Iwan Fals releases new album

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 04/11/2007 3:17 PM  |  Life

JAKARTA: Ballad singer Iwan Fals launched his new album 50;50 on Monday, presenting 12 new songs exploring romance and social justice.

""This album is my longing for a balanced life. I want to continue my life with simplicity and quality,"" the 47-year-old singer songwriter said.

The album -- which looks set to satisfy Iwan's fans' hunger for songs with a social conscience -- contains the song Pulanglah, a tribute to murdered human rights lawyer Munir, whose death is believed by many to be linked to people within the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Iwan, who has released over 30 albums, is known for writing songs dealing with issues such as poverty, unemployment, injustice and environmental destruction. In recent years, however, he has also sung songs by younger composers, mostly love songs.

Besides Pulanglah, Iwan, named as one of Asia's heroes by Time magazine in 2002, wrote five other songs on the album. The other six songs were written by different musicians -- Dewiq, Opick, Yockie Suryoprayogo, Ponki Jikustik, Digo and Bongky.

The new album's cover is dominated by the colors pink and purple, which could clash with many people's perception of Iwan as a rebellious artist.

""Pink is an expression of my love for my daughter Rayya. She loves pink, while my friends at (record company) Musica Record said purple was the friend of pink,"" the father of three children said.

The album was launched at RCTI television station in West Jakarta. --JP

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