Gembull Navicula meets an orangutan

Bali based band, Navicula has launched the start of their Borneo Tour (Kalimantan) as part of their orangutan conservation campaign by holding an acoustic concert in Medan, on 24 July 2012. The event titled “Road to Borneo Tour” is aimed to raise awareness about the issues surrounding deforestation, a threat to the endangered species in Sumatera, especially in the area of Tripa peatland in Aceh.

“The concert in Medan is a warm up before we tour Kalimantan this September. During preparations for our upcoming Borneo Tour, we have heard about many pressing issues affecting Sumatera, such as the conversion of the Tripa peatland forest, which is an orangutan habitat. With the support of organizations that are concerned about these environmental issues, we are able to arrive in Sumatera, and chose Medan as the city for the main event,” said Gede Robi Supriyanto, vocalist of Navicula writing from Bukit Lawang, North Sumatera, Friday (20/7).

Robi has travelled to Bukit Lawang to trek through the Gunung Leuser National Park. His trip through the rainforest is a chance for Robi to gain more experience and understanding, to better campaign for environmental issues through music. Navicula’s Road to Borneo Tour in Medan is supported by Yayasan Ekosistem Lestari (YEL), Sumateran Orangutan Conservation Programe (SOCP), PanEco, Sawit Watch, and Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi) Sumut.

The concert will be held at Rama Gardenia Cafe on July 24, and Navicula, a band active since 1996, will perform an acoustic set. The event will also include an environmental discussion focused on saving the Tripa peatland, as well as a Sumatran orangutan and tiger photo exhibition by Mata Kamera Community of Medan.

Navicula, who has consistently been advocating for environmental issues will leave for a Borneo Tour in East and Central Kalimantan this coming September. The tour is themed around the critically endangered orangutan, facing extinction as a result of deforestation and the massive expansion of palm oil plantations.

Navicula’s Borneo Tour is paid for through crowdfunding projects on Kickstarter.com and Patungan.net. On kickstarter.com, Navicula launched a project with a funding goal of US$3,000, while on Patungan.net the funding goal was Rp.5 million. Both projects have exceeded their funding goal, and the project on Kickstarter.com is still running until 29 July 2012. As compensation for supporting their project, Navicula has offered digital download of their songs, t-shirts, CDs, traditional handicrafts, private gigs, and even a ticket to join the tour in Kalimantan.

“We’re really happy our Borneo Tour crowdfunding project has succeeded in gaining the interest of people who support our mission to use music as a media for environmental campaigns. This is also an example of how independent bands can hold a tour without funding from sponsors or promoters,” added Robi.

In December 2011, Navicula released the song Orangutan as a free download under a creative commons license. Vocalist of Navicula, Gede Robi Supriyanto, wrote the song Orangutan in April 2011. The track will be included on Navicula’s 7^th album, which is still in progress. The album will also include tracks such as Harimau! Harimau! (a tale of the last Sumatran Tiger) which is dedicated for the conservation of the Sumatran Tiger, of which only 400 exist in the wild due to habitat loss.

Navicula has been performing the song Orangutan live from stage to stage, and even on a popular music program on national TV. Since this exposure, many Navicula fans have requested that the band travel to perform the song live in their cities, including requests from fans in Kalimantan. “As a band from Bali, which is far from the center of the music industry, we are proud to be able to tour Kalimantan, one of the last remaining rainforests and habitat to the critically endangered orangutan, and perform the song Orangutan live there,” says Robi.

An International Campaign

The song Orangutan has made Navicula the winners of the International band competition Planetrox. Navicula will be travelling to Quebec, Canada to perform at the Envol et Macadam Festival on the 7-8 of September. “This is one way we can raise awareness about the plight of the orangutan on an International level. Environmental problems, whether in Kalimantan, Sumatera or Antarctica are the responsibility of everyone inhabiting this planet,” says Robi.

