Concert costly and brief but Mariah still charms

Monday, February 16, 2004
Hera Diani , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The poor had the last laugh on Sunday as pop diva Mariah Carey wrapped up her concert here in only one hour, leaving dozens of fans who had paid up to Rp 1.7 million (US$212) for tickets -- almost three times the capital's minimum wage -- disappointed.
Other ticket prices were between Rp 500,000 and Rp 1.35 million.
The brief performance at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Central Jakarta, also included Carey's frequent exits backstage for outfit changes, leaving dancers and backup singers to take over.
Once, she disappeared for a full song sang by backup singer Trey Lorenz.
However, as part of a world tour to promote her latest album Charmbracelet here, Carey showed she still could deliver the goods with her flawless five-octave range. And of course, a set of provocative outfits.
Clad in tiny, glittery silver hula skirt and bikini top, she kicked off her performance with upbeat Heartbreaker, taken from her 1999 Rainbow album.
Two screens on each side of the stage showed a series of impressionist-style paintings to illustrate her song Dream Lover.
She then walked around stage, giving instructions, then, realizing the existence of the audience turned and asked "How're you feeling?" with a huge grin.
The some 5,000 audience cheered and applauded as she belted out hits like Through the Rain, My All, Can't Take That Away and Always Be My Baby.
One highlight was a duet with Lorenz on Jackson Five's I'll Be There, with the crowd singing along.
The 33-year-old supreme songbird frequently took a pose, waving her hands in true Miss Universe style, and sat on the floor.
In Fantasy, by now on her fifth or sixth outfit, she shook her hips and danced around a folded chair.
The concert was completed with the 1993 number one single Hero.
The concert, however, showed that Carey still has a long way to go to reclaim her diva status after a turbulent period in the last few years.
Carey hit big in the 1990's pop scene after debut album in 1990 Vision of Love which spawned four No. 1 hits, sold over six million copies in the United States and won two Grammys.
In 2001, however, she was dropped by her label Virgin as album Glitter failed to meet expectations, although it still registered platinum sales. The horrible movie of the same name, in which Carey starred in was also a flop, followed by news of a mental breakdown.
Her eighth album, Charmbracelet, is Carey's first under her own brand, MonarC, which she formed with Island record company.
Despite bad reviews, the album has been a reasonable success for Carey, and a chance to put her career back on track. Released in the United States on December 2002, the album sold 241,000 copies in its debut week.
With the diva status still to be reclaimed, Carey is still a diva at heart, and acted like one.
Aside from a long list of requests for local promoter Java Musikindo, she also refused to hold a conference for the local media here.
She touched down at Halim Perdanakusuma airport here on Sunday at 1:20 p.m., after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from MTV Asia Awards.
Her concert was held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, relatively early for a music concert, which are usually held in the evening.
According to promoter Adrie Subono, they had to clear the venue by 6 p.m. because President Megawati Soekarnoputri was to attend a wedding ceremony held in the JCC area.
Well, look who's the diva here.

Labels: music

Posted by hera at 2:13 AM | Permalinks | Comments

Djenar's story collection naughty but not so nice

Sunday, February 08, 2004

---------------------------------------------------------------Jangan Main-main (Dengan Kelaminmu) By Djenar Maesa Ayu, PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Jakarta, 2004; 122 pp Rp 30,000; In Bahasa Indonesia ---------------------------------------------------------------
Do not blame Djenar for still harping on the sex theme, because it sells. Take note of the lucrative career of Britney Spears, for instance.
A sophomore effort after 2002's Mereka Bilang Saya Monyet (They Say I'm a Monkey), Jangan Main-main (Dengan Kelaminmu) (Don't Play (with Your Genitals)) is a compilation of 11 short stories, 10 of them previously printed in several local publications.
Like its forerunner, infidelity, fornication and sexual decadence pour out in gritty words and description, with Djenar saying she wanted to poke at the hypocrisy in society.
She also seeks to take the side of marginalized people (the prostitute in Ting!, for instance) and the betrayed (the wife in the title story).
Menyusu Ayah (Suckling Father), meanwhile, is about child abuse while Cermin (Mirror) tells about a dysfunctional mother/daughter relationship.
Unlike the previous book, there are barely any metaphorical words and strange creatures (four-legged people, men or women with any animal's tail or head you could think of) appearing here.
Instead, Djenar plays with repetition, working the same sentence or paragraph over and over again to emphasize the point.
Metaphors or repetition become tiring and irritating when overworked, rather than amusing, moving or shocking.
The only people who will be shocked, perhaps, are teenagers, so the publisher better get rid of the "for adults only" blurb on the cover.
If taking aim at morality or hypocrisy is the intention, this book fails in that department, too, as it lacks depth and delicacy, and force-feeding of sex renders it superficial and forced.
The "testimony" of a penthouse used for orgies, the poor girl who seeks refuge in cheap porn books her father sells, the revenge of a mistress -- even a romance novelist knows better than this, and the latter's works are more enjoyable.
In fact, Djenar shows more prowess when she does not try too hard to bring sex in. Examples are Waktu Nayla (Nayla Time), a contemplative story about a woman with cancer, which appeared on the first book, and Cermin, although the story needs more shaping.
But, hey, there is always a market for titillation. And if it leads to more hype than recognition of talent, then who can blame Britney, or Djenar?
-- Hera Diani

Labels: literary, review

Posted by hera at 2:15 AM | Permalinks | Comments