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Kantata Takwa. 30 years ago today, 23 June 1990. A concert that made me realised I was witnessing the beginnings of a change in Indonesia’s political history, perhaps one of the many elements that formed the genesis of Indonesia’s Reformasi.
The venue at Stadiun Gelora Senayan had a heavy army and police presence, which amusingly also acted as concert ticket-checkers and ushers. Everybody was frisked, suspicious items confiscated, and we had to duck-walk from the carpark to the venue doors.
The army personnel wielded long rotan rods to keep the crowd in order. Most were irritated with the treatment, but when there were armoured car with guns trained on you, when they say duck-walk, you duck-walk.
Gelora Senayan was over-filled. That means 50,000 people and more. The mood was a mixture of excitement, apprehension and bottled anger over talks of widespread systemic corruption under Soeharto's rule. It was therefore a surprise that the Army allowed the concert to be held.
Kantata Takwa the band issued their album a month earlier, full of protest songs against social injustice, poverty, ideological suppression, abuse of power and corruption by the political elite, and barely-concealed calls for reforms.
The band's statement was made more significant because of the personnel involved: W.S. Rendra, a celebrated poet; Iwan Fals, a popular folk-rock singer (almost like Indonesia's answer to Bob Dylan); prominent rock musicians Sawung Jabo and Yockie Suprianto; and Setiawan Djody.
Setiawan Djody then was a high-profile businessman with links to the political elite. He funded the album and concert, wrote some of the songs and lyrics, and played guitar in the band. So, another puzzle when he led a seemingly anti-establishment pop-culture initiative.
Some authority figures claimed that it was proof of Soeharto's openness to a new political discourse. The skeptics said it was a superficial allowance of a 'protest'. The conspiracy theorists posited that Gen. Moerdani, then the Army chief, was sending 'signals' to Soeharto.