To participate in the Planetrox Competition, Navicula submitted the music video Orangutan, which was chosen as one of the semi-finalists. The 10 semi-finalists then competed in an online voting stage, from which 5 finalists competed in a live competition held in Bandung on 7 July. The jury chose Navicula as the winners to represent Indonesia in Canada.

Besides performing in Canada, Navicula is also in the running to record in Hollywood, USA. Out of 500 videos from 43 countries, Navicula has been chosen as one of the top 10 finalists for the RØDE Rock competition. If they win the online voting stage of the competition by 31 July 2012, Navicula will be flying to Hollywood, California to record three songs at the legendary Record Plant Studios. Navicula is currently in the lead for the online voting stage.

Name one song with an environmental message. There are a lot. Even one of Indonesia’s national music magazine’s (printed on paper from trees, of course) released one story covering 100 environmental songs in commemoration of Earth Day.

But what does the planet really need now, while facing degradation and destruction? A group of so called artists singing about nature, like the sounds of people celebrating in the desert?

Musicians who wish to touch our hearts and minds need to put in more effort than creating and producing songs, then performing them on stage. Especially in the context of fighting for our environment. Especially remembering our intense social media fever, where people feel accomplished just for being hashtag activists: then keep tweeting about an issue, but that’s all they do. While environmental degradation continues to systematically destroy our environment.

Last year saving orangutans was a popular topic. The hashtag #SaveOrangutans was used often on twitter. The trigger was the shocking news from a number of palm oil plantations in Kalimantan. They were promising a certain amount of money to workers who could kill and bring in orangutans, which are considered pests to the palm oil trees. How cruel. But the reality is that palm oil is considered more important as global resource than the continued existence of this large red ape which shares 97% of the same DNA as humans.

In December of 2011, Navicula released the song Orangutan as free online download. Other musicians, such as Shaggydog have also written songs about the critically endangered Orangutan. Robi Navicula – who has a twitter account, though rarely uses it – wrote the song Orangutan in April 2011. The song was written Navicula’s 7^th album which is in negotiations to be released in the United States. Besides the song Orangutan, this album also has songs like Harimau! Harimau! which is dedicated to the conservation of the remaining 400 Sumatran tigers, which are facing extinction due to habitat loss.

Navicula has been performing the song Orangutan live from stage to stage, and even on national TV stations. Since releasing the track, many fans have asked that Navicula come and tour in their city, especially in Kalimantan. Navicula hopes to bring this song live to Kalimantan, the last tropical rainforest on earth and habitat to the critically endangered orangutan.

Navicula may be considered ‘legendary’ and accomplished, their fan base is grassroots and dedicated, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are financially successful. Planning an independent tour to Kalimantan may be more difficult for Navicula than recording a popular song. Seeking standard concert sponsor and promoters to fund a tour to Kalimantan may not be the right route for Navicula as they are not an ideal band for cigarette brands wanting to make bring in money through concert promotion.

Financial concerns have been the main factor preventing Navicula from touring Kalimantan. But there is still potential to fund the tour through Kickstarter.com, a platform for crowdfunding creative projects. Crowdfunding is a business phenomenon in the current economic recession which the United States is still recovering from and the bankruptcy of economies such as Greece. Massalution, a research firm dedicated to crowdfunding and crowdsourcing released their Crowdfunding Industry Report earlier this month. The firm collected data from over 170 (38 percent of the total) crowdfunding platforms.

Massalution discovered that throughout 2011, crowdfunding platforms have raised over 1.5 billion US dollars to fund around 1 million projects. These numbers are astounding. But before you start thinking about how much money your going to raise, you should know that not everyone can make a project that is interesting enough to get lots of people wanting to support it. All submitted projects also have to pass through a selection process, and be approved by the portal administrators. Navicula’s project, a Borneo Orangutan tour, has been approved by Kickstarter.com.

