Simon says
After showing his fancy linen in public, our columnist expands his horizons searching for new musical talent for Bella Union, leading to some enlightening cultural exchanges…
Running Bella Union for 21 years, I’ve been fortunate to have travelled far and wide in search of exciting new music. Following our successes globally with Jambinai from Seoul in South Korea, we have tried to expand our horizons beyond just going to the same annual festivals and instead delve into territories where the awareness is minimal. Through a connection with Indonesian festival promoter Teguh Wicaksono, I was invited to do a keynote speech at Archipelago Festival in Jakarta and to also spend a week visiting local musicians, promoters and venues, and absorbing as much of the culture as possible. It is from my hotel in Jakarta on the eve of my keynote speech and DJ set that I write these words.
Having flown straight out of snowy Helsinki – where I was at another festival last week – to Doha in Qatar and then on to the heavy humidity of Jakarta, my delicate constitution was about to be tested.The red-haired, paleskinned of us don’t tend to fare too well in extreme climates, but I have a positive mindset and as I arrived at the conveyor belt at Jakarta airport to collect my bags, despite 15 hours of travel, I felt ready for action.