Inilah sosok muda asal Indonesia yang diakui keahliannya oleh komunitas dan pemerintah Australia. Deva Permana. Musisi kelahiran Jakarta 1973 itu, berhak tinggal dan bekerja di Australia sebagai Distinguished Talent, karena ia diakui memiliki bakat yang luar biasa.
“Asisten menteri imigrasi yang menelepon saya saat itu, menyatakan bahwa lamaran visa saya untuk jadi permanent resident diterima,” tutur Deva mengenang saat-saat terindah dalam hidupnya di ujung tahun 2009 itu. “Keputusan untuk pelamar Distingushed Talent Visa (DTV) itu langsung di tangan menteri imigrasi,” sambungnya.
Mendapatkan DTV itu bukan jalan yang mudah buat Deva. Banyak hal yang di tengah perjalanan muncul tak terduga. Pihak-pihak yang ia anggap bisa membantu justru meninggalkannya berjuang sendirian. Tetapi pihak yang tak ia duga justru berdiri membelanya. Situasi politik dalam negeri dan pasang-surut hubungan Indonesia-Australia juga ikut berpengaruh.
“Saya beruntung didukung langsung oleh MP Tanya Plibersek dan Walikota Sydney Clover Moore,” tuturnya. “Merekalah yang memastikan bahwa kehadiran saya dengan keahlian sebagai musisi itu, memang dibutuhkan oleh komunitas Australia.” Selain kedua tokoh itu, Deva juga didukung resmi oleh Musica Viva, Sydney Opera House, dan Sydney Festival. Secara kebetulan, di tahun 2009 itu Kevin Rudd naik ke kursi perdana menteri. Menjalin hubungan budaya dengan Indonesia menjadi salah satu prioritasnya. Maka sosok multitalenta seperti Deva menjadi sangat dibutuhkan.
Mimpinya adalah membuat Posko Budaya Independen
. Di situlah ia ingin membangun jembatan budaya Indonesia-Australia. “Hubungan kedua negara akan jauh lebih kuat jika dibangun di atas fondasi budaya,” ujar musisi yang sudah mencatatkan namanya dalam buku Australia Exploring The Musical Landscape itu penuh semangat.
Deva yang mengenal musik sejak belia adalah sosok yang selalu mau belajar. Ia belajar musik tradisional (gamelan) juga musik kontemporer. Saat mengambil kuliah di Fakultas Seni Rupa dan Design (FSRD) ITB, ia mengambil mata kuliah minor di Jurusan Karawitan ASTI Bandung. Ia juga menjadi drummer di Depot Kreasi Seni Bandung (DKSB) pimpinan Harry Roesli. Tak heran jika selain menguasai gamelan Sunda-Jawa-Bali, ia juga piawai memainkan alat musik jazz atau blues.
Pada tahun 1995-1997 ia mendapatkan tawaran Cross-cultural scholarship di The Australian Institute of Music di Sydney. Ia mendalami musik jazz. Sempat pulang pada 1997, ia ditawari pekerjaan oleh Departemen Pendidikan dan Training Australia melalui program Musica Viva in Schools. Tugasnya adalah memperkenalkan musik Indonesia ke sekolah-sekolah. Sejak saat itu ia terus tinggal di Australia dengan berganti-ganti sponsor.
Pengalamannya bermusik antara lain bersama artis jazz legendaris Alex Acuna, Airto Moreira, Abraham Laboriel Sr, Oscar Castro Neves, Don Grusin, Gary Meeks, penyanyi Brasil Katia Moraes dan legenda hidup perkusi Australia Greg Sheehan, Fabian Hevia, dan Ben Walsh. Ia juga tampil dalam beberapa konser mantan Australian Idol Cosima De Vito, Courtney Act, dan Jessica Mauboy. Manggung dengan Fusion Band GapProject, 9pc Horns Band DrFeelgood, The Superheroes, penyanyi soul Peter Morgan, dan penyanyi jazz Lily Dior.
Apa sih rahasinya untuk mendapatkan DTV? Menurut Deva, seorang calon harus mendapat pengakuan internasional di bidangnya selama 5 tahun, atau sudah mengabdi di Australia sedikitnya 10 tahun. Selain lolos syarat administratif, ia juga harus lolos test wawancara.