Navicula’s project will raise funds to tour East and Central Kalimantan through the target funding of 3000 US dollars, which needs to be raised within 45 days. As compensation for backers, Navicula is offering free song downloads, t-sirts, CDs, Kalimantan handicrafts, private home performances, and even an offer to join them on tour to Kalimantan.

Navicula is the first musician or band from Indonesia who has launched a project on Kickstarter. There have been a few projects on Kickstarter about Indonesian musicians, but the projects were actually by foreigners, not by the musicians themselves. For example a documentary film about one of Indonesia’s most influential punk collectives launched a Kickstarter project with a target goal of US$ 16,000 to be reached within 45 days, and successfully raised US$ 16,450. This project was a collaborative between 3 filmmakers hailing from America, China and Malaysia.

Kickstarter backers must have a US credit card. Of course, these makes it difficult for people in Indonesia to be involved in Kickstarter. Because of this, Navicula has launched a supporting project through Patungan.net, with a funding goal of 5 million rupiah.

And as if there is just not enough you can do for our red ape friends, Navicula has also chosen the song Orangutan to represent them in the International band competition Planetrox. The winning band will be invited to perform at Envol et Macadam in Quebec, Canada. Voting will continue until June 24^th, and 5 finalists will be selected to compete live in front of a jury in Bandung on July 8^th.

Navicula is the only one of the 10 finalists to submit a song in Indonesian. Other Indonesian bands may feel more confident submitting an English track to an International band competition, but Navicula feels their songs in their mother tongue are strong enough as is: Orangutan. It’s in the message, not the language.

Navicula invites you to join their acoustic show and launching of the Borneo Tour:
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Starts at 18.00
At Café Tjikini Jl Cikini Raya no 17 Jakarta Pusat
Performance by: Navicula, Adrian Adioetomo, Balian

Ecological Sustainability Solutions Week at Little Tree Bali
Date: April 16-22, 2012
Address: Jl. Sunset Road 112x, Kuta, Bali
Free entry!

Monday – April 16, 2012
14:00-15:00 – “Indonesia goes organic” presentation by Darsih
16:00-17:00 – “Waste management” presentation Paola (EcoBali)
17:00-18:00 – “Bali Urban Farming (BUF)” presentation by Akarumput

Tuesday – April 17, 2012
13:00-14:30 – Expert Discussion group about Energy
15:00-16:30 – Expert Discussion group about Water
17:00-18:30 – Expert Discussion group about Waste

Wednesday – April 18, 2012
13:00-14:00 – Sustainability in Architecture by Charlie Hearn
14:00-15:00 – Sustainability in Construction by Marcus Bishop
15:00-17:00 – Complementary Currency Systems, dealing with problems in times of monetary crisis
17:00-18:00 – Waste composting by Rodney

Thursday – April 19, 2012
9:00-12:00 – Towards a Sustainable Hospitality Industry
15:00-17:00 – WIKA presentations
17:00-18:00 – CLEAR (Comfortable Low Energy Architecture) presentation

Friday – April 20, 2012
9:00-12:00  – Towards a Sustainable Hospitality Industry
13:00-14:00 – Options of sewage treatment in urban development by Florence Gattin
14:00-15:00 – Big projects as agents of community development by Agus Mantik
15:00-17:00 – WIKA presentations
17:00-18:00 – Permaculture projects
18:00-19:00 – 1000 Billionaires wanted by Alan Bywaters

Saturday – April 21, 2012
10:00-18:00 – Creativity Innovation Workshop by ROLE Eco Learning Center

Sunday – April 22, 2012
9:00-12:00 – Mangrove planting for Earth Day
14:00-18:00 – Responsible Lifestyle Ideas by NAFKA

The word Nyepi means silence. And as the name implies, it is a day of silence. For one whole day Bali’s population of 3.5 million choose to give the island a rest. For 24 hours all business stops, the roads are empty, there is no activity; even the airports close. At night, the cities are blanketed in almost total darkness because, in following ancient law, artificial light is forbidden on this sacred day. The concept of Nyepi is to enter into the new year in cleanliness, following the simple idea that if the first day is cleansed and pure then hopefully the days following will be so as well.

