![]() ![]() I mean, this is one of the biggest jazz festivals in Asia so, naturally, she wouldn’t screw up this opportunity.ĭonning a green-and-yellow dress, Reza opened her jam-packed show with her first single “Pertama” and I almost cried with joy: she’s back! She hit all the notes, the highs, the lows and those in between. I had a feeling that Reza had finally found her voice back and was prepared to come back with a bang. This year, when I first found out that she was one of the performers at the Java Jazz Festival, I was so excited. It was raspy and weak, and she sounded tired. I remember once watching her performance at a local TV station and I was terribly disappointed by her vocals. ![]() Unfortunately, Reza seemed to forget to preserve her best asset: her voice. She even changed her name once into “Rezza Artamevira” to reinvent herself. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention her music projects with that spiritual teacher of hers, Gatot Brajamusti (by any chance, do you know any of her hits with this guy? I don’t). In order to protect her public image after her scandalous marriage, Reza “became more religious” and decided to wear headscarf for three years (she removed it later, but she continued to dress “modestly” and “decently”). While other “divas” such as Krisdayanti, Ruth Sahanaya, and Titi DJ continued to enjoy success (forming the trio “3 Divas”), Reza, who is just as talented if not more, was haunted by her past instead. In Indonesia, Reza fell victim to this bias. Screw her talent, as long as she has a good manner, not scandalous, doesn’t wear indecent clothes, and not overweight.įor example, at least two friends of mine told me in different occasions that Christina Aguilera should’ve lost some weight so that “the Genie could fit into her bottle” and I was like, “Girl, Aguilera has 4-octave vocal range and all you care about is her weight? Puh-lease!” ![]() What makes me furious is that we live in a society where female singers and artistes would be judged by her looks or behavior first and talent second. Sadly, the songstress suffered physical and emotional breakdown after her much-publicized failed marriage with the late celebrity-turned-legislator Adjie Massaid in 2004, and the once sexy and energetic chanteuse withdrew from public shortly afterwards. The same thing applies to our very own Reza Artamevia, Indonesia’s Queen of Pop/R&B, who recently made a “comeback” at the 2015 Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta.Ĭelebrated for her sultry yet powerful voice, Reza came to prominence in 1997 with single “Pertama” (First) followed by her debut album Keajaiban (Miracle) and other hits such as “Aku Wanita” (I’m a Woman) and “Satu Yang Tak Bisa Lepas” (The One I Can’t Let Go). If Britney Spears made it through 2007 and Mariah Carey rose from the cardinal flop that is "Glitter", any pop star could survive any self-inflicted ignominy. ![]()
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