Contributing writer Jai Jethwa recounts the experience of getting to know Jakarta for the first time through the city’s unique cultural scene.
I’ve always loved discovering a new city through its arts and cultural scene.
The first time I arrived in New York, instead of heading for the Empire State Building or Central Park, I made a beeline for Lincoln Center in the Upper West Side to catch a screening of a Paul Schrader film, wanting to immerse myself in America’s storied cinematic history.
Or, last year on a trip to Istanbul, my partner and I stumbled upon the newly-renovated Ataturk Cultural Center in the heart of the city’s tourist district, Beyoğlu. I found its opulent opera hall and teeming library more beguiling than the Hagia Sophia itself. It seemed to speak of a city constantly rewriting its story, balancing reverence for its past with a contemporary scene defined by its boundless creativity.
When we landed in Jakarta from the United Kingdom earlier this year, however, much of the city was a mystery to us. Back home, we had cherished London’s smorgasbord of theatres, cinemas, museums, and galleries — making an excursion most weekends to a new exhibition or screening. Jakarta, however, initially presented a challenge for us. The city’s infamous traffic and head-spinning expanse were self-evident, but would there be a vibrant cultural scene in which we could busy away our leisure time?
Turns out, we needn’t have been so unsure. Jakarta’s arts and culture scene, in reality, is undeniably thriving — and it says much about the city’s population.
Here are some of the adventures we’ve got stuck into this year, and some suggestions of where to go in the city if you’re looking for your culture fix.
A lively indie music scene
When I first arrived in Jakarta, I wasn’t sure what to expect from its live music scene. The city’s vast sprawl and growing commercial district made it feel like a place built more for business than bands. But within weeks, I realised how wrong that assumption was. There’s a thriving underground gig culture here, with Indonesians having a particularly strong taste for metal music.
My first taste came at Toba Dream, a tucked-away venue in Menteng, which is also one of Jakarta’s great spots to see the city’s metal scene up close. On the night I went, a Los Angeles-based band called Touché Amoré played, the stage beautifully backlit and the air thick with distortion and kretek smoke. The crowd — seemingly a mix of students, office workers, and old-school metalheads — sang every lyric back at the band. Then, at the show’s climax, they clambered up onto the stage too! There was an intensity that is characteristic of the metal scene globally, but it was mixed in with a warmth and inclusivity that felt distinctly local.
Since then, I’ve discovered a constellation of sounds in the city — from the big-ticket international acts like Linkin Park at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium in Senayan to the up-and-coming homegrown talent at LaLaLa Festival in August. Indie fans and hipsters can’t go far wrong in scheduling their attendance at November’s Joyland Sessions in Senayan, which, this year, will feature popular American indie acts like Bright Eyes and Soccer Mommy on its billing.
If you’re more of a crate-digger, there are numerous record stores to discover, such as Atlas Records and La-La Records in South Jakarta. The record store staff are unanimously helpful and endlessly interested in all things Britpop: the UK-borne craze that swept the world in the mid-nineties. That’s even more startling considering none of them looks a day older than 25!
A multiplex-and-arthouse film scene
Perhaps you’re more interested in escaping Jakarta’s frenetic pace through its cinema scene. There is a great selection of spots to catch a movie here, ranging from independent projector-houses to commercial multiplexes, giving an insight into the varied film culture in Jakarta and Indonesia at large.
If you’re seeking something a bit different, many of the embassies and cultural centres here host their own movie nights, often exhibiting a range of films to give an insight into their own countries. The Institut Français de Jakarta and Goethe-Institut Indonesien, both in Menteng, have particularly interesting programmes.
There’s also the Jakarta Independent Film Festival, which was held last year in November, and which many hope will return at some point this year. The aim of last year’s festival was to highlight films of different genres and styles, as well as films from different countries. Moreover, the festival was looking for stories that captured the talent of independent filmmakers — both at home and abroad.
Wherever you decide to catch a film, of course, by now you’ll know that it’s horror that reigns triumphant in Indonesia. In every cinema in the city, many of the posters for upcoming movies that adorn the walls of the corridors will likely feature the kuntilanak, the vengeful ghost, or the pocong: the soul of a dead person trapped in their burial shroud. These are prominently featured in Indonesian folklore. Hence, whether you love or loathe scary movies, Indonesia is undoubtedly one of the best countries to experience a packed horror screening.
Bookstores and libraries galore
For those who prefer nothing more than burying their head in a good book, Jakarta has a thriving literary undercurrent.
Independent bookshops like POST Bookshop at Pasar Santa offer a carefully curated selection of indie titles, plus second-hand gems and welcoming little reading nooks. In the city more widely, stores such as Aksara Bookstore and Gerai Salihara have become more than shops. They’re also community spaces where you can settle in with a coffee and a paperback, and lose yourself for an afternoon. My partner and I have particularly enjoyed visiting the OMAH Library, which is styled on the cosy, Japandi aesthetic that is currently sweeping the world.
These stores are invariably packed and, above all, a testament to the city’s youth, in particular, the Jakartans who have a predilection towards education and self-betterment.
Our little secret
Don’t be misled by Jakarta’s imposing skyscrapers and looming motorways. The arts and culture scene runs deep here, and it rewards those who are willing to persevere past the city’s unflattering reputation.
You may even discover how, once you’ve caught onto what the city has to offer, you won’t want to let the secret out.