One of the most positive impacts of Nyepi is that nature has a chance to rest, even if only for one day, this one day has a major impact. Imagine, for 24 hours how much energy is saved because electricity use is so minimal, how much pollution can be reduced when thousands of cars and motorbikes are not choking the streets of Bali. Imagine how much smog and production waste is reduced because all businesses are closed for one day. For this one day, Bali overflows with positive energy as many residents choose to meditate, fast, and use this time for introspection.

Our planet is old and tired. After a year of being victim to human greed, in this era where ‘time is money’, our earth deserves this moment of rest.

This tradition is still practiced in Bali, passed on from generation to generation. I truly hope Nyepi will continue with future generations and that Bali continues to be proud of Nyepi, a tradition which can inspire the world in similar movements to show our love for nature.

Here is a song about Nyepi from the Bali band Kaimsasikun. Me and Ian (vocalist/guitarist of Kaimsasikun) would often spend Nyepi together. This year his band is in Jakarta recording, but they still celebrate Nyepi in their own way. Enjoy:

Peace and happy new year Caka 1934!

Founder of Yayasan Tri Hita Karana (THK) Bali, Chakra Widia, promotes how beekeeping benefits the growth of vegetables, fruits and flowers. “Bees are one of nature’s most productive pollinators and can have a dramatic beneficial effect on yields in terms of seed yield and fruit yield in many crops,” says Chakra. “And best of all you get the honey. In fact, we’d say beekeeping is a honey of a hobby.”

Using Permaculture principles, THK Foundation educates, advocates and acts to bring about more environmentally and economically sustainable practices in all fields of human activity in Bali. On March 24-25 THK will hold a beekeeping workshop at their learning center in Pengosekan, Ubud. The theme of the workshop is “BEE the change” a playful spin on the famous Gandhi quote “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

According to Chakra, beekeeping is not something you just do on a whim. “It’s a responsibility and to undertake it, you need to have a basic understanding of bees, especially the wild bees we have here in Bali,” says Chakra.

Workshop participants will be learning from I Gede Panca, an expert honey beekeeper in Bali. With a lifelong involvement in beekeeping, Panca is not only an expert but also a passionate advocate for the island’s wild bee population.

Panca was the inaugural winner of Indonesia’s best beekeeping title in 1998. Panca has founded three local beekeeping organizations in Payangan, Tegallalang and Petak and they meet together twice a year.

The bilingual weekend workshop is designed for novice beekeepers who want to learn beekeeping and start a colony of their own. During the workshop, participants will learn about Bali’s native bees, as well as an aggressive new kid on the block that may ultimately upset the island’s bee biodiversity.

Participants will also learn about flowers and their influence on the taste of honey, with plenty of honey tasting to sweeten the session.

Each participant will construct a modest bee box best suited to house the island’s native bees. This bee box may be taken home afterward or donated to the THK Permaculture demonstrations farm.

Much of the workshop will take place at the THK learning center – constructed from bamboo in a light and airy design. There will also be a field trip to explore a bee colony that has inhabited a neighbor’s family temple, quite a common occurrence in Bali.

Panca will show participants how to locate the queen in the colony and move the bees from the temple into a bee box.

Participants will also learn where to place bee boxes to attract bees, moving the bees to new food sources, and methods of identifying and dealing with predators. Panca will demonstrate how to harvest honey and how much to take from a colony so that enough food remains to sustain the bees and their larvae. He will also demonstrate his beesting “treatment” to reduce the risk of blood clots.

Assisting Panca during the workshop will be THK’s medicinal herb expert, Tri Suda Pala. Tri will lead a workshop session on the medicinal qualities of honey and the importance of pollination for medicinal herbs. Those attending can order bees, honey, or extra boxes from Panca, as well as medicinal herbs from Tri.

