Manchester Heroes

This is not about a famous British football team "Manchester United", which I put shame on it. This is about the real Manchester heroes, my favourite Manchester pop bands or it could say British invasion that influence my life and indirectly it changed my perspective about American bands. These are my favourite Manchester bands all the time.

Joy Division
An oldies post-punk band from Manchester formed in 1976 who brings a big influence to today's indie rock scene. Joy Division produced a few albums in the late 70's although this band was formed earlier than that. Ian Curtis who was a brilliant song writer had a unique character about writing a lyric. He would write when a good mood took him. After this band felt their famous period, all the band members had willing to left him. Ian Curtis died by suicide in 1980. First time I listened to Joy Division it was totally gloomy and full of frustration, I couldn't feel it. Yet I found that it is a good band and the lyrics was so deep and impressive.

New Order
New Order is following band of Joy Division. After Ian Curtis died, the rest of the members such as Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris formed a electronic pop/dance band and yet Gillian Gilbert joined into the band as the only woman in the band. I could say something similar with Joy Division but actually a big different. New Order has influenced for many DJ scenes. Additional and vital musical instrument that they used is synthesizers. Their famous songs such as "Blue Monday" or "Bizarre Love Triangle" has brought them as a legend in electronic music.

The Stone Roses
This is my favourite band all the time. I have been listened to this band since in high school and I always pretend that Ian Brown and John Squire as my heroes. The Stone Roses are obvious Manchester heroes. They have made them self as an one of the important band in Manchester by their songs. So far John Squire was in charge in every The Stone Roses masterpiece. He also designed The Stone Roses albums by hiring the famous painter to work on it, just like Andy Warhols. First time I listened to their song was "I Wanna be Adored". I felt something different to this band. It is just not ordinary pop band, they are extraordinary. Since then, I started to listen all of their song and brought me to listened similar British band such as The Charlatans. A lot of The Stone Roses' songs that most I like. The Stone Roses truly has changed my life in music with the power of 90's.

Oasis
I don't need to explain a lot more about this band since most of people already know and like them. I think its bull crap if I don't insert Oasis as the Manchester band in this post. Yeah, true that Oasis is significant band during high school. Lead by two brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, they both are brain of Oasis musicality, especially Noel. Unfortunatelly, Noel was officially sign out from Oasis just because the ego of Liam.

The Ting Tings
Yup, this is it. The new and current Manchester pop-rock and electronic band that kick-ass the mainstream musics in 2009. They performed in Jakarta last 2009 in Soulnation music festival. So far, their sound is up beat and cheesy but it's cool. You gotta listen to their song and watch their attractive performer.

Sekilas tentang Kick Andy

Kick Andy adalah acara talk show yg disiarkan di Metro TV setiap hari jumat jam 21.30 WIB dan bisa dilihat ulang tayangannya setiap hari minggu jam 15.30 WIB dan tentunya acara ini favorit saya. Setiap acaranya selalu menghandirkan bintang tamu yg gak biasa dan asik untuk disimak, mulai dari politisi, para pelaku sejarah, orang-orang dengan pengalaman yg luar biasa, anak-anak yg berbakat hebat, musisi sampai orang penting dari negeri tetangga contohnya Anwar Ibrahim pun di jadikan bintang tamu. Mungkin banyak juga orang menyukai acara ini dan berpendapat sama seperti saya tentang Kick Andy. Acara ini tidak seperti acara-acara talk show lain yg hanya menyediakan interview ringan dan mengada-ada. Acara Kick Andy selalu lugas, tegas dan detail dalam mengkorek-korek informasi kebenaran di setiap pertanyaan-pertanyaan yg diberikan kepada setiap bintang tamunya. Itu yg membedakan Kick Andy dengan acara-acara lain. Dengan host yg mempunyai jiwa semangat tinggi di jurnalisme dan pandai memakai kata-kata yg tidak biasa dalam setiap episode-episode Kick Andy, Andy Flores Noya atau yg biasa di panggil Andy Noya memang orang yg tepat membawakan acara Kick Andy ini.

