[MUSIC] Reda Gaudiamo | About Bridging Poetry Interpretation

Reda Gaudiamo (Mahesa ARK / VOI)

Poetry is a way for humans to hone taste and sensitivity. Two compounds that are desperately needed by many people today. Unfortunately, poetry is not a sociable enough item to be widely enjoyed. Reda Gaudiamo shared with us about the importance of poetry to life and why he chose to spend so much time in his life exploring the musicalization of poetry. Become a bridge of interpretation between the swinging verse and the souls of men.

He took a deep breath before answering our question, what is the most difficult part of reciting poetry? The answer is short and clear: interpret it.

We sat listening to the answer at Reda's residence in the Rawamangun area, East Jakarta. Reda accepted our arrival when he had just come from Bandung that afternoon. The belongings in Reda's living room were still scattered about. Feels magical. Because, not messy. The impression we got was that the house actually felt very alive with various paintings and books that filled the wooden cabinets around.

VOI team when visiting Reda at his residence (Mahesa ARK / VOI)

Reda sat in front of us as a woman who has for decades bridged the interpretation of poetry to many music and literature lovers through the musicalization of poetry. The path that Reda took was magical. Because, he was not born as a lover of poetry. Reda even admits that he was once against the swinging verse line. At that time, poetry was in Reda's eyes the most intimidating form of literature. Far from being a vast favor.

However, if it had to point to one name that changed his perspective, it would be Ags. Arya Dipayana, a poet and theater artist who is also Reda's best friend. It was Dipayana who introduced Reda to the musicalization of the poem, Rain in June, even with its creator, Sapardi Djoko Darmono.

It was 1987, when Dipayana invited him to join the poetry musicalization project initiated by Sapardi and Fuad Hassan, the Minister of Education and Culture at that time. Since then, the relationship between Reda, Sapardi, and musical poetry has been built. 1988, one year after the poetry musicalization project initiated by Sapardi and Fuad Hassan, Reda immersed himself deeper into the world of poetry musicalization with Ari Malibu.

"I understood what my friends explained at that time, what AGS explained that this, this effort helps people like you, Red, to understand that the interpretation of poetry will be like this. So when you read this, reading Girls Asking-Minta, there is a sense of excitement there, there is a sense of happiness there, but also sadness. Well, that is emphasized even more through the song. More underlined by the presence of a song. So, the song is really made to help so that we understand the contents of the poem. So that when we read it there is no wrong feeling, huh. "

Reda Gaudiamo

The two of them merged into a duo of poetry song called AriReda. Together, Ari and Reda have sung dozens of poems by well-known poets, from Sapardi to Goenawan Mohamad. The steps with Ari stopped at the point of death. In mid-June 2018, Ari died of cancer of the esophagus.

AriReda's appearance at Lokananta (Personal documentation / Yose Riandi)

Together with Ari, Reda succeeded in actualizing poetry through the strains of songs. And AriReda's poetry musicalization, of course, is one of the most effective actualizations. Evidently, the stretch of musicalization has grown. Frau was one of the names that grew out of that stretch. As a connoisseur of Frau, I agree. And the advancement of internet technology has brought the struggle to bridge the interpretation of poetry soaring rapidly. That spirit is emphasized by Reda by stating that poetry is the star on each of their stages. Songs are just introductions that make poetry easier to understand.

"If in this world at one time there was no musicalization of poetry, that's okay in my opinion. This is only one way to help, that is. Helping. Because the goal is to lift this poem into a work that is later loved by it. Musicalization, music, made into music, he becomes the unknown, becomes known and then remembered. And the goal, when it's finished, already familiar with the poetry, you don't remember the song anymore, that's okay. "

Reda Gaudiamo

Reda decided to keep going even without Ari. Now, he is preparing an album which is scheduled to be released in the middle of this year. Subsiding takes more time and guts, obviously. Because, this is the first album in which Reda worked on all the album material by himself. Without Ari. Even so, Reda did not run out of help. In the production of this album, which he worked on, Reda was assisted by Jubing Kristianto.

Poetry for life

What Reda and Ari did is important. All must agree that all good things must be earthed. And poetry is the compound most people need today, when today's world brings people into a life that is increasingly impoverished by taste. Reda takes us deeper into the meaning of poetry.

"I think because poetry is very personal, huh. Poetry makes people feel sharp when I say it. Maybe it's different from a big novel because the flow is big. But if poetry plays smoothly, that's how it plays inside. Makes you sharpen your self-sensitivity. I see. And we are now in a state that is not very sensitive, not sensitive in many ways, that is. "

Reda Gaudiamo

Regarding the grounding of poetry, Reda even sees this spirit as something that must be spread widely. The paths are many. If there is something most fundamental, that way according to Reda is to transmit the favors of poetry to as many generations as possible, even from the earliest.

"So, if I think, yes we are far behind in terms of honing our feelings. Whereas language lessons, composing lessons, reading poetry lessons are considered insignificant and are defeated by exact sciences, I think now we need poetry to soften people's hearts again. . "

Reda Gaudiamo

Regarding the connection with the musicalization of poetry, Reda considers this route as one that many musicians have started to take today. Verses in poetry have their own strength when compared to the lyrics in the song. In Reda's eyes, a verse of poetry has a unique character as a messenger. A message that is unfortunately difficult to convey with a foreign impression of poetry in the eyes of many people today.

Not only moral matters. In terms of musicality, musical poetry can actually be an opportunity for a musician to explore his music. Poetry musicalization does not have to be wrapped in acoustic arrangements such as AriReda, Frau, or Banda Neira. Poetry is very open to be sung into various types of music. How interesting is poetry and its relationship to music.

"I feel that one of the things that makes me make my own music and lyrics myself is that I want people not to be too attached to that if a poetry musicalization has to be like Ari Reda, that's not it, no. Want to make it like rap, for example, like Kill The DJ. making it with Centhini's lyrics is just like that. Why not. "

Reda Gaudiamo