Chakra hopes that the workshop will be a springboard for helping to expand the knowledge base of bees and beekeeping in Bali and provide a network of sentinels to warn of any changes in the island’s bee population. “We hope we can foster the establishment of an umbrella organization of Bali beekeepers to work in cooperation with local beekeepers to ensure that our island’s native bee colonies continue to flourish,” he says.

Visiting beekeeper Steve Black from the Isle of Man, between England and Ireland, says ongoing support for novice beekeepers is vital and endorsed the formation of a group that meets regularly to continue the learning process.

“Nobody can hope to learn all that there is to know about beekeeping in a weekend workshop,” he says. “When situations arise with your bees, it’s important to be able to network with other more experienced beekeepers for advice.”

Places are limited and bookings close on March 19^th. Booking inquiries can be made by email to: thkbalicommunications@gmail.com or by phone: 087 861 463 406 or 081 338 794 571 (Chakra).

Participants should bring their own lunch or, for Rp. 15,000 each day they can have lunch provided. They should also bring a hat, sunscreen and, if they are allergic to beestings, it goes without saying that they should bring an EpiPen.

A cooperative in Switzerland is developing a consumer-supported agriculture system to which consumers pay a periodic fee. Consumers are also required to farm the land for a number of hours per year.

There isn’t much growing on the two and a half hectares of land in Ziplo, Geneva, save for small plots of lettuce here and there and a few herbal plants. As Switzerland  transitions from winter to spring, the activities of the Jardin du Chorroton cooperative are quiet as the farmers wait for prime growing season.

“This land actually doesn’t belong to the farmers or consumers,” says Irene (29). “Four years ago we claimed this land because it was abandoned.” She explains that in the past the land was used for conventional farming, using pesticides and other chemicals. “The farm next to us still uses these conventional techniques (pointing to the border of the two lands); the difference is like life and death.”

The land adjacent to Jardin du Chorroton is owned by immigrant workers from Portugal. The visual difference between this land and the property cared for by Irene is striking; it appears dry and barren.

There are 140 family members of the cooperative under the umbrella organization of Uniterra, a member of the small farmer organization La Via Campesina (International Peasant Movement). In 2007 La Via Campesina formed the cooperative with farmers to cultivate the land through consumer-supported agriculture.

The unique aspect of this system is that consumers must pay in advance a sum of 1,400 Swiss Francs (around US$ 1,475) per year. This capital is used to plant on the land, and the variety of crops to be planted is pre-approved by cooperative members. In this way, the farmers who work the land—there are around six people, Irene among them—receive a secure monthly salary.

The cooperative collective bears the burden of any risk to the harvest. Ipso facto if a surplus of produce is harvested, consumers receive more, and if output declines, as in the winter season, consumers will receive less. All the harvested produce is packaged in baskets and distributed by the cooperative each week to drop points around the city of Geneva.

Individual consumers retrieve their own baskets of produce. Additionally, they are required to spend 16 hours a year farming the land. “The consumers need to be aware [of the process] so they can really be a part of this system,” explains Irene.

Irene says that there are many families in Geneva who want to be a part of this new style of cooperative; but due to quality control measures and limited production on this small plot of land, the cooperative has had to turn down some requests for membership. Luckily, dozens of cooperatives in Switzerland have also adopted these consumer-supported agricultural systems.

At Jardin du Chorroton, almost all of the management employs mechanized systems for farming. Ten well-constructed greenhouses complete with irrigation systems are erected on the property. Farmers use a variety of tools, from simple hand tractors to large tractors and machines for turning and loosening the soil, and shape garden beds for planting are all employed.

Farming methods are based on sustainable farming systems; therefore, there are also mechanized systems for moving compost and processing waste. “One of my friends who works here is crazy about machines,” says Irene, laughing.

