Banda Neira adalah proyek iseng bertanggung jawab yang menjunjung tinggi spirit amateurisme. Bubar sejak Desember 2016.
Kontak: di.banda.neira@gmail.com

Pesan rilisan fisik album pertama 'Berjalan Lebih Jauh' dan album kedua 'Yang Patah Tumbuh, yang Hilang Berganti' ke sorgerecords@gmail.com.

Dulu ketika tinggal di Jakarta Rara Sekar  adalah aktivis Hak Azasi Manusia di LSM Kontras. Kini ia hijrah ke Bali dan jadi pegiat sosial di organisasi non profit Kopernik. Kerjaanya, membagikan teknologi tepat guna untuk memberdayakan masyarakat di berbagai tempat. Sementara Ananda Badudu, dulu, kini, dan nanti adalah wartawan harian di Tempo. Kerjaanya, setiap hari keliling Jakarta mencari berita.

Siapapun tahu hidup di Jakarta akan terasa penat jika tak diselingi kegiatan-kegiatan menghibur diri. Oleh karena itu keduanya sepakat membentuk band. Formatnya sederhana saja, dua orang dan satu gitar. Kadang ada xylophone mainan nyempil. Atau impersonisasi terompet berhubung tak punya alat sesungguhnya. Meski formatnya dua orang, mereka menolak disebut duo, inginnya disebut band. Tak tahu pasti apa maksudnya.

Sejak terbentuk pada akhir Februari lalu, Banda Neira baru dua kali manggung dan sekali mengecap studio, yakni pada saat rekaman saja. Tapi latihan lumayan sering. Karena format sederhana, latihan pun bisa di mana saja. Bisa di atap kos-kosan, di ruang fitnes kedap suara, di warung sepi pengunjung, hingga rerumputan taman kota.

Tak disangka proyek iseng berlanjut terus. Pada suatu hari, sebelum Rara Sekar hijrah ke Bali, keduanya nekat menyewa studio Aru untuk merekam empat lagu yang mereka punya. Jadilah album EP (Extended Play) yang di kemudian hari dinamakan “Di Paruh Waktu”. Karena lirik lagu Banda Neira kebanyakan nelangsa, maka disebutlah genrenya nelangsa pop.

Kini Rara Sekar tinggal di Ubud, Bali, dan Ananda Badudu masih di Mampang Prapatan, Jakarta. Tapi katanya Banda Neira tidak vakum alias tetap jalan. Nanti mungkin ada lagu-lagu lain, yang kalau sudah PD akan ditaruh juga di soundcloud. Hehehe. Sekian ceritanya dan terimakasih telah berkunjung ke soundcloud kami.

Salam, Banda Neira
8 Agustus 2012

*NP: Banda Neira adalah nama pulau yang berada di Maluku, bagian Timur Indonesia. Pada masa perjuangan kemerdekaan, beberapa pejuang dan bapak penemu bangsa sempat dibuang oleh Belanda ke sana. Di antaranya Sjahrir dan Hatta. Banyak cerita menarik yang ditulis Sjahrir tentang Banda Neira. Dari catatan hariannya orang bisa tahu ia tak merasa seperti orang buangan ketika diasingkan ke sana. Barangkali karena pulaunya luar biasa indah dan masyarakatnya menarik. Sementara Hatta sibuk baca buku, Sjahrir asik bermain dan mengajar anak-anak setempat. ”Di sini benar-benar sebuah firdaus”, tulisnya di awal Juni 1936. Dari pulau dan cerita inilah kira-kira nama band ini diambil.

twitter: @dibandaneira

blog: dibandaneira.tumblr.com

e-mail: di.banda.neira@gmail.com

Aziz Adi Nugroho
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Gerald Situmorang was born in Jakarta on May 31, 1989. He began playing guitar at the age of 13. Initially, he studied under Armstrong Pitoi of the New Breeze for 3 years, Nikita Dompas for one year where he improved his skills and grew his passion in jazz, and later he took private lessons at Institut Musik Daya with Dion Janapria for one semester. He has also participated at "Serambi Jazz Workshop" with Florian Ross, Henning Sieverts, Wolfgang Haffner, and Kai Brückner. He also took a Masterclass with Indra Lesmana.

