New York (May 27th) For the first time ever, the annual Java Jazz International Festival was held in New York City, United States, last weekend. This special event marked the 20th anniversary of the festival and was part of the "Java Jazz On The Move" series—a lead-up to the main Java Jazz Festival happening at the end of May. The New York debut was warmly
received by jazz lovers in the city.

The Java Jazz Goes To New York was made possible through a collaboration between Java Festival Productions, Acha Production New York (which acted as the event organizer and representative), and the prestigious School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School. “Welcome, Java Jazz friends, to The New School. We are thrilled to be part of this partnership,” said Keller Coker, Dean of the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School. Peter Gontha, founder of Java Jazz, added: “Thank you to all the musicians who joined Java Jazz On The Move in New York. This pre-event helps build awareness of Java Jazz on a global scale.”

Unlike gamelan, Indonesia’s traditional music that has gained some recognition in New York, Indonesian jazz remains relatively unknown. “We wanted to test the market with an intimate jazz concept and limited seating,” said Maya Naratama, event organizer from Acha Production New York. “But to our surprise, the public response was overwhelming—tickets sold out in just two days, and we had to add more seats.” Approximately 90 attendees filled the Arnie Lawrence Hall (i531) at 55 West 13th Street, located at The New School in the heart of Manhattan. The event featured jazz artists who are well-known in New York’s music scene. The opening act was KADOLEAF, a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter known for blending pop, hip hop, and rap
with a signature New Yorker style. KADO, who is of Indonesian descent, regularly performs across New York, Virginia, and Los Angeles. “I’m honored to open Java Jazz and hype up the crowd. To me, Java Jazz in Jakarta is like the Coachella of Indonesia,” he said.

Next was Dawn Drake, a multi-talented bassist, vocalist, composer, and leader of the tropical pop ensemble ZapOte—known for its fusion of Mountain Funk, Cuban Timba, and Brazilian samba. A master’s graduate in ethnomusicology from the California Institute of the Arts, Drake currently teaches Caribbean music at John Jay College and the Brooklyn Arts Council. She has
performed at notable events such as The Belize International Jazz Festival, Riverview Jazz Concert, and The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. “I’ve heard of Java Jazz before, and I’m so happy it’s made its way to New York. Performing in Jakarta would be a dream come true,” she said after her trio performance with Julia Chen (piano) and Wen-ting (drums).

Greg Banks, a Pop-Soul and Jazz artist from New Orleans, followed with a solo set. “This festival is a great platform for artists like me with a unique musical footprint,” said Greg, who has performed at Webster Hall, Madison Square Garden, SOFAR NYC, Joe’s Pub NYC, House of Blues (New Orleans) and even at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Performing solo with his
electric guitar, he also shared that he has released two collaborative singles with rapper G-Eazy. “I hope this performance opens the door for me to join Java Jazz in Indonesia,” he added. The final set was a cross-cultural collaboration between jazz musicians from Jakarta and NewYork. “We combined musical elements from both the U.S. and Indonesia. Alongside my own
compositions, I created new jazz arrangements for the Indonesian classics ‘Dari Mana Datangnya Asmara’ by Ismail Marzuki and ‘Zamrud Khatulistiwa’ by Guruh Soekarno Putra, sung by Indonesian vocalist Rubina Miranda, who resides in New York,” explained Reynard Sitepu, an Indonesian jazz pianist currently studying at The New School. He performed
alongside Kate Pass (bass) and Hugo Matile (drums). “The idea was to blend music from both worlds and foster cultural connections,” Reynard added. 

The event was also supported by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York, Bank BNI New York, and AD 17 Production. “I hope Java Jazz Goes to NY becomes a cultural bridge to introduce Indonesian jazz to the global stage especially in New York, one of the world’s major jazz capitals. May this spark more collaborations between Indonesian
musicians and the global music industry,” said Winanto Adi, Indonesia’s Consul General in New York.
Java Jazz Goes to New York is expected to return next year.

Written by: Naratama