One traditional technique Jardin du Chorroton continues to preserve is horse-drawn ploughs. The horses they own plough the land, transport produce, and are even used during demonstrations. In fact, the cooperative’s name is derived from horse-powered farming techniques: In the local language chorroton translates to “horse-drawn carriage.”

This afternoon a consumer is harvesting sage herbs from one of the garden beds. Usually, on the weekends, consumers will bring their families, especially their children, to learn and play at Jardin du Chorroton.

This model of a producer/consumer cooperative for food production is actually increasingly popular all over the world. In addition to Switzerland, the countries of Japan, the United States, and Spain all boast rising Community Supported Agriculture movements. If product prices are compared with store-bought items, the cost of cooperative produce is similar; but cooperative farming offers the additional benefit of support for local products, allows consumers to know the quality of their food, and offers a short chain of sale.

From the farmer’s perspective, cooperatives provide a guaranteed income and, as a result, a secure source of livelihood hard to come by in today’s market. Farmers are also protected from risks such as crop failure or market price fluctuation.

Can a system like this be developed within our local farmers’ organizations? Is it possibly to spread this idea more widely across Indonesia?

Written by the Head of Foreign Affairs for the Indonesian Peasants Union (SPI – Serikat Petani Indonesia). This article was written in conjunction with in-country activities to advocate for small farmer’s rights during the 16^th Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Switzerland, March 2011.

Though the volcanic soil surrounding Lake Batur should be fertile, the region is suffering from environmental degradation. But Tegal Matanai is attempting to reintroduce chemical free farming practices to make a difference.

The first time I set foot in Songan was in January 2007. What I felt then must have been what Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana (STA) experienced when he first arrived in this village 50 years ago. Like the characters Yasin and Molek  in the romantic novel written by STA, Dian yang Tak Kunjung Padam (A Shimmer of Light that Does not Fade), I was in love.

Far from Bali’s touristic atmosphere, this village has everything it needs to survive today and into the future: A stunning natural view, widespread farming fields, hot bathing springs, and cool pools for freshwater diving—difficult to come by on the tropical island of Bali. Songan village is located in the volcanic highlands. The cool mountain weather creates fertile soil for fruits and vegetables to grow, and the produce from this region can then be distributed to markets all across Bali.

It appears that nature prepared everything that the people here could need, despite the geographic location of this village far from any larger town center and its difficult accessibility.

The first time I went to Songan I stayed the weekend, spending hours exploring the hillsides, playing in the lake, walking through the village or just sitting in front of the poet’s library. When I entered the village, I could still find the house where STA used to live. In 1971, STA founded the art center Balai Seni Toyabungkah. He once dreamed that this village would become a center for the arts.

I used to frequently visit Songan, but four years later, I spend less and less time there. I feel like driving two hours from Denpasar to visit a distant village is too much effort for what I find when I get there. Songan today is not as beautiful as it once was, partly because of a cultural shift in the people, who no longer follow the traditional wisdom of their predecessors.

Over the years, I have observed the farming methods in Songan. There is no more than a manageable 50 hectares of land where fruit and vegetables are grown, but local residents have given up traditional farming methods and are now dependent on chemicals to boost production. As a result, the quantity of produce has increased.

Lake Batur has recently been removed from the list of fresh water diving spots in Bali. Six months ago I accompanied several friends for diving there; afterwards I was sick with fever and itchy skin. The local villagers said that we had been ‘disturbed’ by the protector of the lake.

We joked about how the protector of the lake would probably be more amicable if chemical residue from the farmlands and waste from the village did not end up in the lake. Perhaps the villagers have already ‘disturbed’ the protector of the lake, and we were suffering the consequences. That would be the last time we went diving there.

In late November last year I asked locals why it appeared that their entire vegetable crops was failing. “It’s rainy season, the sun rarely shines, it’s just cloudy every day,” said Ketut Sidarta from inside his vegetable patch, where he was pumping chemical liquid onto his crops.

