Interview: Natasya Elvira, Cafe Singer Who Is Nominated For AMI Awards 2023

Natasya Elvira (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Music Award Foundation has announced nominations from 62 categories presented at the 2023 AMI Awards. The announcement of the winner will be made on November 8.

Of the 62 existing categories, the Best Jazz Artist Category is quite interesting to note. There are 5 artists who were selected as nominees, be they individuals, groups and collaborations.

The appearance of the name Natasya Elvira, a young jazz singer who was chosen to be nominated in this category, was quite interesting to discuss. This made the VOI team contact him for an interview.

Natasya Elvira, who was born in Jakarta on February 4, 2001, has been involved in collaborative music projects several times. Until finally he released EP Lucky to Be Young on June 9, 2023.

Not because of his small work, which made the VOI team interested in interviewing him, but the fact that Natasya Elvira is better known as a singer who often appears regularly in cafes or clubs, and fills as a singer at weddings.

Natasya Elvira and the VOI team meeting in early October took place at a luxury hotel in Central Jakarta. At that time, he and several musicians had just finished filling in a wedding.

Instead of appearing in music events or festivals, Natasya Elvira has indeed played more often in cafes, clubs and weddings. In one month, he admitted that he could perform 15 times.

With the dress he was still wearing after singing at the wedding, the VOI team also conducted an interview with Natasya Elvira.

Check out the VOI.ID interview with Natasya Elvira regarding the 2023 AMI Awards nomination and her activities as a cafe singer.

Congratulations on being selected as the 2023 AMI Awards nominee for the Best Jazz Artist Category. How do you feel?

It's definitely very happy and I didn't expect to be nominated. This is my own award for me who just released my first EP last June. This is the first time I've entered AMI this year, the first time I've made an EP and I'm grateful to go straight in. I also didn't expect to be selected from thousands of works that registered myself. Not only that, I was also told that I would appear at Anugerah Night on November 8th. So, really happy.

EP Lucky to Be Young was released a month before job registration closed, was that a strategy prepared beforehand?

Incidentally, from the start, we made this EP Lucky to Be Young from January 2023, one of our goals is AMI. I really want to enter this into AMI to introduce to the Indonesian people that this is jazz, music that is actually good to hear. Also to add authentic Indonesian jazz or traditional jazz music whose mood is like jazz standard.

Seeing other names in the Best Jazz Artist Category, how do you see the potential to come out as winners?

Wow, if that's the case I don't dare to talk, I don't know either. Because we as musicians don't have the power to determine the winner, it's absolutely on AMI's side. And the general public can't give a vote like that, right, so yes, we just support each other, because we happen to know each other and other nominations.

Given that you are one of the young nominees, how was the response of other musicians who were also nominated?

"When it's with them, we just say congratulations to each other on Instagram. Yes, I congratulate them all. Incidentally, other nominations have also played together and worked on music projects together. No. Only those who were nominated, many other jazz musicians also posted on social media. So, that's all.

When juxtaposed with another nomination, you are the only soloist chosen. Can you say that currently Natasya Elvira is the representation of Indonesian jazz soloist?

Wow, if it's confusing too. There are so many Indonesian jazz singers who inspire me too. So, I can't say it's like that either. It's just that, jazz singers in Indonesia are rarely, because the music is really segmented, there aren't many fans, even though this year it's developing. I think this year jazz is going up again, because many also say that. There are also many jazz musicians who finally dare to work and play jazz music. Maybe yes, because there are a few competitors, so it looks like that. But if you say it's a representation, you have to work even harder in the future.

Given this is the first time your name has appeared at the AMI Awards and it is possible that many do not know the name Natasya Elvira, what do you think?

Yes, maybe from another nomination, I am the most unknown to people.

Given that you also sing more in cafes and weddings, how do you respond to the assessment of people who think that Natasya Elvira is not worthy of being nominated?

I think it's natural, it's okay too, coincidentally singing in cafes and weddings is still my income. Yes, I try to work originally, because my main goal in music really wants to convey stories or inspire, especially through this song So Lucky to Be Young, so that young people are more daring to do things that may be deemed impossible or out of the box, or have the courage to explore and not just stay in their comfort zone.

Cafe singers are still often underestimated compared to those who already have original works, how do you respond to that?

Maybe there is an assessment like that, but because I live there, maybe I don't hear too much stigma like that, because people also don't talk directly either, because I'm also one of the people from the cafe and wedding industry. But back again, indeed every musicians have different roads, there are musicians who go straight to the scene and have original works, but there are also those who have played music before they have original work and are finally comfortable there. Yes, back to their musical goals.

For yourself, why are you still playing in cafes and wedding events? Don't you already have original work?

Yes, because now I am the position of the backbone of the family as well, and I get most of the money from singing in cafes and weddings. So, it's like in the office world, I'm an employee but while building my own business.

What's the difference you feel when performing your own songs instead of singing other people's songs at cafes or weddings?

"If you sing the song yourself, it's more passion time. Because I want the message I wrote in the song, which I wrote myself, which I really want to say, it can finally be heard by people. If the cover of a song or song is more like a listener service. For example, it's like singing in weddings, yes, I want the bride to feel the wedding day so it's even more beautiful, by hearing the songs they like.

Reflecting on your story, cafe singers who have original works and then become AMI nominations, how important do you see that cafe singers and musicians also have original works?

Back to his musical goals. If he is enough to be able to play music and his needs have been fulfilled by playing music like that and there is no desire to have original works, in my opinion it's legal if they continue to live that profession. But if for example he has the goal of inspiring many people or changing the world, I think he has to start working. The problem is that there are so many friends who have been playing with me in cafes and weddings together until now, and they want to really have original works but don't dare because they are afraid that the capital won't come back, or don't have time because they want to focus on the money that has the money first. Because if you do something, you will definitely have money and time, yes, maybe a lot of people are trapped by that situation, you can't sacrifice your time and money. So, in my opinion, if you want to work, please just do it. Like today, from voice notes can be a song. So, just start it first, starting from a small one.