Serena Brancale: Jazzing up Jakarta

Italian jazz singer Serena Brancale had more than jazz up her sleeve in her first concert in Indonesia. (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung)

Music lovers were treated to a night of jazz as Italian singer Serena Brancale held her first concert in Indonesia.

That night, dozens of people flocked to Gedung Kesenian Jakarta Playhouse in Central Jakarta, which hosted the show. When the stage curtains were opened, all attention was on Brancale.

In a white kimono-wrap dress, the singer started her show with a song entitled "II gusto delle cose" (The flavor of things).

"She was so cool and energetic. When she danced, my body rocked to the rhythm," said Chatrien Handayani of the 28-year-old singer.

Chatrien did not know about Brancale until she found a flyer promoting her first concert in the country. Since she liked jazz, she jostled through traffic jams to watch the show.

She also did not understand Italian. "Language is no longer a barrier when it comes to enjoying music," she said.

Held by the Italian Embassy and Italian Cultural Institute, the concert lasted for 75 minutes during which Brancale belted out 12 songs with Dario Panza on drums, Alfonso Deidda on saxophone and Daniele Sorrentino on bass.

Although known as a jazz singer in her home country, Brancale believes that music is a melting pot of various genres, sounds and ideas.

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And she has what it takes to steal the attention of music lovers of any genres, switching from jazz and soul to funk, pop and R&B.

In the concert, she performed different music genres through popular songs she covered on stage, such as "Blackbird" by The Beatles, "I Want You" by American neo-soul singer Erykah Badu and "I Feel for You" by Prince.

Brancale also introduced her own work, including "Galleggiare" (Floating), a ballad that gave her a way to step into the spotlight as a young and talented singer in 2015, especially after she joined the Sanremo Music tival, the most popular Italian song contest, held annually in Sanremo.

She did not to win the contest, but earned compliments from great Italian musicians, such as Mario Biondi and Tiziana "Tosca" Donati, and respected music critics, such as Ernesto Assante and Marco Magiarotti.

In her show in Jakarta, she also boasted her skill in playing musical instruments.

She pleasantly surprised the audience when she sang a song that they were really familiar with — "Rayuan Pulau Kelapa" (Solace on a coconut island) by one of Indonesia's greatest composers, Ismail Marzuki.

They clapped and sang together with her. Brancale then invited one of them to come up on stage to sing a new Italian song she created using her smartphone.

"I like Indonesian people. They are friendlier than Italian people," she said.

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Although this was her first visit in the country, Indonesia is not foreign to Brancale because she says that in Italy she has friends who are Indonesian dancers.

"Every time I hear the word Indonesia, the first thing that comes to my mind is its culture," she said. "It is very colorful!" After Indonesia, she will perform in Thailand. For Brancale, traveling around the world to introduce her music is a larger-than-life experience because it is in line with her extraordinary passion for music and the arts.

When she was little, she first learned violin and piano, thanking her parents for giving their full support until she was able to start her professional singing career at the age of 16.

Brancale, who perfected her singing skills at renowned music school Niccolò Piccinni Conservatory in her hometown of Bari, then got the opportunity to record her own music after signing a deal with producer Michele Torpedine, who was also the manager of superstar Andrea Bocelli and opera pop trio Il Volo.

After going back to Italy, Brancale, who is preparing a new record this year, is slated to tour with singer Biondi this spring.

Besides singing, she also likes acting. She starred in the drama Mio Cognate (My brother-in-law) in 2003 and Da Che Parte

Stai (From your part) in 2013. For the big fan of Grammy winner Stevie Wonder, singing is as interesting as acting because a singer must be able to liven up the story of each song she or he sings on the stage.

"Singing different songs on stage is like wearing different masks in a theater show where an actor must be able to conquer every role he or she plays."

Source: Serena Brancale: Jazzing up Jakarta