Urban Fest ’07: Jakarta, West Java

The great thing about Indonesia is the continual festivals that are occurring across the archipelago. If you are in Jakarta this weekend then you are in for a real treat because the Urban Fest ’07 is taking place according to the Jakarta Post. Get on down and rock!.

What is today’s “urban culture”? Get an idea of the answer in UrbanFest 07 this weekend, through music, fashion, games and the arts at the Ancol recreational park in North Jakarta.

Organized by Kompas Gramedia, the country’s largest media group, the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ) and Prambors radio station, the three-day event will run from Aug. 24 to 26.

Hundreds of participants will demonstrate their work and talents in the festival to be held at the 15-hectare Carnaval beach.

Over 30 bands, mostly indie groups, including Clubeighties, Netral, Sore, Whiteshoes n The Couples Company, The Brandals, Siksa Kubur, Souljah and Kill The DJ will perform at the festival.

“As youth, we present something new, something different from the mainstream. That’s what people call the indie spirit. Now a group is considered indie, maybe later it’s not indie,” Jimmy, a member of The Upstairs, told a press conference Wednesday.

IKJ Rector and noted dance choreographer Sardono W. Kusumo said the festival was part of efforts to give young artists space to display urban cultures far removed from those found in the nation’s countryside.

“We are open to and ready for even “the craziest” ideas,” Sardono told the conference.

Sardono said there were no “genuine” Indonesian cultures, since the nation’s history has long been open to foreign influences.
“If we talk about the Ramayana epic, that’s Indian culture,” he said.

The festival committee will also organize various competitions including the popular Japanese Harajuku, graffiti art and bike modification.

Sports and games include futsal, three-on-three basketball, euro bungee, Wii Nintendo, Air Soft Gun, remote helicopters, freestyle BMX cycles and skateboarding.

Organizers said they planned to hold the festival every year.
Other activities, including an indie movies screening, tattooing, piercing, face painting, a local comics exhibition and food and clothes stalls would be open as well.

Organizers said the festival, carrying the slogan “All You Can Act!!!”, are aimed at promoting freedom of expression in the face of rising conservatism in much of the country.

Rundown of UrbanFest 07

Friday, Aug. 24
3 p.m.- 6 p.m. Opening dance and concerts by Imanismo, Old
Paper, Karon n Roll, Angkatan Udara, Bikinie’s,

Fashion Show.
7 p.m. – 11 p.m. Harajuku fashion show and concerts by
Clubeighties, The SIGIT,
Shagy Dog, The Upstairs, The Hydrant,
Cangcuter, Netral, DJ Performance.

Saturday, Aug. 25
3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Concerts by Jiung, Jambrong n The Woles, Tor,
Harajuku and a fashion show.

7 p.m. -11 p.m. Super Glad, Ballad of Cliche, Rockefeler,
Sekarwati, Mocca, DJ Grofism, fashion show

Sunday, Aug. 26
2 p.m. -6 p.m. Pendulum, Olive Tree, Tika, Siksa Kubur, Vox,
Kill The DJ and DJ Vanda, Float, Souljah.

7 p.m.- 12 p.m. Harajuku fashion show, Sore, Whiteshoes n The
Couples Company, The Pure Saturday, The Adams,
The Brandals.