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- 14.07.2014 - AUSTRIAN SYMPHONIC WIND ORCHESTRAS IS COMING TO SAMOSIR ISLAND Tyrol is a province in Austria which has a multi-national history. It is located in the heart of the Alps, between Italy and Germany. Geographically Tyrol is quite similar to the mountainous Samosir island in Sumatra, one of the most beautiful islands in Indonesia.   One of the most popular musicians in Tyrol is Hermann Delago. He is well known in Austria but also around Europe as well as in Indonesia. Hermann Delago is a great composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist as well as an experienced conductor.   In 1995 Herman Delago travelled to Indonesia for the first time and was fascinated by variety of interesting cultures and music. His journey started in Bali and not long after he arrived at Lake Toba/Samosir island.   In Samosir he got to know its traditional music as well as the fascinating details about its geographical and geological history. Similar to Tyrol, Samosir is an attractive destination for tourists from all over the world. Warm hearted people and a very pleasant climate made Delago stay there for several months. He gathered with the `Bataks` – the local people – in a place called `kedai tuak` and often heard their traditional Batak songs. Delago got more and more interested and after learning and singing their songs, he also learnt the Indonesian language and gradually Samosir island turned into his second home.
- 13.11.2011 - TOBATAK music introduction
- 03.11.2011 - Viky and Herman`s story by Viky Sianipar  Butet is the first single of the Tobatak Album. This is a very nice old Batak songs and probably the most popular Batak Song in Indonesia (and perhaps in the whole world). The song has so many interesting story behind to Batak people in general as well as to us.  HERMANN`S STORY  Hermann came to Indonesia the first time in 1995 after have had a recommendation from one of his friend in Ims, Austria. The hometown fellow had told Hermann how great experiences he has had during his staying in Bali. Especially the story about nice people and rich culture of Bali had also made Hermann very interested with this tropical island and decided to come.

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Thursday, 3 November 2011

Viky and Herman`s story

by Viky Sianipar

 Butet is the first single of the Tobatak Album. This is a very nice old Batak songs and probably the most popular Batak Song in Indonesia (and perhaps in the whole world). The song has so many interesting story behind to Batak people in general as well as to us.

 HERMANN`S STORY

 Hermann came to Indonesia the first time in 1995 after have had a recommendation from one of his friend in Ims, Austria. The hometown fellow had told Hermann how great experiences he has had during his staying in Bali. Especially the story about nice people and rich culture of Bali had also made Hermann very interested with this tropical island and decided to come.
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Then it was all happened exactly as planned. Hermann stayed in small villa called Padang Bay, made a lot of friends there and happened to be taught by a Balinese friend Indonesian traditional song called "Butet". That was the first Indonesian song he learned, ever. He did not know, by that time, that it was a Batak song or what so ever. He loved the song so much and always played the song in every restaurant or friend gatherings he went with a acoustic guitar. Even until his visit to Samosir Island in 1997 he always played this song in "kedai tuak" and made many people in the village gathered and delighted with what they saw, a "bule` (White people) tourist in Samosir singing Batak song.

Amazingly, this song has quite changed Hermann`s life mysteriously since then. Everything in his life turned to be different and getting better ever since. His luck, his musical taste, his new life gave him a Batak wife, lovely kids, and many other great things.

And now, 15 years later, Hermann is producing this song, "Butet" with me in Jakarta.

 THE SAME SPIRIT BUT DIFFERENT ANGLE

 This was actually a female song from the 30`s during Dutch colonial time written by S. Dis (they said??) about a mother who tells her Butet (daughter) that her father is on the war field. Many Batak producers have released this song with female singers. But since we have a male singer (Hermann) in this album, so I changed the story a bit.

 

It was during Batak war era in the late of 19th century. A soldier who was badly injured in the enemy`s (Dutch colonial) war camp sang this song with the last voice he had. He kept calling his only daughter at home, his only precious in life hoping that she could hear him dan prayed that she could grow faster and join the national red-cross team helping the injured. At the end of the song, he desperately called her daughter three times and then he passed away. What a tragic feeling we created for the song. I think this feeling would keep the same spirit then the original version, but from different angle. Then, we kept that feeling a long throughout the production of the song. It is like switching the "she" to "he" on female version of The Beatles` "Ticket to Ride"

 PRODUCTION NOTE

 I started the arrangement with more surreally Ambient New Age style. I put a lot of effect on the focal and flute to give the "other dimension" sense in the song as the soldier sang the song at the edge of his life with hardly clear mind. Hermann as well as Christoph (the guy from record label, BSC) loved it very much. Irish war drums was the perfect choice to describe a war vibe. The Batak Essential bamboo flute phrasing by Korem Sihombing has set the Lake Toba scenery in it that kept the originality of the song.

 During arranging this, i didn`t know what and why, but there were these voices that kept repeating in my mind that forced me to sing the interlude part at 3 o`clock in the morning because of too afraid if I let them go. It was a great backing vocal arrangement. Even Though Hermann loved it`s color, I (insisted) to replace my voice with Dewi`s (Marpaung).

One of the best part of the song is the 2nd voice of Daniella in the refrains. It was kind of out of the wall backing vocal line but fitted the main vocal nicely.

After a lot of brilliant correction and editing done by Hermann, I think we have created a masterpiece in Tobatak Album.


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