The Reason Erwin Gutawa Doesn't Play Bass For Karimata Reunion

Erwin Gutawa (Instagram @symphonesia.eg)

Erwin Gutawa revealed the reason why he did not participate in the Karimata reunion, which throughout 2024 appeared on several stages, such as the Lintas Melawai Volume 2 and Port Jazz Festival.

As is known, Erwin was a bassist from Karimata, a large jazz fusion band in the 1980s to the early 1990s.

In this band, Erwin played with Candra Darusman (piano), Aminoto Kosin (keyboards), Denny TR (guitar), Uce Haryono (drums, which were later replaced by Aldy and Budhy Haryono).

Erwin said that his absence from the Karimata reunion was because he felt that his ability to play bass had greatly decreased.

"I'm stiff, I don't feel like I can (play bass)," said Erwin Gutawa, quoting Dewa Budjana's HOME podcast, Wednesday, January 15.

Erwin explained that he had long decided to stop playing bass. In the early 1990s, since Karimata was inactive as a band, he chose to focus on being a music arranger.

"It's been a long time since I've stopped (playing bass). Finally, I became a bass session in 1991 or 1992," said Erwin.

"So, when Karimata started to turn off, I was invited by Sheila Madjid to tour. I was three months in Malaysia, I didn't come back. So, those are my bassists," he added.

Although he has been a music arranger several times before, in the early 1990s it became a turning point for Erwin, who was later better known to the Indonesian public as a music engineer and orchestral leader.

"Lastly, the one who was really active was (tur with Sheila Madjid in Malaysia). Returning from there, I feel really satisfied playing bass, and it won't be more than that," he said.

"So, I break my concentration for music directors, just play baas once in a while. And it's been going on until now," he concluded.