Henk Kraaijeveld Quintet Accompanied Indonesian Jazz Lovers Through Storyful Music

Henk Kraaijeveld (Photo; Antara)

JAKARTA - Dutch jazz singer and songwriter Henk Kraaijeveld successfully amazed music lovers at two Indonesian music events, namely Mount Bromo Jazz (July 21) and Pontianak Malay Traditional House (July 25), a mix of captivating music with poetic lyrics and surprising improvisation with storytelling style became the main feature.

Not alone, on this tour Henk Kraaijeveld was accompanied by a band member consisting of pianists and songwriter Daan Herweg, bass player Thomas Pol, drum player Roberto Pistolesi, and saksofon player Yoran Aarssen.

In 2021, Henk Kraaijeveld Quintet appeared online exclusively for Erasmus Huis. This time, they are scheduled to appear live at Erasmus Huis Jakarta on August 1.

"We are very happy to be able to appear in Indonesia for the first time with Henk Kraaijeveld Quintet. I have been to Indonesia before and I remember Indonesian audiences are very warm and enthusiastic. We also hope to enjoy delicious food and beautiful natural scenery," Kraaijeveld said as quoted by Antara, Thursday.

Earlier this year, musician Henk Kraaijeveld released his second album Patches of the Sky and brought most of the album material to tours in Indonesia. Henk and the band also performed songs full of adventure nuances, both catchy and excited modern ballads and jazz.

On the album Patches of the Sky, they also write songs about Saidjah and Adinda's tragic love story taken from the famous novel "Max Havelaar" by Dutch writer Multatuli.

"It is an important thing to acknowledge history (at that time) and perform this song in Indonesia. We will also perform the famous Indonesian song. You will hear directly what song we chose," said Kraaijeveld.

Meanwhile, the deputy head of the Department of Culture and Communication of the Dutch Embassy in Indonesia, Jaef de Boer, explained that Indonesia is known for its good taste in music and music festivals, especially jazz.

"Therefore, Erasmus Huis is very happy to be able to invite Henk Kraaijeveld Quintet and can present one of the best Dutch jazz performers for Indonesian audiences," said Kraaijeveld.