Yandi Purba was born in Medan and grew up there and in Jakarta.
He moved to Bali in 1987. Like many of his Batak brethren,
he demonstrated a special gift for music from a very young
age. Yandi started studying the guitar from seven years old.
One of his most vivid childhood memories is his school teacher
always choosing him to sing in front of the class. Yandi studied
guitar at the IKJ (Institut Klasik Jakarta) from 1985-1987,
after which he moved to Bali. Besides playing the guitar,
his other hobbies are fishing and swimming.
Why and how did you first become interested in music?
Music has always been a part of my family culture. My grandparents
could play the violin very well and my mother could play many
instruments such as the piano, guitar, organ. I also listened
to music often in church and won first prize in a singing
contest in high school. The family tradition continues as
my two daughters Grace and Reyna, who are 9 and 10 years old,
also play the guitar with me.
Where did you study music? Did you have any outstanding teachers?
From when I was very young my mother taught me music and I
took guitar courses. My mother, who was an extremely talented
musician, taught me a lot about music. She was my best teacher.
When did you first start performing professionally?
In 1992 at Intan Bali Village Hotel in Petitenget. This was
the same year I won an award for classic solo guitar playing
at the Yamaha Festival Guitar Indonesia in Kuningan, Jakarta.
This I was very proud of because it placed me among the top
ten guitar players in all of Indonesia.
What sort of people make up your audiences?
I play mostly for fine dinner audiences in hotels. I usually
play for three hours. If it’s going to be a European
audience, I study hard by getting a hold of CDs and cassettes
and listening to the songs. Then, even if the songs are vocals
or Western orchestras, I turn them into solo classic guitar
songs. If it’s going to be an Australian audience, then
I study Australian popular songs before the performance and
then interpret the songs into classical guitar.
Are foreign audiences different from domestic audiences?
All audiences are essentially the same. They enjoy music from
the heart.
What is your favorite type of audience?
I really like audiences who start dancing as soon as I start
playing.
Where is your favorite city in Indonesia to perform in? Why?
I like to peform in Jakarta and Bali. Both areas have great
audiences. I like especially Bali because it has a lot of
tourists and many international five-star hotels where the
audiences really appreciate my music.
What is your specialty?
I play not only classical guitar but also flamenco, jazz,
folk, popular and traditional. I sing only in English, but
I can play songs from all over the world.
Do you also teach the guitar?
Yes. Just two months ago I opened a music school called Bali
Guitar on Jl. Beni Sari in Legian.
Is the guitar difficult to learn?
Quite difficult. The right hand always fingers differently
from the left. Knowing a good many of the chords, huruf balok,
is the secret to playing the guitar well.
What do you like best about your work?
Playing the guitar is always exciting for me, so I love performing
and teaching the guitar. Like the piano, the guitar can play
any type of music.
Do you always play solo?
I prefer solo because I can fulfill audience requests for
melodies, but I also play in groups and orchestras.
Do you have any future plans?
I would like to release my own album of original songs and
have the album professionally produced. I would also like
to help in the development of classical music from other cultures
in Bali. My dream is to one day play in the Presidential Palace
for the President of Indonesia and for foreign dignitaries.
Where can my readers learn more about your work?
Check out http://baliguitar.com/aboutus.aspx
and
http://baliguitar.com/contactus.aspx
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact : <pakbill2003@yahoo.com>
Copyright@2007 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
