bulan Sawal mau dikawinin
Eh ujan ujan gerimis aje
Kapal berlayar ke Negeri Cina
Eh jangan adek menangis saja
Kalo jodo gak ke mana
Jalan-jalan ke Menado
Jangan lupa membeli parang
Kalo niat mencari jodo
Cari yang cakep seperti Abang
It should be performed in a duet, just like Benyamin sang it with Ida Royani I suppose, but this young lady performed it beautifully alone.
III
Make friends with profesional singers. Alin does, and she had professional singers singing in her wedding. As for the accompanying music, she gave me the honor to play the keyboard, despite her acquintance with numerous friends who play musical instruments in a band.
For me, it is much better to accompany someone who's already figured out the song she'll sing, memorized each words of the lyric, and could tell me on which key she's going to sing it. I can concentrate on playing, not on signalling her when to start singing in the beginning of each verse or frowning whenever I hear an off-key tune.
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