Any Indonesian would have heard of Ismail Marzuki, a renowned Indonesian composer, songwriter, and musician famous for having written hundreds of legendary songs about the greatness of Indonesia.
From titles such as “Gugur Bunga” which is about a hero’s death that brings nothing but hope for his people, “Rayuan Pulau Kelapa” that describes the innate unwavering beauty of Indonesia, all the way to “Halo-Halo Bandung”, a song about the burning spirit of freedom.
As a music and entertainment production house and one of the pioneers in advancing performance art in Indonesia, ArtSwara is working to infuse the great works of Ismail Marzuki into an emotionally-charged musical performance in today’s world called “MAR”, a tale of love, sacrifice and endurance woven into one of the most significant moments in Indonesia’s history: The Indonesian National Revolution, leading to one of the most tragic event known as Bandung Lautan Api (Bandung Sea of Fire).
The musical performance will take the audience back to the turmoil times in Indonesia not long after it gained its independence in 1945 to take a closer look at a tale of romance between a brave and loyal soldier named Mar and the love of his life, Aryati, a strong-willed compassionate nurse with the Bandung Lautan Api tragedy looming over them as their love was put to test against the reality of war and relentless sense of duty.
Yet, the story seems to take us even further beyond their relationship, bringing into the light the timeless spirit of the people around them who, at that time, were willing to sacrifice everything in the name of freedom.
“MAR” is a tribute to the iconic works of the renowned musician of all time, Ismail Marzuki, under the directives of Dian HP who assumes multiple roles as the music director, composer, vocal director, and script writer, Marzuki’s timeless compositions are being re-imagined with a touch of a cheerful jazzy dynamics, reminiscence of the Glen Miller’s era, perfectly capturing the spirit of the times during the tragedy of Bandung Lautan Api.
The musical performance applies an artistic approach crafted to emulate a surreal and intense experience, liberating its audience to freely involve themselves with Ismail Marzuki’s works, in a theatrical format filled with innovations and emotions. Having the story enriched by first-hand concepts from Maera Panigoro, combined with the writing talent of Titien Watimena with Wawan Sofwan as the director, “Mar” truly is an intense celebration of Indonesia’s legacy of culture and history.