That was all. When crops fail and nature refuses to provide what is needed to grow, people tend to blame nature. Ketut Sidarta is one of many farmers in Songan who has become a victim of modern farming practices. In fact, using good farming practices can improve crop resilience, even in extreme weather. But Ketut does not realize how good farming systems could help him and reduce the risk of crop failure resulting from weather conditions.

We so easily forget what nature has taught us in the past. For hundreds of years, the people of Songan farmed without the help of factory-made chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Healthy soil provides a living environment for beneficial microorganisms to reproduce, including biota that can become a natural antibiotic to protect plants from insects and disease. Some organisms produce food for plants, while others protect the nutrients in the soil. The use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides has truncated this natural chain. These chemicals force plants to grow, even while their roots search for sustenance in nutrient-depleted soil. Songan farmers are forcing the plants and nature to work for them, not the other way round. I believe Songan could potentially be an independent village, but its modern farming practices have been marginalized it.

But now there is now a glimmering hope for change: A few small-scale environmental projects for healthy farming have launched in the area. Tegal Matanai, is one such project, taking its name from the local dialect, meaning Sunshine Farm. Located in Banjar Serongga, a small plot of land belonging to the village priest is being used as a collaborative farming space for students from local schools around the area. Tegal Matanai is farmed according to local wisdom. Everyone involved in this simple project is invited to work with nature and for nature.

In this way, Tegal Matanai attempts grow methods that differ from current farming practices in Songan. In addition to planting fruit, vegetable and sunflower seeds, this project is planting seeds of hope.

Hopefully over time, the people will realize that there is something more important than just having enough for today; hopefully Tegal Matanai can become a shimmer of light to inspire more change, so that Songan can once again become a light that does not fade.

Photos by Teddy Drew.

Song: Orangutan
Music by: Navicula
Lyrics by: Gede Roby Supriyanto

Orangutan muda, rumahnya di belantara,
Dijaga papa dan mama yang kemarin masih ada
Kini tiada…

Orangutan muda diculik perambah rimba
Dibawa paksa ke kota, jadi hiburan manusia
Terpenjara…

Orangutan (6x)
Orangutan akan jadi legenda

Orangutan gila karena manusia gila
Tak betah tinggal di kota, dia rindu habitatnya
Di rimba…

Orangutan murka mengamuk serang manusia
Manusia bawa senjata, orangutan tertawa
Terbang ke surga…

Orangutan (6x)
Orangutan akan jadi legenda

Orangutan (6x)
Orangutan akan jadi legenda

_______________

“Orangutan Lyrics” English translation:

A young orangutan, his home in the wilds,
Was cared for by papa and mama only yesterday
But now they are gone.

A young Orangutan was kidnapped by an encroacher in the jungle
Forcibly brought to the city to become human entertainment
Imprisoned…

Orangutan (6x)
The orangutan will become a legend

The Orangutan is crazy because man is crazy
Not at home in the city, he misses its habitat
In the jungle…

The furious Orangutan wreaks havoc, attacking humans
The humans carry weapons, the Orangutan laughs
Flies to heaven…

Orangutan (6x)
The Orangutan will become a legend

Orangutan (6x)
The Orangutan will become a legend

The artists behind Bali-based grunge/psychedelic rock outfit Navicula are no novices when it comes to environmental activism. In their 15-year history the group has penned a number of songs addressing specific environmental concerns, in Indonesia and worldwide. Navicula’s sixth studio album Salto was largely dedicated to environmental awareness. Songs like “Over Konsumsi” (Over-consumption) implicate consumerism for current global environmental crises. “Kill the Fireflies” deplores the decline of these luminescent insects in Bali as a result of the use of pesticides in rice fields. “Pantai Mimpi” was written in response to the privatization and destruction of Bali’s beaches and was the anthem for Navicula’s campaign to boycott the infamous Pecatu Resort and Dreamland in Bukit. Finally, their 2010 single “Metropolutan,” is a response to the pollution crisis in Jakarta.

