By unapologetically embodying the spirit of jazz, the 20th edition of this venerated music festival offered all-embracing joy while graciously shutting down the sceptics.
Any music festival organiser worth their salt would understand, perhaps all too well, that staying in the game is a lot harder than entering one. Case in point: being one of the most enduring music festivals can be both an accomplishment and a deterrent. Sure, the grown-up audiences would applaud how music festivals like BNI Java Jazz Festival managed to cross its 20th-year mark, serving as a constant banner in the ultra-dynamic Indonesian music landscape. On the other hand, the younger concertgoers (yes, I’m looking at you, the Gen Z and the younger millennials) might unfairly synonymise such a milestone with words like ‘antiquated’, ‘outmoded’, or worse — ‘settled’.
To be fair, in recent years, it is palpable that BNI Java Jazz Festival has made an effort to shake things up and reach this oftentimes frustrating TikTok generation. Post-pandemic, the festival has hosted young rising stars like Stephen Sanchez, Stacey Ryan, and Laufey. As if those names were not enough, the festival has also invited young Indonesian pop stars like Mahalini, Salma Salsabil, Tiara Andini, and Arsy Widianto — talents who, in theory, could bring the younger audience while setting social media ablaze. Unfortunately, looking back, this strategy might not necessarily lead to the most desirable outcome. For instance, this TikTok generation, as I have observed, seems to be more interested in capturing content on their phones as opposed to, well, enjoying music performances.
Which is why, when I looked at the full line-up of this year’s BNI Java Jazz Festival, I was surprised — in the best way possible. For this sacred, 20th-year edition, Java Festival Production did not enlist as many young pop starlets as the festival’s previous editions. Instead, international names such as Jacob Collier, Raye, Straight No Chaser, Busty and the Bass, Brian Bromberg, as well as Indonesian artists such as Jordan Susanto and Societeit de Harmonie were announced — just to name a few. These acts are not exactly known for being the Internet household or the so-called ‘FYP’ trendsetters.
However, as evidenced by their performance at BNI Java Jazz Festival 2025, these acts actually shared one thing in common: their showmanship ability that electrifies, hypnotises, and mesmerises — which made this edition of BNI Java Jazz Festival the most fun one in recent years.
Perhaps the one act that perfectly captured the spirit of the BNI Java Jazz Festival in its 20th year is Tontrakul. Performing on the second day of the festival, this Thai multi-instrumentalist speaks English as his second language, is not known for his social media fame, and his music is not what one would call ‘mainstream’ or ‘streaming-friendly’. Nonetheless, his masterful musical showcase, equipped with his native country’s fascinating instruments, was undeniably electrifying and infectious, so much so that the crowd literally ended up dancing, headbanging, and throwing their hands in the air. Even as his set wrapped up, Tontrakul was visibly moved by the energy and the enthusiasm of his crowd.
Isn’t that exactly what the spirit of jazz music is supposed to be? Fluid, creative, unexpected, norm-defying, and, last but not least, fun. Concertgoers and music lovers should not come to the BNI Java Jazz Festival to capture content on their phones; instead, they should come for the experience — the kind of musical experience that one could not necessarily relish anywhere else. Here at the BNI Java Jazz Festival, you do not need to familiarise yourself with the artists and their songs to experience joy. Furthermore, it is high time for everyone to understand that jazz is not a monolithic genre. That’s what makes jazz music so exciting, to begin with — and thank goodness that the BNI Java Jazz Festival 2025 was all here for it.
