NIKI and Rich Brian made history by becoming the first two musicians from Indonesia to successfully perform on the Coachella stage in the United States last weekend.
“Of course, this is very historic, I am very grateful and lucky to be in this position. It is extraordinary,“ said NIKI on a broadcast by Coachella 2022 LIVE Channel 2, Saturday 16th April Indonesian time.
NIKI’s historic moment at the biggest music festival in the United States occurred when she performed the song Sempurna, or Perfect, by Andra and the Backbone while performing on the set of 88rising’s Head in the Clouds. The song became the first Indonesian song to be sung on the Coachella stage.
“This song is specifically for my family and my country,” said NIKI, wearing an orange dress and playing an acoustic guitar.
Surrounded by backing dancers, the message in this song managed to create a touching moment that bound the emotions of the audience.
One day later, it was Rich Brian’s turn to play his set at the 2022 Coachella Festival on Saturday US time.
“For those who don’t know who I am, I am Rich Brian from Jakarta, Indonesia. And for those of you who know me, we will have an extraordinary night,” he said emphatically, which was greeted with cheers from the audience when he opened the stage.
Performing right after NIKI, he immediately launched into Gospel as his first song. He then performed a number of other songs, such as Froyo, Glow Like Dat, and Drive Safe. Successfully performing a set at a legendary festival, Rich Brian did not fail to express his happiness for being able to achieve this brilliant achievement.
“This is crazy. Coachella has been held for so long, and I didn’t expect us to be Indonesians who have performed until now, at least for solo singers. It feels amazing,” said the rapper.
Rich Brian admitted that Indonesian actor Joe Taslim was his biggest inspiration to pursue an international career. He revealed the inspiring moment in a brief interview before appearing on stage at the music festival held at the Empire Polo Club, Indio, California.
“When I was a kid, the biggest moment I remember was seeing an Indonesian actor named Joe Taslim. He played in the film The Raid and then he starred in Fast & Furious,” said the rapper in an interview that was also uploaded on the Coachella YouTube channel.
Apart from NIKI and Brian, another Indonesian musician also performed this year. Rapper Warren Hue, who is also a member of the 88rising label, enlivened the 2022 Coachella Festival stage.
The three artists performed together with musicians from other 88Rising labels, such as Jackson Wang, CL, and Utada Hikaru. The singers from the 88rising label are part of the Head in the Clouds Forever set.