PETER PAN FROM INDONESIA

I was never into Malay or Indonesia music. For 30 years or more I have steered clear of them. I know not why but Malay / Indonesia music just doesn't seems to gel with me. All these changed when I was sent to Kalimantan, Indonesia for a month long project in the year 2008. It was only a few hours ride by air plane  from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Jakarta Airport but the journey from Jakarta Airport to our final destination in Kalimantan took thirteen hours by road. The road was long, winding and bumpy. The driver was quite a character without an ounch of discipline in him. He would rave off by himself singing and taping on the desh board with the Cd player going at full blast as if we were oblivious. And all through the sixteen hours to and fro from the airport to Kalimantan, he only have one Cd playing. It was by a local band called Peterpan and at the end of the Cd, there were a few songs by Andy Williams. Before this I have never ever heard of Peterpan but having it drummed right into my consciousness for 16 hours, I must be brain dead to not absorb some of the music.Initially it was just noise to me as the driver was playing it at full blast, but as the hours passed, and having listened to the Cd for close to a hundred times, I begin to hear through the noise and grudgedly admit they was quite good. I was thankful that I asked the driver the name of the group. It took me a year to scout the songs out through my recollection of the songs from my memories.

SEBUAH NAMA, SEBUAH CHERITA : After a year, after I was captivated by a few songs from Peterpan I found this double Cd. It was the first time I've actually spend good  money on an Indonesia Cd at the given price. No discount here. Through recollections, I only managed to remember six of the tracks out of 30 tracks. Peterpan is make up of the charisma lead singer Ariel ( Nazril Irham ), Uki ( Mohammad Kautsar Hikmat ) and Lukman ( Lukman Hakim ) on guitar and Reza ( Iisah Ryan Reza ) on drum. Now I wouldn't call Ariel a great singer and he does know his limit for he doesn't stretch his vocal chord. He keeps his vocal low admit the loud arresting musical background. Those tunes that lingered in my mind are 'Mungkin Nanti', 'Ada Apa Denganmu', 'Ku Katakan Dengan Indah', 'Mimpi Yang Sempurna', 'Aku Dan Bintang' and ' Hari Yang Cerah Untuk Jiwa Yang Segi.' I am only interested in recollecting those hard but memorable times in Kalimantan so the other tracks I really have no interest in. DOP : 7th February 2009

Ariel

HARI YANG CERAH...I got this for $5.00. This guys have really grown on me. I have been looking for their past Cd on the discount bin. I was hoping to discover some other gems from their Cd but I haven't really been paying attention. ' Menghapus Jejakmu'  sounds like they are murmuring to themselves but still you can't deny their charm although I wouldn't recommend this to be the first cut on the album. 'Hati Yang Cerah Untuk Jiwa Yang Segi' is the only tune that I am familiar from their greatest hits Cd. 'Di Balik awan Kota Mati'  offered much of the same. The fourth song ' Melawan Dunia' in the same mould is beginning to sound weary. 'Sally Sendiri'  is slightly uptempo and was on the Greatest Hits Cd too.'Lihat Langkahku' continued the same mode but it's still catchy pop. 'Bebas' is slightly different 'cos I guess the vocalist is different but the mood is the same. 'Cobalah Mengerti' and 'Dunia Yang Terlupa' are basically the same song with a slightly melody. All in all this is rather an acoustic album with a few hooks here and there. Made a good listen.  DOP : 15th November 2012.

PETER PAN PRESENTS ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK " ALEXANDRIA"
This will probably be the last Peter Pan album that I will buy. I have been searching for this and finally found it at $5.00 a piece. All the ten songs here are culled from their past albums and all are included on their Greatest Hits Cd. Starting out with 'Tak Bisakah' which was a song that I've originally heard while in Indonesia The tracks that follows are 'Juah Mimpiku', 'Membebaniku.' ,'Menunggu Pagi.' and 'Kukatakan Dengan Indah' which serves as a reminder that Peter Pan could be real good at the ballads. The reminding tracks are 'Sahabat', ' and Aku & Bintang' which deserve special mention due to it's bountiful melody which reminds me of a similar sounding track on their Greatest Hits Cd.  'Mungkin Nanti', is another winning ballad. 'Dibelakangku' and 'Langkit Tak Mendengar.' DOP : 8th September 2013

INHOUSE MIX : Another Cd I picked off the bargain bin for $5.00. This one is the least interesting of the lots. What makes Peter Pan interesting was their acoustic style of playing and what this mix did was take away the very essence that made Peter Pan interesting in the first place. Eleven tracks and all were commonly treated with the totally unnecessary constant thumbing of a disco beat. If I have not look at the player I wouldn't have notice the different songs at all and if the driver who introduced Peter Pan to me had played this Cd all through the journey, I would probably have jumped out of the car, rather than endure more than 13 hours of this torture. DOP : 4th August 2012.

IKAN KEKEK : This children's Cd was a prize that I've won from a radio contest.  Anyway, what this Cd have was three songs that was embedded in my mind as a child from those days of long ago. 'Rasa Sayang', a song that was as old as the hill, 'Burung Kakak Tua', an ancient Indonesia folk song which I've taught my two colleagues from China to sing when they told me that they wanted to bring something memorable back home. This version was modernized with additional lyric added. It's listenable but I would much rather prefer the traditional version. ' Mama Sayang Papa', is the English version of 'Papa Loves Mama', which I have been searching for since my father played this song  when I was probably still a toddle. I have since found the English version. For this three tracks alone, I guess this Cd have earned its place in my collection. Other songs that I quite liked are 'Jong Jomg Inai', 'Suriram'. 'Ikan  Kekek' and 'Kain Pelikat.' Artists as varies as Sheila Majid, Dato' S. M. Salim and Jamal Adbillah are involved in this project. DOP : A prize from a radio show 24th November 2000.