Bottlesmoker, Bandung’s Indie Band Supports ProFauna!

The celebration of Indonesian Primate Day in Bandung was made even more extraordinary with the presence of Angkuy (Anggung Suherman) and Nobie (Ryan Adzani), two electro musicians from Bottlesmoker, an indie band from Bandung. They championed the Asia-Pasific Indie Band Competition 2010, and they were so eager to join ProFauna in the celebration of the Indonesian Primate Day at Cikapayang Park, Dago, Bandung (30/1/2014). They even brought along a pantomime performer, Wanggi, to perform a primate-themed pantomime during the campaign.

Angkuy proclaimed Bottlesmoker's concern towards the ill fate of Indonesian Primate, and they want to do something about it. Last year they produced a video art about the cruelty and commercial primate abuse behind monkey shows in Bandung in collaboration with Pok Long Hanading, an artists from Manila.

"We produced the video art by mimickingt he gestures of a monkey enslaved by human in a monkey show. During the research we did before making the video, we got some information directly from a person who trains those monkeys in abusive and forceful ways. That fact made us concerned about the state of all monkeys used in commercial shows," added him.

The video art was then shown at an art exhibition at Selasar Soenaryo, Bandung, in the end of 2013. The public's acceptance was overwhelming because at that time monkey show was a hot topic because the Governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo, and the Mayor of Bandung, Ridwan Kamil, banned such show from jakarta and Bandung.

Angkuy and Nobie agree with the primate conservation strategy initiated by ProFauna, that is by gradually increasing the public's awareness .

"A few weeks ago I read an article saying that 20-25% of primates in the world can be found in Indonesia, we should be proud of this! But it is sad to know that their population has been decreasing in a worrying rate. We must take action for this," said Angkuy.

Slotting Environmental Campaigns in Artworks

bottlesmokerThe band established in 2005 thinks that our concern for wildlife should not be limited only for primates. They love traveling, and this hobby has opened up their eyes to the importance of protecting wildlife species from disguised commercialization in tourism business.

"Our first acquaintanceship with the nature was in Ujung Genteng, where we visited a sea turtle hatchery. We felt that it was such a fool; releasing the baby sea turtles with so many people around, yelling and walking by. We posted about it in our social media, saying that it was a fake conservation act, made to conceal the commercial tourism business.

Personally, both of them admit that the  disheartening experience had motivated the Bottlesmoker to take real action for Indonesian wildlife through works of art. Even though they have not crated a nature or wildlife conservation-themed music yet, Nobie and Angkuy are committed to slot in the idealism in their music.

"We want to share our experience, and tell people that it (primate commercialization) is terrible. About this primate issue, we would really like to make another video like the previous one. Perhaps we would put some messages in our coming songs. This year we are planning to perform in abandoned places such as old buildings, and maybe conservation areas would be a great background too to put forward our alternative creative ideas related to environmental problems," concluded Nobie.

© 2003 - ProFauna Indonesia

ProFauna Indonesia is an Indonesian society for the protection of
wild animals and their habitats