Another front-runner for the best performance of the weekend was the homegrown talent Jordan Susanto. Just like Tontrakul, he graced the stage equipped ‘only’ by showmanship and willingness to enrapture his audience. As a result, not only did the BYD Hall (where he performed) nearly reach the full-house status, but the crowd also evolved into a diverse blend of the locals, the expatriates, the young, the grown-ups, and even Jordan’s fellow performers — all were transfixed by his and his band’s ferociously untamed performance. Jordan Susanto’s soul-pop brand might not necessarily fit into the pure jazz mould, but he certainly embodied the spirit of jazz to his flesh and core. During his rendition of “Thing I Desire”, in particular, he basically tested the human capacity of his vocal cords. In an era where so many of his peers treat music festival performances as nothing more than a ‘business-as-usual’ gig, his commitment to shock and awe was worthy of a standing ovation.
And Jordan Susanto was not the only one performing as if being possessed by the Holy Ghost of jazz music. Both Raye and her audiences were in a shared out-of-body trance as the former practically slayed James Brown’s “It’s A Man, Man’s, Man’s World” – before proudly demonstrating the nimbleness of jazz with the techno-fied “Prada”. Busty and the Bass, thanks to their uninhibited charisma and charming bravura, lit up the open-air Java Jazz Stage to the point where many new fans (myself included) gathered around for some selfies and autographs with the band after their set.
The magic, then, continued. Jeff Lorber Fusion’s pristine and precise performance had the younger crowd grinning in glee, and some older crowd swaying in delight. The all-male a cappella group, Straight No Chaser, as if serving as the refreshing elixir for the whole weekend, added a memorable touch of whimsy as they crooned the mash-up of Taylor Swift’s greatest hits. Jesse Gold, in enchanting contrast to his gruff looks, offered what was arguably the gentlest, most swoon-worthy performance of the whole weekend with a few songs off his repertoire — making the female audiences, in particular, tremble head over heels.
Still and all, BNI Java Jazz Festival 2025 also featured several decidedly mainstream pop acts like Kris Dayanti, Rony Parulian, and Ziva Magnolya. All of them offered respectable performances, but it was Nyoman Paul, ultimately, who deserved special recognition. Even though he decided to perform his pop repertoire, he also decided to perform, for one night only, almost the entirety of his discography with jazz-infused arrangements — with a few touches of blues, swing, and bossa nova as well.
It was the type of risk, notwithstanding the result, that Indonesian music audiences would not often see from a twentysomething pop artist such as Nyoman Paul. It was humbling, furthermore, to see a pop artist understand very well what makes BNI Java Jazz Festival different from the rest of the music festivals out there — and actually manifest their respect for the festival’s spirit. His affinity for sonic experimentation took another further step as he added a touch of Balinese gamelan in his rendition of his song “Memori Kita“.
“I love Prince — he did some jazz stuff as well. I also love Eric Clapton. In fact, my [inspiration] for one of the songs in my album, titled ‘Penjara‘, was the nuance conveyed by Eric Clapton’s song ‘Tears in Heaven’,” Nyoman Paul spoke with me after his set. “I also love listening to Stevie Wonder. That one is a must.”
Is he ever interested in diving more into the jazz music world, professionally?
“Maybe if I were given an alter ego,” Nyoman Paul answered, laughing. “I’d like to do something bluesy with jazz elements because I love those genres!”
In the course of three days, this 20th edition of BNI Java Jazz Festival has successfully silenced the naive-thinking, judgmental trolls out there — the ones who (used to) think that jazz music is monolithic, outdated, and far from entertaining. But even more so, this 20th edition of BNI Java Jazz Festival has powerfully given back the love that it has received over these past two decades to the concertgoers and music audiences who have consistently admired the festival’s integrity. Personally, I hope that Peter F. Gontha and his incredible team at Java Festival Production continue to give a body to the undying spirit of jazz music — ardently and unapologetically.
At this point, despite the changing generations of music audiences that may lie ahead, BNI Java Jazz Festival has nothing to prove whatsoever. This music festival is here to stay, and if you allow yourself to open your mind and immerse your soul in it, you might end up swimming in that rare, extraordinary fun — as I genuinely did.
This review was written by Felix Martua. All the images are courtesy of Felix Martua. Any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Indonesia Expat.