Spicing up the music scene

The local music industry has pumped out enough carbon copy boy bands, electric rock groups, booty-shaking dangdut singers and pop princesses over the last few years to send even a die-hard Idol fan into boredom overload. The market is screaming for something new, fresh and unique. D’Cinnamons has arrived to fill this niche, writes Deanne Whitfield.

A trio of talented guitarists, D’Cinnamons is the first all-acoustic band to hit the Indonesian market and deliver a fresh new sound to the “indie” music scene.

A self-professed “café home-band”, D’Cinnamons – consisting of lone male member Bona, 25, lead vocalist Dodo, 24, and Laut, 27 – was formed in 2004 and started playing top 40 songs at nightspots in its home base of Bandung. The band recently signed with Aquarius Musikindo records and went national with the release of its debut album, Good Morning, in January.

D’Cinnamons, as the name implies, serves up a mix of refreshingly mellow and sweet acoustic harmonies. Dodo delivers deep, sophisticated vocals backed by beautifully chosen chords by Bona and Laut. D’Cinnamons’ lyrics are simply engaging, with eight of the 10 songs on the Good Morning album in English.

Songs from D’Cinnamons’ debut album also featured on the soundtrack of the August-released local film Cintapuccino, which was directed by Rudi Soedjarwo of Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? fame.

They are a compact group, and here is what D’Cinnamons had to say in unison when asked a few questions recently.

How would you describe the style and sound of your music?

Easy: a two-female, one-male acoustic guitar act that uses simple harmonies and lyrics, together with strong vocals.

How did you arrive at choosing the name of the band?

Cinnamon is a unique aromatic spice and is used in many special foods, like traditional biscuits and cakes. We feel that our music is unique and special, too. It’s sophisticated and different from the usual, as we have stuck to our acoustic roots, which we think sets us apart from the rest.

But we realize that not everyone likes the taste of cinnamon – so we understand that our music may not be to everyone’s liking. We appreciate different tastes and diversity.

Generally speaking, musicians don’t like to compare their music to that of others, but if you had to, which other artist or group would you liken your sound to?

Yes, it’s true that many musicians don’t like to be compared, but we accept it as a compliment. Some people have said that our vocals bring to mind the sounds of Alanis Morissette and Sarah McLachlan. As for our guitar-playing style, some say our harmonies remind them of John Mayer’s work, with the acoustic bass a touch reminiscent of the Beatles or Eric Clapton. Actually, we feel that our sound is quite eclectic.

Why have you chosen English lyrics over Indonesian lyrics for most of the songs on your album?

We never really thought about it … it just came naturally. Actually, English lyrics are far simpler and seem to mesh better with our melodies. For D’Cinnamons, music is universal … so it’s better if the language is universal too. We understand that it’s still a relatively new concept for an Indonesian band (to have most of the album in English) but hopefully it will open up more doors. Our goal is to go international by 2010.

How have your fans reacted to your choice of English lyrics?

We have a really good fan base in Bandung that continues to support us. When we perform for a new crowd they are usually quite intrigued, but a bit confused by the lyrics. However, they enjoy our music and try to sing along to our songs. We don’t think it’s strange that we chose English lyrics for most of our songs, as we performed mostly English language songs when we were playing the café scene. Instinctively, we seem to lean more toward using English lyrics because of this experience.

Bandung has produced so many great musical acts. So what is it about Bandung?

Well, it’s a lot colder in Bandung, so we tend to sit around and warm ourselves up with a musical jam session! (All laugh) Yes, it’s true, in Bandung there are so many great musicians producing really good songs. Great songs can only be produced in a good atmosphere … a comfortable place … somewhere that puts you in a productive and creative mood. Bandung has this kind of atmosphere -- there are a lot of trees around the city and it’s greener than Jakarta, fresher, healthier.

Sundanese culture is renowned for its down-to-earth and friendly character. People in Bandung are more casual and take the time to relax, enjoy art and play music – so they are generally in good spirits most of the time. Well, that’s just our opinion anyway.

D’Cinnamons debut album, Good Morning, is available on CD and cassette at all good music outlets.