Unik. Itulah image band White Shoes and The Couples Company. Genre retro yang diusung campuran antara pop, funk, dan jazz klasik era tahun 1950-1970an serta paduan dandanan vintage membuat mereka beda dari band lainnya. Minggu (29/3) lalu, grup ini tampil atraktif memukau ratusan orang yang memadati Copacabana International, Melbourne. Mereka diundang untuk mengisi launching Women Art Network Indonesia to Australia (WANITA). Para pengunjung terlihat antusias bernyanyi dan terus bergoyang mengikuti irama musik.
Band dengan 5 personel yaitu Aprilia Apsari (vokal/biola), Yusmario Farabi (gitar), Ricky Virgana (bas), Aprimela Prawidyanti Virgana (keyboard) dan John Navid (drum) ke Australia ini membawakan lagu Aksi Kucing, Senandung Maaf, Sangkuriang, dan Lembe-lembe.
“Grup ini keren banget,” kata Leika Fitri yang terlihat heboh sejak awal White Shoes and The Couples Company naik panggung hingga selesai. Mahasiswa RMIT University yang datang bersama rombongan temannya ini mengaku penggemar setia sejak masih SMP. “Fun deh pokoknya. Mereka tahu caranya menghidupkan crowd”, kata Leika yang mengaku pernah menonton konser grup ini hingga 10 kali.
Selain itu, ada pula Sabrina Talarico asal Italia yang juga mengaku puas sekali melihat konser mereka. “Meski saya tidak tahu arti liriknya, tapi saya suka banget musiknya dan penampilan mereka. Gaya joget vokalisnya asyik,” katanya.
Aprilia Apsari, vokalis yang biasa dipanggil Sari, bercerita awal mula membentuk band itu sejak mereka masih kuliah di Institut Kesenian Jakarta. “Kami terpengaruh soundtrack film-film nasional layar lebar tahun 1970an atau tahun 1950an. Biasanya soundtrack-nya sangat bagus dengan aransemen yang sangat detail,” katanya. Menurut Sari, lagu-lagu lama memiliki lirik yang bagus dan itu memandu mereka berkarya optimal, tidak hanya sekedar mengejar pasar. “Kami ingin membuat lagu dengan lirik yang bagus. Jadi kalau kami nanti tua dan mendengar lagu kami lagi, kami tidak malu karena lirik dan aransemennya dibuat sungguh-sungguh,” katanya.
Setelah lagunya jadi soundtrack film Janji Joni, dan Berbagi Suami, lagu mereka juga dipakai untuk film baru yang disutradarai Platon Theodoris, sineas Australia yang akan di launching September 2015. Bulan April 2015, band ini akan pentas di Milan, Italia dengan sponsor pemerintah.
Fun Music a la White Shoes and the Couples Company
Unique. That’s the image of the band White Shoes and the Couples Company. The retro genre that has brought a mixture of pop, funk, and classical jazz era between 1950-1970s and their vintage makeup make them different from other bands. Last Sunday (29/3), this group performed attracting hundreds of people packing out Copacabana International, Melbourne. They were invited for the launching of the the Women Art Network Indonesia to Australia (WANITA). The visitors seemed enthusiastic dancing and swaying along to the rhythm of the music.
The band has5 members namely Aprilia Apsari (vocals / violin), Yusmario Farabi (guitar), Ricky Virgana (bass), Aprimela Prawidyanti Virgana (keyboard) and John Navid (drums), bringing to Australia the songs Aksi Kucing, Senandung Maaf, Sangkuriang, and Lembe-lembe.
“This group is so cool,” said Leika Fitri who was there from start to finish of White Shoes and the Couples Company being on stage. The RMIT University student came with her friends and admits she has been a fan since junior high school (SMP). “They’re just fun basically. They know the way to liven up a crowd”, said Leika who claimed to have watched this group in concert as many as 10 times.
Besides Leika, Italian Sabrina Talarico who was also satisfied with the concert, “Although I don’t know the meaning of the lyrics, but I really like the music and the performance. The dancing style of the vocalist was fun,” she said.
Aprilia Apsari, the vocalist nicknamed Sari, tells the beginning of forming a band since they were at collage at the Jakarta Art Institute (Institut Kesenian Jakarta). “We were influenced by film soundtracks from the widescreen epidemic of the 1970s or 1950s. Usually the soundtracks are really good with very detailed arrangements,” she said. According to Sari, older songs have great lyrics and it led them to make their best work, not just chasing the market. “We wanted to make songs with good lyrics. So later when we are older and hear our songs again, we would not be ashamed of the lyrics and arrangements feel real, ” she said.
After their songs became the soundtracks for Janji Joni, and Berbagi Suami, the songs were also used for the new movie directed by Platon Theodoris, Filmmakers Australia that will be launched in September 2015. In April 2015, this band will perform in Milan, Italy with government sponsorship.
Illian Deta Arta Sari
Photo: Windu Kuntoro
