Draft:Keubitbit

Keubitbit is an ethnic music group from Jakarta, Indonesia. Formed in 2014, the name Keubitbit is derived from the Acehnese language, meaning "Solemnity."

The group consists of six members: Safrullah ‘Aloel’ (electric bass/lead vocal/band leader/producer), Indra Fahmi Hakim (drums, percussion), Raden Trio Ananda Bagus Prakoso (saxophone), Trinanda Imawan Wibisono (keyboard, acoustic piano), Teuku Hariansyah ‘Apoen’ (Rapa’i, gendrang percussion), and Fahmil Arabi (lead vocal).

Drawing inspiration from the spirit and nuances of the coastal music of Sumatra originating from Aceh, Keubitbit delves deeper into Acehnese musical traditions, which they blend with ethnic music in a modern and contemporary form. The genres performed by Keubitbit include world music, folk music, and jazz fusion.

Keubitbit's discography includes three albums released in 2017, 2021, and 2023, and three singles released in 2018 and 2019. One of their singles, "Peumulia Jamee," is a collaboration with the urban dance from Aceh known as Ratoeh Jaroe.

Keubitbit achieved a significant milestone for Indonesian music and musicians, particularly for Aceh, by making history in the Acehnese music world. They received the Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Awards for "Best World Music Production Work" winner through their song "Saban Sabee" in 2020.

Background
Keubitbit is driven by a concern for Indonesian culture and tradition that is gradually fading over time. With the love that once served as a reference point now waning, Keubitbit strives to rekindle a longing for cultural processes and events.

Keubitbit's artistic philosophy revolves around creating works that stem from anxieties, drawing inspiration from stories of the past that are often forgotten, now often relegated to mere tales among the elderly, especially by today’s younger generation.

As an Indonesian ethnic music group, Keubitbit acts as a bridge between modern and traditional culture, presenting both side by side for the world to enjoy.

Furthermore, Keubitbit focuses on positioning itself as a catalyst for fostering a new musical civilization within the Indonesian music landscape, particularly Acehnese music, within the country.

Keubitbit's works on music often explore themes of social conditions, cultural diversity, and traditions, primarily derived from Aceh, as well as various issues from different aspects of life.

The uniqueness of Keubitbit lies in their use of percussion and the distinct sounds of the Acehnese Serune Kalee, along with melodies that carry Middle Eastern musical influences, further enriched by the unique rhythms of the Rapa'i. The use of Acehnese language in the lyrics with fast singing techniques combined with rhythmic music gives Keubitbit's music a strong character.

Rapa'i (a traditional Acehnese percussion instrument) is the primary cultural music instrument used to enhance the character of Keubitbit's songs. Keubitbit combines this Indonesian ethnic and traditional music instrument from Aceh with modern instruments to create perfect harmony.

2014: Formation and early performances
The initial idea for Keubitbit originated from Safrullah ‘Aloel,’ who approached Indra to initiate the formation of a band or music group. Before adopting the name Keubitbit, they had already started playing ethnic Acehnese music, with two main songs, "Paloeng Meuasoe" and "Haro Hara." However, in 2014, the lineup changed with the inclusion of rapa'i. With Teuku Hariansyah ‘Apoen’ joining, the name Keubitbit emerged, and the band officially formed in the same year.

The original formation consisted of Safrullah ‘Aloel’ (electric bass/lead vocal/band leader/producer), Indra Fahmi Hakim (drums, percussion), Teuku Hariansyah ‘Apoen’ (Rapa’i percussion, gendrang), Indra Maulana (Rapa’i), Ivan Alidiyan (synthesizer), and Faiz Pradana (guitar).

At the end of 2014, Keubitbit performed at the Jazz Kota Tua festival.

2015: New members and Java Jazz debut
In 2015, Madra Primana (keyboard, piano) joined the group, along with Raden Trio Ananda Bagus Prakoso (saxophone).

In the same year, Keubitbit took a chance by auditioning for the Java Jazz Festival, one of Indonesia's largest jazz events featuring national and international jazz musicians. Keubitbit won the audition and earned the right to perform at the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival stage, securing their place for future editions of the event.

2016: Festival appearances and growing presence
In 2016, Keubitbit returned to perform at the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival and also appeared at three other festivals: the Sabang Jazz Festival, Sabang Marine Festival, and Rapai International Festival.

2017: Debut album and international debut
Keubitbit performed at the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival and the Holland Paradiso Festival, marking their journey as an Indonesian ethnic musician performing in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

However, Ivan Alidiyan and Faiz Pradana officially left the group in the same year.

In June, Keubitbit released their debut album Story Of Aceh. This album served as a gateway for Keubitbit's journey, marking their first release in both digital and physical formats. Story Of Aceh delves into the works of Aceh's ancestors, forming the foundation for Keubitbit's ongoing mission to unite visions and love for Acehnese traditional world culture through sound.

2018: Cultural appreciation and new single release
In 2018, Keubitbit performed at the Aceh Culinary Festival.

After releasing their debut album in 2017, Keubitbit released a new single titled "Peumulia Jamee," available on digital platforms. Unlike their previous music videos, this time Keubitbit featured the Ratoh Jaroe dance, an urban dance that developed in Jakarta, which is an evolution of several seated traditional dances from Aceh, Indonesia. This also serves as a form of appreciation and gratitude from Keubitbit to Yusri Saleh (D'gam) for introducing the Ratoh Jaroe dance to the international stage.

2019: Musical identity
In 2019, Keubitbit performed at the Aceh Sumatera Expo.