He first started writing and composing his own music at the age of 14. At 16, he composed several songs for his duo "Sketsa".

Gerald won the first prize in eX Jazz Battle 2009 with BAG Trio, and received a special award "Excellent Duo In Jazz" with Gerald & Ryan in 31st JGTC Competition.

Gerald has participated in many of Indonesia's most prestigious festivals such as Jazz Goes To Campus, Java Jazz Festival, JakJazz Festival, ASEAN Jazz Festival, Java Soulnation, PL Fair and many more. He also participated in World Youth Jazz Fest 2014 in Malaysia.

On January 31st, 2010 he released his debut album with Sketsa "Childhood's Dream". It was nominated for the 2010 Indonesia Cutting Edge Music Awards (ICEMA) "Favorite Jazz Song Category" for "Childhood's Dream".
Gerald and his duo Sketsa was also nominated for an AMI Awards (Anugerah Musik Indonesia) which is the equivalent to the Grammy Awards in Indonesia in 2011 for the category of Best Jazz/Instrumental Performance by a solo artist or duo/group for his song "Childhood's Dream" which is on Sketsa's debut album.

Sketsa's second album, "Different Seasons", was released in May 22, 2013. The album was produced by Tohpati.

Gerald has also released albums with Hemiola Quartet "Oddventure" (November 22nd, 2012) and with Monita Tahalea & The Nightingales "Songs of Praise" (August 21st, 2013, produced by Indra Lesmana).

He received "Best Newcomer Artist" award with Hemiola Quartet from 36th Jazz Goes To Campus, the oldest jazz festivals in Indonesia.

He released "Time Is The Answer" album with his trio (June 7th, 2014). And got nominated for 2014 Indonesia Cutting Edge Music Awards (ICEMA) "Best Jazz Track" and stay in the" Indonesia Top 10 Albums" for 5 months on Rolling Stone Magazine Indonesia (September 2014 - January 2015).

He joined BARASUARA in 2012, which he plays bass and released their critically acclaimed debut album “Taifun’ in October 22, 2015. Rolling Stone Indonesia placed it at number two in their list of “20 Best Indonesian Album 2015” and also listed on CNN Indonesia “10 Best Indonesian Album of 2015”. He received “Best Live Act” with BARASUARA from Rolling Stone Indonesia Editor’s Choice Award 2016 and got nominated for “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” & “Best Album of the Year” from Indonesian Choice Awards 2016.

On 2015, alongside with Monita Tahalea, they produce Monita’s second album “Dandelion” (December 1st 2015).

His debut solo guitar album “Solitude” will soon be released in mid year of 2016.

Besides performing with Sketsa & BARASUARA, Gerald is a member of several music groups, including BAG+BEAT, Hemiola Quartet, Dimas Wibisana & His Mates, Barry Likumahuwa Quintet, & Monita Tahalea and The Nightingales.

Gerald Situmorang has performed with many musicians, including : Tohpati, Erwin Gutawa, Indra Lesmana, Riza Arshad, Aksan Sjuman, Barry Likumahuwa, Raisa, Monita Tahalea, Agnez Mo, Efek Rumah Kaca, Matajiwa, Indra Aziz, Nikita Dompas, Mery Kasiman, Ayushita, Calvin Jeremy, Oran Etkin and many more.

Discography :

- Sketsa - "Childhood's Dream" (2010)
- Hemiola Quartet - "Oddventure" (2012)
- Sketsa - "Different Seasons" (2013)
- Monita Tahalea & The Nightingales - "Song of Praise" (2013)
- Gerald Situmorang Trio - "Time Is The Answer" (2014)
- BARASUARA - “Taifun” (2015)
- Gerald Situmorang - “Solitude” (2016)

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