Jakarta – Jazz Gunung Bromo 2023 opened by emphasizing local ethnic events through the appearance of Salma Salsabil and the opening of the Bromo Batik Market. The addition of the market is a first for the annual festival. It was held for two days, beginning on Friday (21/07/2023).
"Hopefully the Bromo Batik Market can become a new choice of destination for people to visit Bromo in the Jazz Gunung Bromo 2023 event series. Later, tourists visiting Bromo will not only [come to] see the sunrise, but can also visit to watch music and the batik market. So, people don't just visit overnight," said Sigit Pramono, founder of Jazz Gunung Indonesia.
This year's Jazz Gunung Bromo 2023 is the event's 15th installment, beloved by Indonesians as a platform to watch brilliant musicians play their craft against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful views in the country. Since the first event, it has steadily grown in popularity, with organizers planning to hold jazz concerts in several locations in West Java, Central Java, Toba and Labuan Bajo in the near future.
Salma Salsabil, a native of Probolinggo, was the most anticipated musician to perform on the opening day. The excitement was tangible before she took the stage, with fans carrying banners that read "We Love Salma – Probolinggo" to show their love for her.
The audience's enthusiasm grew when Salma performed the song "Rungkad", originally sung by Denny Caknan and Happy Asmara. The song proved to be a hit with the audience as concertgoers from Malang all the way to Medan stood up to sing along from the stands.
Another musician that got the crowd going was Mus Mujiono in the Jiwa Jawa Bromo amphitheater. A native of Surabaya, he invited the audience to sing along to "Tanda-tanda" and "Puncak Asmara", both popular in the 90s and bringing a sense of nostalgia among the crowd.
Later on in the night, audience got the opportunity to see young jazz musician Ardhito Pramono sang with Margie Segers, a jazz diva from the 1970s. Even though they came from different generations, the two sang harmoniously Margie's song titled "Kata Hatiku", as one of the last performances before the show closed on Saturday.
"I really miss jazz music which is full of traditional elements like that performed by Guruh Gipsy in his era," concluded Ardhito, adding that jazz music was his home.