Maliq & D’essentials is an Indonesian soulful band, formed in Jakarta May 15, 2002 and consists of 8 personnel. They are one of Indonesia’s first soul artists. Contrary to the popular belief, “Maliq” is not the name of their lead singer. Instead, it is an acronym of “Music And Live Instrument Quality”.
Maliq started as a concept by Angga (vocals) and Widi (producer, composer, arranger and song writer) and Indra (executive producer and manager). The band, D’essentials, are Indah and Dimi (vocals), Satrio (guitar), Ifa (piano & keyboard), Jawa (bass) and Amar (trumpet). Nowadays the two entities are inseparable. However there are changes in their personnel along the way. By the time they release their first album, 1st, Dimi quit the band to start her solo album. Between late 2007 and early 2008, Satrio quit the band to focus on another band. The new guitar player, Lale, joined Maliq sometime later. Recently in 2010, Amar resigned from the band due to his business at work, but he remains as an additional player.
Maliq & D’essentials’ influences are Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Humania, The Roots, and many more. They haven’t exactly tell what genre does their own music belong to. It can be called soul, neo-soul, or funk. Interestingly, most people address them as a jazz band. After Lale joined the band, some people address them as pop band, too. His background as a thrash metal guitarist adds a different edge to the band’s music.
The band’s first 2 years were spent in cafés, lounges and bars. It was the time when Indonesians were not yet accustomed to soul music. They have released four albums; 1st, Free Your Mind, Mata Hati Telinga, and The Beginning of a Beautiful Life. They also have just released a book called ‘The Beginning of a Beautiful Life’. |
