Jakarta Java Kini - Jakarta's City Magazine

Jakarta is rapidly becoming the region’s concert capital. We take a spin back through some of the city’s recent musical milestones

It was like living inside an endless dim tunnel during the aftermath of the troubled days of late ’90s Indonesia. Those who had a deep love of music could only depend on the nascent internet and the quite-limited MTV Asia for coverage of their favourite musicians. A series of riots, bombings and natural disasters replaced travel tips with travel warnings and no international stars had the courage to show up and perform here.

But what a difference a decade and a cultural sea change can make. Today, there is pretty much one international act scheduled to perform every single weekend in town and everyone, from metal heads to pop fans, is catered for. 2011 is the year that the city has finally recovered and there are more reasons than ever to gather together in large numbers, listen to music and talk gibberish.

Single artist concerts are often sell outs, indicating a strong connection between said artists and their fans, although it is the city’s festivals that have racked up a long list of world-class performers in recent years and these events can now hold their own with any other modern festival across the globe. Moreover, the positive feedback loop continues as plenty of international artists have already planned return visits to these shores.