“Bisa dibilang musik adalah agama kita… di dalamnya ada filosofi, etika, dan ritualnya.
Waktu dan uang kita habis di musik. Agamamu adalah dimana uang dan waktumu lebih banyak kau gunakan!
It’s all about Rock n’ Roll !!!”
– Robi (vokalis Navicula)
Navicula didirikan tahun 1996 di Bali, Indonesia. Formasi Navicula terkini adalah: Robi (vokal, gitar), Dankie (gitar), Made (bass), Gembull (drum). Nama Navicula diambil dari nama sejenis ganggang emas bersel satu, berbentuk seperti kapal kecil (dalam bahasa Latin, Navicula berarti kapal kecil). Band ini mengusung rock sebagai warna dasar musik mereka, berpadu dengan beragam warna etnik, folk, psychedelic, punk, alternatif, funk, dan blues. Liriknya sarat dengan pesan aktivisme dan semangat tentang Damai, Cinta dan Kebebasan.
Navicula dikenal aktif di dunia indie musik, walau sempat kontrak dengan major label Sony-BMG di tahun 2004. Bersama Sony-BMG, Navicula merilis album ke-4 mereka yang berjudul, Alkemis. Namun, tahun 2007 album ke-5 mereka, Beautiful Rebel, dirilis secara independen dan band ini kembali mengobarkan semangat idealisme mereka melalui jalur indie. Tahun 2009 Navicula merilis album ke-6 yang berjudul “Salto”, dan sekrang mereka sedang mengerjakan album ke-7 (tanggal rilis masih belum diumumkan). Navicula bermarkas di Bali dan tetap eksis di dunia musik nasional hingga saat ini.
Musik Navicula dipengaruhi kuat oleh alternatif rock 90-an, terutama grunge/seattle-sound dari band-band macam Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, dan Nirvana. Namun, yang membuat musik mereka menjadi sedemikian unik adalah pekatnya pengaruh budaya Bali saat ini sebagai melting-pot dunia (tempat bercampurnya beragam budaya, termasuk budaya klasik Bali hingga budaya modern internasional), dan kesempatan untuk berkreasi di suatu kondisi yang sangat kontras ini.
Navicula, sebuah band grunge yang dikenal dengan sebutan “the Green Grunge Gentlemen” karena aktifnya mereka di dunia aktivisme sosial dan lingkungan. Tumbuh di Bali, band ini menyerap banyak inspirasi dari beragam budaya dan informasi dari berbagai belahan dunia, isu sosial, serta perubahan ekologi yang terjadi di Bali dan dunia secara global, dan menjadikannya sebagai topik lagu-lagu mereka. “Isu lingkungan hidup merupakan masalah vital yang sangat mempengaruhi kita semua saat ini, sehingga kami percaya sangatlah penting untuk bertindak segera dan melakukan apapun yang kita bisa untuk menyebarkan kesadaran dan pemahaman mengenai isu lingkungan ini. Kami memiliki musik; memiliki media berpengaruh dan bahasa universal, dan dengan media inilah kami berjuang menyebarkan kesadaran positif, terutama bagi kaum muda sebagai agen perubahan. Kami percaya, lewat kegiatan berkesenian, kami bisa menebar benih perubahan. Kita perlu berubah, dan Navicula ingin menjadi bagian dari perubahan ini,” kata Navicula.
“You could say music is our religion… in it there is philosophy, ethics and rituals.
Our money and time is spent on music. Your religion is where you spend most of your time.”
– Robi (vocalist of Navicula)
Navicula are Dankie, Gembull, Robi, and Made
Navicula was formed in 1996 in Denpasar, Bali. After changing personnel numerous times, the current formation is: Robi (vocals, guitar), Dankie (guitar), Made (bass), and Gembull (drums). The name Navicula was inspired by a type of single celled golden algae, which is shaped like a small ship (in Latin Navicula means small ship). Their music has a grunge rock undertone, but is combined with many other genres of sound, such as ethnic, psychedelic, alternative, progressive, and straightforward rock. The band’s lyrics are heavy with activism messages of Peace, Love and Freedom.
Though the band has always been active in the indie music scene, in 2004 they signed a contract with Sony-BMG, a major label. Navicula released their 4th album, Alkemis, with Sony-BMG Indonesia. But, in 2007 they released their 5th album, Beautiful Rebel, independently and returned to following their ideals through the indie music scene. Navicula is based in Bali, but as an independent band, they continue to keep up a national profile.
Navicula’s music is strongly influenced by alternative 90’s rock, especially grunge rock/seattle-sound, through bands such as Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Nirvana. But what makes their music so unique is their condition of beginning in the melting-pot of modern Bali and having the opportunity to mold their creativity out of contrasts so extreme. From the spiritual mountains of Bali’s ancient kingdoms, to passion driven international artists who have come to find inspiration in Bali, and the raw punk rockers of down-town Kuta, this band finds their own taste through it all, the taste of ‘golden green grunge’, the taste of Navicula.
In Indonesia, Navicula are known as “the Green Grunge Gentlemen”. Since the formation of the band back in the 90’s, environmental and social issues have been a consistent theme in Navicula’s music. Living in Bali, the band often finds inspiration in nature, and seeing the environmental changes happening in Bali and the world, this inspires many of the topics of their songs. Environmental issues today affect all of us. It is important to act now and do what we can to spread awareness and understanding of greener practices. For Navicula, this is through their music. Using music as a medium they are spreading awareness to youth across Indonesia.
They have recorded Pantai Mimpi [Dream Beach] about the excesses and negative impacts of coastal development in Bali and the threats posed by pesticides to Bali’s beautiful fireflies, “Kali Mati” [Dead River] about the pollution of the rivers in Indonesia. In Hinduism, Kali is goddess of “Time” or “Death” (as in the time has come). The ‘green grunge gentlemen’ also turned their attention to the plight of one of our closest relatives, with a new song “Orangutan”. The song’s video includes footage from Green: The Film, a documentary about orangutans that has won 36 awards to date and is available free online.
Navicula believes, through art, a language youth can relate to, they are planting the seeds of change. Navicula continues to support social and environmental campaigns in Indonesia and around the world.
Navicula are currently working on their 7th full length studio album titled “Island of the Dogs”. The title is a critical adaptation of Bali’s iconic slogan “Island of the Gods”; many of the songs on this new album look at the negative environmental and social change in Bali due to tourism and unchecked development.