In November, they released the single "3 Minutes About Us," an amalgamation of three works from maestro Rafly Kande. Keubitbit condensed these works into a journey story to forge their musical identity. In this song, Keubitbit also incorporates a traditional wind instrument from Aceh called the Serune Kalee.

In December, Keubitbit released the single "Saban Sabee." This song was originally produced in 2006 by Kande, an Acehnese band. However, Keubitbit later took over the song and rearranged it to give it a fresher touch. “Saban Sabee" captivated a prestigious award event in Indonesia, the Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Awards, and was nominated in the "Best World Music Production Work" category. Keubitbit also won the award in this category the following year.

2020: Award recognition and new vocalist
Keubitbit was nominated for the Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Awards 2020 (English translation: Indonesian Music Awards) for Best World Music Production Work with the single "Saban Sabee"  and successfully won the award.

Since the end of 2020, Fahmil Arabi has started his journey with Keubitbit as an additional vocalist.

2021: Collaborative albums and cultural experiments
Keubitbit released the album Keubitbit Live Session ft Fahmil Arabi. This album marked the beginning of Keubitbit's journey with vocalist Fahmil Arabi, rearranging the works of Maestro Rafly Kande, and creating a new journey for Aceh pop music.

They also released the EP Semua Rindu Bali, a small experiment combining Balinese nuances with the distinctive rhythm and tones of Keubitbit, consisting of “Malahayati,” “Meuseunoeh,” and “Tarek Pukat.” These three tracks serve as the main foundation for collaboration with other traditional and cultural music of Indonesia.

In the same year, Trinanda Imawan Wibisono began his journey with Keubitbit.

2022: Performing at national tourism event
Keubitbit performed at the night of the Anugerah Pesona Indonesia (API) Award, a series of annual events organized to revive tourism in the country initiated by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia.

2023: International milestones and concept album
Madra Primana officially left Keubitbit. Meanwhile, Fahmil Arabi (lead vocalist) and Trinanda Imawan Wibisono (keyboard, acoustic piano) officially joined.

In March, Keubitbit performed at Sirius Jazz Days 2023, held at Sirius Park of Science and Art in Sochi, Russia. They also performed at the 23rd International Festival The Triumph of Jazz in Moscow, Russia. Mereka juga tampil di 23rd International Festival The Triumph of Jazz di Moskow, Rusia. These initial performances in Russia marked a milestone for Keubitbit in introducing and showcasing to the global stage about Indonesian (especially Acehnese) folk, cultural, and traditional music around the world, presented with a contemporary and modern flair by this musician. It was also a significant moment, as it marked the first performance in Russia by an Indonesian cultural and ethnic music group embodying the energy and spirit of Aceh.

During this visit to Russia, Keubitbit also conducted workshops for students at two educational institutions in Moscow: Moscow State University, specifically at the Institute of Asian and African Countries, and the Moscow Conservatory.

In June, Keubitbit released the album Peuneurah Bumoe. This album means "Natural Selection" in Indonesian language, born from various twists and turns that became stories in the process of Keubitbit's work. Keubitbit believes that everything that happens on earth must go through natural selection. Whoever survives is the winner of the battle of life they aim to achieve. The works presented in the Peuneurah Bumoe album are the result of natural selection that occurred on Keubitbit's journey.

Band members
As of 2023, Keubitbit's lineup consists of six final official members:
 * Safrullah ‘Aloel’ – electric bass/lead vocal/band leader/producer
 * Indra Fahmi Hakim – drums, percussion
 * Raden Trio Ananda Bagus Prakoso – saxophone
 * Trinanda Imawan Wibisono – keyboard, acoustic piano
 * Teuku Hariansyah – Rapa'i, gendrang percussion
 * Fahmil Arabi – lead vocal

Awards and honors
The Anugerah Musik Indonesia (translated as the Indonesian Music Awards) is a prestigious annual music award in Indonesia, often likened to the American Grammy Awards and the British Brit Awards. Established in 1997 by ASIRI (Association of Indonesia Recording Industry), PAPPRI (Association of Indonesian Singers, Songwriters, and Music Producers), and KCI (Indonesian Copyright Office), it represents the highest accolade for musical excellence in Indonesia.

Keubitbit received the AMI Awards for Best World Music Production Work from their nomination.

Performances

 * Jazz Kota Tua Festival, Kota Tua Jakarta, Indonesia (2014)
 * Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival, Indonesia (2015)
 * Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival, Indonesia (2016)
 * Sabang Jazz Festival, Sabang, Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia (2016)
 * Sabang Marine Festival, Sabang, Aceh, Aceh, Indonesia (2016)
 * International Rapa'i Festival, Aceh, Indonesia (2016)
 * Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival, Indonesia (2017)
 * Holland Paradiso Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2017)
 * Fun Run Road to Aceh Marathon, Jakarta, Indonesia (2018)
 * Aceh Culinary Festival, Aceh, Indonesia (2018)
 * Aceh Sumatera Expo, Aceh, Indonesia (2019)
 * Anugerah Pesona Indonesia (API) Award, Indonesia (2022)
 * Sirius Jazz Days, Sochi, Russia (2023)
 * 23rd International Festival The Triumph of Jazz, Moscow, Russia (2023)
 * Live at Soundtrip, Jakarta, Indonesia (2024)

Label
Established on the ethos of independent artistic expression, Solemnity is a record label founded in 2021 by Keubitbit. The name Solemnity is derived from the English translation of Keubitbit, which signifies a sense of earnestness, sincerity, and dedication.

Since its inception as an independent music group unbound by corporate labels, Solemnity has evolved into a sanctuary for Keubitbit's creations. The label also strives to serve as a platform for like-minded musicians whose ideas and ethos resonate with Keubitbit, facilitating the creation of meaningful and authentic musical works.