GALLERY: Navicula
BALI, INDONESIA | MARCH 18, 2023 | BY MARIA LOBO
Navicula, one of the best bands in Bali, always blows your mind with its magic on the stage. The lyrics of their songs are deeply involved in social, political and environmental issues related to Indonesia and relevant worldwide, which makes them stand out from the crowd. The genre they dwell in is a combination of grunge, psychedelic, folk, alternative and Rock' & Roll. This is why they are known as The Green Grunge Gentlemen. Aside from its frontman Robi (lead vocalist, guitarist and activist), Navicula is empowered by Dadang (guitarist), Krishna (bass) and Palel (drummer).
As always, the great connection between the band and its audience was so apparent from the very beginning and the fire of excitement just kept growing bigger. The crowd further lit up and blended organically when Navicula played Everyone goes to Heaven. This song conveys the sensitive message of religious radical ideologies in Indonesia, and the crowd was totally immersed; most sang their hearts out following Robi’s strong vocals, while others also enjoyed crowd surfing.
When Dinasti Matahari (Dynasty of the Sun) was performed, people got chills and you could immediately feel the adrenaline rush in your veins. The powerful chemistry between the band members was so obvious, playing through awesome guitar and bass riffs, as well as drum solos. This song was awarded best music video in the Indonesian version of Grammy Awards last year so watching it is definitely worthwhile.
Navicula has the strong ability to touch people’s sensitivity and this could be seen clearly when they played another of their hits Saat Semua Semakin Cepat Bali Berani Berhenti (When everything else accelerates Bali dares to stop). The lyrics are emotionally-charged and they relate to the day of Nyepi (The day of Silence), which is close to everyone’s heart in the island.
Navicula has released their eleventh album Arcipelago Rebels and are about to release the third video clip from this latest album, Cinta Yang Tak Biasa (Unconventional Love). Definitely, worth keeping an eye on!
