LIBRETTIST - Wieke Gur - Part 1

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• published: 22 Feb 2013
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People who grew up in the 1980s will definitely know composer Elfa Seciora's song "Pesta" (Party) and the songwriter Wieke Gur. Famous for her beautiful and meaningful lyrics, Wieke now presents her latest creation, Jatuh Cinta Lagi (Falling in Love Again), a book about her experience of writing lyrics. Published by Akoer, the 234-page book reveals Wieke's experiences in composing lyrics for 48 songs, in which she usually related her personal experience to the lyrics. For example, "Kusadari" (I Realize), was written after her aunt chose to leave her cheating husband (page 65). However, instead of writing mellow and cheesy lyrics, Wieke's words have been heart-strengthening. She was inspired to write the lyrics for "Katakanlah" (Say It) after singer Harvey Malaiholo had a fight with his girlfriend due to miscommunication. Through the lyrics, she encouraged people to come out and say things clearly, stop thinking negatively and solve the problems. "When people listen to the songs, I want them to feel connected to the songs," Wieke said. The songs she co-writes with Elfa have received awards, both nationally and internationally, as Elfa usually creates songs for festivals. Music observer Denny Sakrie said Wieke's lyrics stood out, as many other songs generally used melancholic words. "I became acquainted with Wieke through Facebook this year. But when I first heard the lyrics she wrote, I had a suspicion that she could at least play one musical instrument because she can fit the words perfectly into one line and one stanza. This is a rare ability. She also has a pretty good vocabulary," he said. Writer Ayu Utami also praised Wieke for her language comprehension, saying as Indonesian had so many syllables, it was remarkable that lyricists were able to deliver the message within such a cramped space. "Since each word carries its own mood, a good lyricist should be able to pick the right word. Such balance has no formula, but we know it when we hear it," Ayu said. Wieke said she had never thought she could write a book because, for her, writing was such complicated work. However, her friends encouraged her to write a book about the stories behind the lyric writing, which she thought would be a simple task. However, when she compiled the songs, she found out that she did not have a complete record of all the song lyrics she had written. Fortunately, she had many friends who helped by sending song lists, pictures of old albums, as well as suggesting that she interviewed people involved in the album making. "It was during this time that I suddenly felt a longing to write songs again. It was like falling in love again. This was why I gave the book its title. I hoped the book could contribute as a record of Indonesian songs. I realize the book is far from perfect. I hope to write a better book in the future," Wieke said during the book launch. The book is not a how-to-make book, but it is inspirational in the sense that it can carry away its readers and open new horizons to those interested in working as song lyricists.