Andy F. Noya selama ini lebih dikenal sebagai wartawan cetak. Lebih dari lima belas tahun dia bergumul dengan dunia jurnalistik untuk media cetak.
Pertama kali terjun sebagai reporter ketika pada 1985 Andy membantu majalah TEMPO untuk penerbitan buku Apa dan Siapa Orang Indonesia. Saat itu pemuda berdarah Ambon, Jawa, dan Belanda ini masih kuliah di Sekolah Tinggi Publisitik (STP) Jakarta.Pada saat harian ekonomi Bisnis Indonesia hendak terbit (1985), Andy diajak bergabung oleh Lukman Setiawan, pimpinan di Grafitipers, salah satu anak usaha TEMPO. Maka Andy tercatat sebagai 19 reporter pertama di harian itu. Baru dua tahun di Bisnis Indonesia, Andy diajak oleh Fikri Jufri wartawan senior TEMPO untuk memperkuat majalah MATRA yang baru diterbitkan oleh TEMPO. Andy tertarik lalu bergabung.
MATRA agaknya bukan pelabuhan terakhirnya. Pada 1992 datang tawaran dari Surya Paloh, pemilik suratkabar Prioritas yang waktu itu dibreidel, untuk bergabung dengan koran Media Indonesia yang mereka kelola. Maka sejak itulah Andy kembali ke suratkabar.
Pada 1999, RCTI menghadapi masalah. Terjadi gejolak dikalangan wartawan program berita Seputar Indonesia berkaitan dengan adanya ketentuan yang mengharuskan PT Sindo, anak usaha RCTI yang menaungi Seputar Indonesia, untuk bergabung dengan RCTI sebagai induk. Bersama wartawan senior DjafarAssegaff, Andy diutus untuk membantu. Tugas utama adalah memimpin Seputar Indonesia sekaligus memuluskan proses transisi ke RCTI.
Pada tahun 2000, Metro TV mendapat ijin siaran. Surya Paloh memanggil Andy kembali untuk memimpin Metro TV sebagai pemimpin redaksi. Tiga tahun kemudian (2003) Andy ditarik kembali ke Media Indonesia dan menjadi pemimpin redaksi di suratkabar umum terbesar kedua itu.
Memasuki tahun 2006, saat pemimpin redaksi Metro TV Don Bosco mengundurkan diri, Andy Noya, yang kini menjadi wakil pemimpin umum di Media Indonesia, diminta merangkap menjadi pemimpin redaksi Metro TV menggantikan Don Bosco.
Dalam perjalanan kariernya Andy pernah menjadi host program Jakarta Round Up kemudian Jakarta First Channel di Radio Trijaya selama lima tahun (1994 sd 1999).
Sewaktu mahasiswa lelaki yang gemar renang dan baca ini rajin menulis di berbagai majalah dan suratkabar. Terutama cerpen dan puisi. Dia juga aktif mengirim karikatur dan kartun ke berbagai media nasional.
Satu hal yang menarik, Andy sebenarnya adalah orang teknik. Sejak lulus SD Sang Timur di Malang, Jawa Timur, pria kelahiran Surabaya ini sekolah di Sekolah Teknik Jayapura lalu melanjutkan ke STM Jayapura. “Tetapi sejak kecil saya merasa jatuh cinta pada dunia tulis menulis. Kemampuan menggambar kartun dan karikatur semakin membuat saya memilih dunia tulis menulis sebagai jalan hidup saya,’’ tutur Andy.
Maka, setamat STM 6 Jakarta, Andy melamar masuk ke Sekolah Tinggi Publisistik (sekarang IISIP, Lenteng Agung). ’’Saya sekarang menikmati betul menjadi seorang jurnalis,’’ ujarnya

Banyak sekali momen-momen menarik yg terjadi di setiap episode-episode Kick Andy, diataranya sewaktu Kick Andy mengundang Koes Bersaudara atau Koes Plus untuk menjadi bintang tamu. Momen yg sangat berkesan ketika di Kick Andy untuk pertama kalinya Koes Plus reuni lagi. Koes Plus juga sempat mambawakan lagu-lagu klasik mereka dangan formasi awal hanya saja minus Tony Koeswoyo yg kebetulan sudah tiada. Di episode lain yg menarik lagi ketika Kick Andy mendatangkan politisi-politisi seperti Prabowo, Megawati dan Wiranto, dan mereka semua harus menjawab-menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan yg kalau kata Butet Kertarajasa "Pertanyaan yg nyelekit". Tapi seluruh tanya jawab dengan politisi-politisi tersebut sangat menarik. Di episode lain, Kick Andy berhasil mendatangkan AA.Gym ke studio untuk di interview yg waktu itu AA.Gym sempat tidak mau muncul di TV lagi karena berita poligami. Di episode itu Kick Andy sempat menduduki ranting teratas sebagai best TV Program. Masih banyak lagi episode-episode yg sangat menarik untuk di simak. Dan tidak lupa alasan saya yg lain kenapa suka sekali dengan Kick Andy karena Andy Noya berambut Kribo ala Jackson 5 yg menurut saya keren sekali dan soundtrack opening Kick Andy yg berbau Blues. Dan sangat terkesan sekali ketika saya melihat Andy Noya di majalah Rolling Stones Indonesia berpatisipasi menjadi host di salah satu event yg diadakan majalah tersebut.

Blues and Islam

Blues is known as a stream of vocal and instrumental music that comes from the United States (U.S.). The music began to grow rapidly in the 19th century AD it came from spiritual music and chanted the usual praise black community in the U.S. African origin. Blue music note and apply the pattern of call and response that the U.S. public believed popularized by "Mr. Blues'-WC Handy (1873-1958).

Would you believe that Blues music is rooted in Muslim tradition at first, the public at Uncle Sam's country did not believe it. However, a writer and scientist and researcher at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, Sylviane Diouf, managed to convince the public that the Blues have a relationship with the tradition of Muslim societies in West Africa.

To prove the links between American blues music with Muslim tradition, Diouf turned the two recordings. The first public diperdengarkannya present in a room at Harvard University is chanting adzan-call for Muslims to perform the salaah. After that, Diouf turned the Levee Camp Holler.