Saat wawancara, peraih juara pertama Billy Hyde Open Drum Competition 2001 itu menjelaskan bahwa ia memilih Australia karena negara ini ibarat taman mini dunia. Australia membuka ruang bagi berkembangnya budaya mutikultural. Dan sebagai warga asal Indonesia, ia melihat hubungan kedua negara itu dekat tetapi jauh, bertetangga tetapi seperti tak saling mengenal. “Di situlah saya ingin memberi sumbangsih melalui keahlian bermusik yang saya kuasai. Dan dengan DTV, saya bisa bergerak secara independen serta bisa mengatur kerjasama dengan lembaga lain yang satu tujuan,” tegasnya.
Menurut Deva, peluang DTV itu terbuka bagi anak-anak muda Indonesia yang berbakat luar biasa tetapi kurang mendapatkan ruang di tanah air.
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The Special Pathway: Deva Permana
This is the young man from Indonesia who has been recognised by the community and Australian government. Deva Permana. The musician who was born in Jakarta in 1973, is entitled to live and work in Australia as a Distinguished Talent, because he is recognised as having an extraordinary talent.
“The assistant minister for immigration called me at the time, saying that my visa application for permanent residency was accepted,” said Deva recalling one of the most beautiful moments in his life at the end of 2009. “The decision to apply for the Distinguished Talent Visa (DTV) was dealt with directly by the immigration minister,” he continued.
Getting a DTV was not an easy road for Deva. Many things rose up on the way unexpectedly. The parties which he thought could help just left him to struggle alone. But the parties he did not think would help were actually the ones left to defend him. The political situation in Indonesia and also the highs and lows in the Indonesia-Australia relationship was also influential.
“I was fortunate to receive direct support from MP Tanya Plibersek and Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore,” he said. “They were the ones that made sure of my presence as a musician, as was indeed required by the Australian community.” Besides those two figures, Musica Viva, Sydney Opera House and Sydney Festival also supported Deva. Coincidentally, in 2009 Kevin Rudd rose to the position as Prime Minister. Cultural relationship with Indonesia became one of his priorities. As a result, multitalented figures such as Deva became indispensable.
His dream is to make centre for Indepenent Culture. That is where he wants to bridge a cultural gap between Indonesia and Australia. “The relationship between the countries will be far stronger if it is builit on a cultural foundation,” said the musician who has recorded his name in the book Australia Exploring The Musical Landscape, a book full of passion.
Deva who has known music from a young age has always been willing to learn. He studied traditional music (gamelan) as well as contemporary music. When he took a course at the Faculty of Art and Design (FSRD) at ITB, he took a course minor in gamelan (karawitan) in Bandung. He also was a drummer in the Depot Art Creation Bandung (DKSB) with Harry Roesli as leader. Not surprsingly that besides mastering gamelan in Sunda-Java-Bali, he is also good at playing the musical instruments for jazz or blues.
Between 1995-1997 he was offered a Cross-cultural scholarship at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney. He studied jazz there. He came home in 1997, then the Australian Department of Education and Training offered him a job through the Musica Viva in Schools program. The job was to introduce Indonesian music to schools. Since then he has continued to live in Australia throgh multiple sponsors.
He shared his musical experience with legendary jazz artists such as Alex Acuna, Airto Moreira, Abraham Laboriel Sr, Oscar Castro Neves, Don Grusin, Gary Meeks, Brazillian singer Katia Moraes and living Australian percussion legends Greg Sheehan, Fabian Hevia, and Ben Walsh. He also appeared in several concerts with former Australian idols including Cosima De Vito, Courtney Act, and Jessica Mauboy. He also had gigs with Fusion Band GapProject, 9pc Horns Band DrFeelgood, The Superheroes, soul singer Peter Morgan, and jazz singer Lily Dior.
What’s the secret to getting a DTV? According to Deva, a candidate must receive international recognition in their field for 5 years, or the same in Australia for at least 10 years. Besides the administrative requirements to qualify, they must also past an interview test.
During the interview, the winner of the Billy Hyde Open Drum Competition in 2001 explained that he chose Australia because the country is like a world of “mini parks” (taman mini). Australia has opened the door to develop a multicultural culture. And a citizen from Indonesia, he saw the relationship between the two countries as near but far away, as neighbours that do not know each other. And with a DTV, I can move independently and can arrang cooperation with other institutions with similar goals,” he emphasised.
According to Deva, the DTV opens opportunities to young Indonesians with extraordinary talent, but lack of opportunity available in their homeland.
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