As they entered the studio earlier this year to begin work on their seventh album, scheduled for release in 2012, the “Green Grunge Gentlemen” turned their attention to Indonesian wildlife. Indonesia is famous for its biodiversity; it is home to more than 12% of the planet’s plant and animal species. But habitat loss and poaching are pervasive and increasingly catastrophic realities that have led to the extinction of a number of Indonesia’s majestic animals, including both the Java and Bali Tiger. Experts predict species like the Javan rhinoceros, Sumatran tiger, and Sumatran orangutan will soon follow.

Throughout Navicula’s anticipated album runs a decidedly animalistic thread: Recording just wrapped for their song “Harimau! Harimau!” (Tiger), and now Navicula prepares to launch the single “Orangutan.” The song tells the story of a young orangutan which, following the slaughter of his parents, is kidnapped and brought to the city. The orangutan, maddened by his new environment and longing for his jungle home, turns the tables on his human captors, wreaking havoc in the city.

Navicula vocalist Gede Roby Supriyanto explains why the band chose the orangutan as the focus for its latest single: “Orangutans are one of the many animals that are threatened due to the transfer of the functions of forests in Indonesia. Orangutans will become a legend.”

As of 2008, there were less than 6,600 Sumatran orangutans remaining, down from 7,300 in 2004. According to the Sumatran Orangutan Society, “The decline of the orangutan in Borneo and Sumatra in recent years symbolizes the devastation of one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots—the lowland rainforests of Southeast Asia.”

In other words, the declining orangutan population corresponds to the loss of their habitat, a result of logging and the conversion of rainforests to palm oil plantations. In the last decade more than 9% of Kalimantan and Sumatra’s forest cover was lost.

Erik Meijaard, an ecologist who has worked in Indonesia since 1993, warns that hunting, which has largely gone unchecked by both conservationists and the government, is also a major cause for the endangerment of Indonesian animal species. Additionally, orangutan populations are threatened by the illegal pet trade and conflicts between humans and orangutans, two problems Navicula addresses in the lyrics for “Orangutan.”

Navicula joins other artists who are using the stage and media channels to advocate for orangutan conservation. In 2010 Shaggydog and Superman Is Dead performed together for a benefit concert in Yogyakarta, Konser Amal Peduli Orangutan (Charity Concert for the Care of Orangutans). Seringai frontman Arian13 has actively advocated for orangutan conservation, most frequently through his Twitter account with nearly 19,000 followers.

Upon hearing “Orangutan” for the first time this week, Arian13 responded in email correspondence, “Not many local bands are actually voicing concerns for the environment, but Navicula is a band that is active with environmental issues. This includs orangutans, which are endangered or extinction if we do not prevent it. The song also voices anger against the conditions for the orangutan, now increasingly sad: murdered by man, a case of genocide.”

Roby hopes the song will help raise awareness for the current plight of one of Indonesia’s unique species, as well as encourage the government to take action: “Our hope is for improvements in policy, power, and government control over the palm oil industry, because right now the palm oil industry has a “law” itself outside the law of the state of Indonesia. We also need tighter control to support the preservation of the environment and local economy, so that they become healthier for more local communities, the forest, and so that they are more sustainable.”

Navicula will launch “Orangutan” during the second installment of Suara Untuk Alam (Voice for the Environment), an initiative of Walhi Bali (the Bali division of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment). Suara Untuk Alam II, scheduled for 17 December at Bali Seamans’ Club in Sanur, will feature an art auction, woodcutting workshop, and performances by bands Nosstress, Geekssmile, and Navicula. Proceeds will benefit Walhi and Akarumput’s Sumatran Forest Initiative, a campaign to combat deforestation and orangutan slaughter.

For one week following Suara Untuk Alam II, “Orangutan” can be downloaded for free exclusively on Akarumput.com.