Friday, June 13, 2014

Follow Friday: Up in the Cloud, the Honeyed Tones of Teza Sumendra


Teza Sumendra counts Twitter, Instagram and YouTube among the social media platforms he uses, but says SoundCloud is his main medium. (Photo courtesy of Teza Sumendra)
Teza Sumendra counts Twitter, Instagram and YouTube among the social media platforms he uses, but says SoundCloud is his main medium. (Photo courtesy of Teza Sumendra)
Many Indonesians, especially the younger generation, often don’t appreciate the different music genres that the country’s music industry has to offer beyond the usual pop and rock songs. Enter Teza Sumendra, one of the most unique soul and R&B singers around, fitting the bill as Indonesia’s “new kid on the block.”
“I have been singing since I was 7 years old,” he recalls.
Teza made his first foray into the music industry when he was still in high school. In 2006, he was one of the contestants on the third season of Indonesian Idol. His performances, closely watched not only by enthusiastic TV audiences but also leading figures in the industry, eventually earned him a mentorship with renowned jazz musician and composer Indra Lesmana.
“It was an honor to meet him personally, to work together and especially to create music together. After Indonesian Idol, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Indra on his compilation album called ‘Kembali Satu’ [‘Back as One’],” the 26-year-old says.
Looking back on his journey, there are many unforgettable moments shared with eminent figures from Indonesia’s music scene, many of whom Teza not only met but also collaborated with. Besides working together on several compilation albums, Teza also participated in several musicals, like “Laskar Pelangi” and “Ali Topan the Musical.” He has also been a regular performer since 2009 at the prestigious Java Jazz Festival, held annually in March and billed as the biggest festival of its kind in Southeast Asia.
“For now I’m working on my first solo album, which will probably be released around October this year,” Teza says. The first single from the album, called “I Want You, Love,” has already received positive feedback from listeners.
Teza’s songs are posted on SoundCloud, which is the social media platform he uses the most. With more than 31,000 followers, Teza finds it a rather easy and convenient way to upload tracks from his home or his studio and make them available to such a wide audience. Teza often sings covers of songs by local or international stars such as Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams.
“I would say that my primary social medium is SoundCloud, because I love to share my covers of other singers’ songs, and also to show more about the genre these songs belong in,” Teza says.
He’s also quite active on Instagram, with 25,000 followers, but he uses this platform for different purposes, where he mainly shares pictures and videos of his day-to-day life, and less about his career as a professional singer.
“For me, Instagram is just to fill my free time, when I have nothing to do. This social medium is more easy and more flexible to use than SoundCloud,” he says.
Teza also counts 7,000 followers on Twitter. To reach an even wider audience, Teza has created a YouTube account as well, gaining 2,200 subscribers, and views reaching in the thousands.
Even though Teza sings mostly in English, he wants to put a stronger focus on Indonesian listeners first.
“By singing in English, I want to show Indonesian music listeners that local musicians can indeed create music that has international standards or feel. Hopefully someday I will go overseas,” he says.
When asked what his plans for the future are, he simply answers that he only has three main goals he wants to achieve.
“First, I want to set foot in New York City; then I will live there, and finally become a musician there.”
It seems that Teza is certainly on the right path to making his dreams come true — and for that reason, he should be on music lover’s to-follow list.
Follow Friday is a series of profiles on the people who make up Indonesia’s ever-growing Twitterverse. Follow at your own risk.

By Dhika Himawan on 01:05 pm Jun 13, 2014

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