Sublime Flowers From The Garage--Dara Puspita-- 60's Indonesian Rock

I've been listening to this great compilation album of 60's music by Dara Puspita (Flower Girls), a four piece all female combo hailing from Surabaya on the island of Java. Alan Bishop's Sublime Frequencies label has done it again. They are definitely one of the most interesting music labels these days, introducing and making great music from around the world more easily available to, well, musically obsessed people like me. They and the Finders Keepers Label are life savers for those of us who are interesting in hearing popular music from around the globe.

PIPPIP PIPPIP, YEAH!

Though we all realize how big the Beatles were, what a giant musical and cultural phenomenon they were, I did not comprehend how far and quickly the musical diaspora spread!! Dara Puspita recorded these songs between 1966 and 1968! Off the top of my head, I can't think of any all female rock bands from that era anywhere, though I am far from an expert. So perhaps under the radar from most of the world, these women were probably rock and roll pioneers! Some folks find kitschy fun in hearing musicians from other cultures ineptly try to perform Western-style rock and roll (I am guilty of this at times). Sorry to say hipsters, but there is very little kitsch factor on this recording. First and foremost, Dara Puspita are a very good band, who played their own instruments pretty well. They were not just a manufactured group singing with backing from studio musicians. Secondly, most of the music here are original songs, though of course the music is western style pop music, not some synthesis of Indonesian music with rock. The song "Ibu (Mother)" sounds an awful lot in places like "She Said She Said" by the Fab Four. Of course some people may not get past the fact that the women don't sing in the same language as the Beatles. I say get over it. These songs are a lot of fun to hear. And the harmonies are great. And the fact that the music is not slick or overproduced is an asset in my opinion.



The band was composed of Titiek A.R. on lead guitar and vocals, Lies A. R. on Rhythm guitar and Vocals, Titiek Hamzah on Bass and vocals, and Susy Nander on Drums on Vocals. When the band first started, the Sukarno government was concerned with the influence of rock and roll and 60's counterculture on the youth of Indonesia. So for at least the early part of their career, merely playing music could be politically dangerous. Koes Beraudara (another SF reissue), another popular Indonesian band of the era actually went to prison for three months! Fortunately for Dara Puspita and for music lovers, the old government was toppled in 1965 and they were able to perform and make recordings freely under Suharto.

Headband Mania

All I can say is if you love 60's music, The Beatles, The Bangles, The Jam, New Zealand's Look Blue Go Purple, or Garage Rock, I can't see how you could go wrong with this. Dara Puspita was a lot better than I had expected them to be. I haven't heard the other Indonesian releases from Sublime Frequencies, the Koes Beraudara  and Koes Plus albums, but I am definitely interested in hearing more music from that era in Indonesia soon.