The second tape was lawas Blues song, which first appeared in the Mississippi Delta about 100 years ago. Levee Camp Holler is not a blues song is fairly common. The song was created by the black community of West African Muslim origin who worked in the post-American Civil War.

Song Lyrics Levee Camp Holler Diouf who played it sounded like a voice call adzan-contained about the glory of God. Like adzan chanting, the song emphasizes the words that sound vibrates. According to Diouf, nasal style of the song Holler Blues Levee Cam similar adzan also is evidence of convergence between the two.

Public who were present in the room was amazed with the truth revealed evidence Diouf. "The applause was thunderous, because the relationship between American blues music with the Muslim tradition is clearly evident," said Diouf. "They said, 'Wow, really sound the same. Blues were right rooted there (Islamic tradition).

Jonathan Curiel in his writing entitled, Muslim Roots, U.S. Blues, reveals that the American public to thank the Muslims from West Africa who live in America. Around the year 1600 to mid 1800 AD, many black residents of the West African force that was brought to America and made slaves.

According to historians, about 30 percent of slaves from West Africa by force employed in the United States that are Muslim. "Although the master was forced to embrace Christianity, but many slaves from Africa was still running the Islamic religion and culture of origin," said Curiel.

They still recite the verses of the Koran every day. However, history also notes that Muslim sailors from West Africa were the first to discover the American continent before Columbus. "Needless to say, Muslims historically have been an influence in the evolution of American society a few centuries before Christopher Columbus found it," said Fareed Numan H in the American Muslim History A Chronological Observation.

Curiel added, given the influence of other black communities of religious Muslims in America to the Blues music is the musical instruments they can play. In the era of slavery in America, white people told them not to beat the drum, for fear that would foster the spirit of resistance of the slaves.

However, the use of stringed instrument usually played by Muslims from Africa are still allowed to play because they are similar to the violin. Ethnomusikologi Professors from the University of Mainz, Germany, named Gehard Prof. Kubik said the American banjo instrument also comes from Africa.

In particular, Prof. Kubik wrote a book about Blues music relationship with the Islamic civilization in West Africa entitled, Africa and the Blues, who published the University Press of Mississippi in 1999. "I'm sure a lot of current blues singer who did not realize that their musical patterns imitate musical traditions in the Arab Muslims" he said.

Prof. academically Kubik has been proven. "Vocal style blues singers mostly using melisma, wavy intonation. Such vocal style is a legacy of West African societies that have been in contact with the Islamic world since the 7th century and 8 M, "he explained. Melisma uses many tones in one syllable.

Meanwhile, a series of wavy intonation that has gone from major to minor scale and back again. It is very commonly used as adzan Muslims chanted and read the Koran. In fact, says Prof. Kubik, music researchers should acknowledge that Blues is rooted in Islamic tradition that developed in West Africa.

Who do not acknowledge the influence of African traditions of the Muslim community in Blues music. "Non-Muslims is very difficult to believe the fact that, because they do not have enough knowledge about the Islamic civilization and Islamic music," says Barry Danielian, a trumpeter who performed with Paul Simon, Natalie Cole and Tower of Power.

Adzan and voices chanting Quranic verses chanted the usual black Muslims in America contains musicality. "In my congregation, Danielian said that living in Jersey City, New Jersey, 'When we got together and the priest came there were hundreds of people and we chanted prayers, would sound very musical. You will hear the musical was like an American called the Blues. ' "That's the Islamic tradition in the U.S. has spawned a stream of music called Blues.

My Dream Guitar (Part 1)

Fender Jazzmaster

This guitar has been in my dream list since I knew an Indonesian indie rock n' roll band, "The Brandals". Their lead guitar used this guitar in the band. First time I saw it was absolutely remarkable and stylish. I like the feature and the color of this guitar for the first time. I've never like something so easy like this but this guitar is exeception. First appearance of Fender Jazzmaster was in their music clip and their live performance. I started falling in love with this guitar even though I didn't know how to play but I already like and judge this guitar would be one of the ultimate Fender products, other than Stratocaster.

Although Fender Stratocaster is still the best Fender guitar for all over a years. Names such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour use Stratocaster as their weapon to created such an unbelievable music, but I believe this Fender Jazzmaster would do the same thing as his brother "Stratocaster" if we just know how to play it well. I have a question about this guitar, why they gave the name "Jazzmaster"? I think it stills become a mystery to me why they named it "Jazzmaster". I hope this guitar not only for Jazz player. There are few current artists who used this guitar, famous names such as Elvis Costello, The Ventures or even Latin singer Shakira use this guitar. The most surprising thing when I knew that Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys has switched to Fender Jazzmaster from his black Stratocaster. I saw him used jazzmaster in "Crying Lighting" video standing in the wooden boat in the middle of ocean with dark and cloudy weather appeared on the video. I was so impressed by his jazzmaster at that time and obsessed to purchase a jazzmaster until now. I wish I can buy Fender Jazzmaster with my own money. If I can buy, I will choose Classic Player Jazzmaster with sun burst color.

Next Post will be My Dream Guitar (Part 2). Just wait what is other dream guitar that I want to have.