TALENT IS NOT ENOUGH

La Dwiki Dharmawan World Peace Band puso el punto y final al MoonJune Music Festival Toledo 2023 .

Very recently, no one could imagine that quality jazz-rock fusion could be made from Indonesia, nor were there any known references in this regard. Only a visionary and music lover like Leonardo Pavkovic has been able to travel and search among the distant islands of Indonesia, to discover and put musicians like Dwiki Dharmawan or Dewa Budjana on the global stage.

The Indonesian keyboardist Dwiki Dharmawan is an unquestionable personality in Indonesia and one of the international references, with his eclectic music that combines progressive rock , jazz, traditional ethnic fusion from Java and Bali, called tonal gamelan, which are part of his repertoire.

He has several albums on Moonjune records, among which we find So Far So Close (2015), Pasar Klewer (2018), Rumah Batu (2018) or Hari Ketiga (2020). Always well surrounded by top-level musicians such as Asaf Sirkis, Markus Reuter, Nguyên Lê, Carles Benavent, Mark Wingfield, Nicolas Meier, Boris Savoldelli, Gilad Atzmon or Yaron Stavi himself who was part of this occasional band.

Equally important is his partner Dewa Budjana, who also has a good number of works under his name on the label, including, among others, Zentuary (2016), Mahandini (2018) and Naurora (2021). In all of them very well accompanied by internationally renowned musicians such as Jack Dejohnette, Tony Levin, Gary Husband, Dave Weckl, Paul MCcandless, etc.

The occasional World Peace Band had a no less luxurious quintet that was implemented in the last section of the concert with the presence of vocalist Ivan Nestorman.

Among the list of songs played we find, “Pasar Klewer” and “Spirit Of Peace” ( Pasar Klewer 2018), “Paris Barantai” ( Rumah Batu , 2018), “The Spirit Of Peace” ( World Peace Orchestra 2000), “Night in Murcia” and two traditional pieces from the island of Flores, arranged by Ivan Nestorman, “Anaritin Teo y Mogi.

The combo sounded with a fluidity and naturalness that turned what was difficult into simple, both on a group and individual level. Dwiki Dharmawan’s solos were widely applauded. Curiously and surprisingly to a lesser extent those of Dewa Budjana, (perhaps this could be due to his introspective way of playing) although he was superb throughout the entire concert.

Ofer Assaf was a real recognition and discovery. I did not know this excellent Israeli instrumentalist living in New York and the truth is that I was surprised by his virtuosity and his versatility both in a group and as a soloist. His audacity, impudence and desire to explore are a challenge in each intervention.

Yaron Stavi and Israel Valera provided the rest with their forcefulness and perfect filling in the quintet.

Vocalist and guitarist Ivan Nestorman was the surprise and the final point to end the concert and start the party. His interventions were lively and he sought the collaboration of the fans who followed him in chorus in each of the choruses of his songs.

A great concert and a great success, a perfect culmination to a magnificent festival.