Partypora Case 2025: Music Is Not Just Entertainment, But Also Educational Media For Social Problems

JAKARTA Celebration of the 2025 Party which was held during the last long weekend, September 5 to 7, attracted public attention. It's not just about the stunning performance of the musicians on stage, but it's about the resignation of a number of performers on the first day of the music festival.

The presence of PT Freeport Indonesia as a sponsor of the music festival is the cause. No less than 30 performers decided to cancel performing at the Partypora, including Sukatani, Rellion Rose, Bat Malam, Navicula, Petra Sihombing, and others.

The director of the Festival of Partypora, Kiki Aulia Ucup, apologized for the many performers at the music event who chose to resign. On his official Instagram, Partypora announced that it will cut off cooperation with PT Freeport Indonesia starting September 6. Ucup also ensured that no penny of funds was obtained from the mining company. PT Freeport Indonesia.

The decision to withdraw from the Party because the cooperation with PT Freeport Indonesia is not in line with the idealism of performers who consistently voice concern for the environment.

"For Navicula itself and our loyal fans, if it doesn't go back, it's actually getting strange, considering our reputation so far, which often raises issues of deforestation, environmental pollution, and conflicts in indigenous peoples. Apart from the form of attitude affirmation, moral compass, this is also to appreciate our fans who take this issue seriously," said I Gede Robi, vocalist of Navicula when contacted by VOI.

The collaboration between Pestora and Freeport was in the spotlight after a video uploaded on Instagram of Pestora regarding Freeport's involvement one day before the event took place. on the first day of this event, there was also a parade carrying banners brought by two people accompanied by the mining company's marching band. "The agency for Party Parties," wrote the banner.

The existence of a company that has been operating for more than 50 years in Mimika, Central Papua, as a sponsor of Partypora is considered to be contrary to the values adopted by a number of performers who consistently echo their concern for the environment.

Freeport, citing the Environmental Wahana (Walhi) has damaged the environment and violated human rights against indigenous Papuans.

Music is art, in addition to the inner expression as well as entertainment. The suffering of the Papuan people is not entertainment for anyone, but it must be a moral foundation for us to understand justice. We miss the art of disclosing social events by musicians through music. Holding a Partypora with parties who have seized customary territory and the biggest environmental destroyer, should not be carried out by art activists," said Walhi National Executive Director Zenzi Suhadi.

Music has become an inseparable part of human life throughout history. For some people music has a relaxation effect, being able to manage stress, health therapy, or simply music is only entertainment.

But not for Robi Navicula. The 46-year-old man does not want to downturn the music industry just a mere means of comfort. Music or art, said Robi, can be an educational medium for the community. For him, who came from the family and the activist environment, music became a way to care about social issues.

Therefore, when the music festival, which was originally the stage of Navicula, actually collaborated with a mining company which was alleged to have damaged the environment, Robi without hesitation decided to withdraw.

"One of Navicula's clauses is that we will not play if there are conflicting sponsors, we are still with this attitude. This is an affirmation of our attitude," said Navicula vocalist I Gede Robi Supriyanto.

"We have to see that music has greater potential than just entertainment. I don't agree that music is dwarfed just as entertainment," said Robi.

This is not the first time Navicula has decided to cancel participating in an event, because it contradicts the value they follow. On May 24, 2024, this Balin music group canceled its plan to appear at the Water Vaganza event in Bali. The cancellation follows the forced disbandment and the termination of the discussion of the Forum Air for the People (The People's Water Forum/PWF) event, which took place in Denpasar City, Bali, Monday (20/5/2024).

The music industry, said Robi, should have an increasing value. From just commercial art, then upgrading to fine art and having an impact on environmental social. Because for him, as a human being, artists are also looking forward to growing.

"If you just make songs, just use AI (artificial intelligence). So the artist grows, so that the value continues to increase," said Robi.

Learning from what happened in the midst of the celebration of the Partypora event, Robi hopes that in the future more people will care about environmental conservation issues and the climate crisis. He emphasized how the root of the problem of quality of life for most people today lies in climate lattices.

"This is a complex problem, and this is what we can do as musicians. So music is indeed more than just entertainment. Navicula himself has always carried this value, but of course more musicians must be involved," he explained.

"Butuhmovement from the whole community. In the future, I hope this issue will be a priority in government policies. Right now it is not (a priority) maybe because the people are not aware, considering this is not a popular issue," continued Robi.

Despite his decision to withdraw from the Partypora, Robi emphasized that he still respects other musicians who continue to survive the annual event, including the bands that are members of The Indonesian Climate Communications, Art, and Music Lab (IKLIM) initiated by him.

He understands that it is not easy to make decisions to withdraw in a short time, because each musician has different considerations.

"I don't want my friends to continue to appear, because there must be other considerations. Those who continue to play continue to use the stage to raise the Papua issue," he concluded.