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View all search resultsMarcello Tahitoe surrenders to the 'wave' of music
In his latest studio album, Ombak Melankolia, Marcello Tahitoe channels his creative wildness as he completely surrenders himself to the joy of creating music.
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Soul surfer: Marcello Tahitoe has described the spiritually poignant song “No Words“ as the starting point that ultimately led to the development of the album 'Ombak Melankolia'. Courtesy of MK Records (MK Records/-)
Marcello Tahitoe never ceases to amaze everyone, including himself.
It has been two decades since he broke through the Indonesian music industry. So far, including his latest release, Ombak Melankolia, he has yielded seven original studio albums, picked up multiple AMI Awards and successfully navigated cross-genre metamorphosis. And, like a cherry on top, the veteran singer-songwriter has recently caught the attention of the much younger Gen Z audiences.
In a conversation with The Jakarta Post, Marcello summed up the past 20 years as a "rollercoaster", acknowledging how his journey has been full of the unexpected. Nonetheless, it has been a beautiful and grand journey, indeed. Besides, isn't it true that, when all has been said and done, God laughs when humans make plans?
"For me, wisdom is more than anything," he mused, thoughtfully. "I've lived for 42 years, and I've made music professionally for 20 years. There were certain things that had only reached into, as well as opened up inside, my head and my heart once I turned 42 years old. And, for me, that wisdom is all about surrendering. It turned me into someone who doesn't think too much about what's yet to come."
Easy is overrated
Marcello's found wisdom became the driving force behind his seventh studio album, Ombak Melankolia. For example, during the album's development, he decided not to be overly heedful or persnickety about his chosen collaborators. As a result, Ombak Melankolia finds him working with the likes of, to name a few, Pandu Fathoni, Vega Antares and Iga Massardi.
That being said, it does not mean that Marcello decided to be sloppy and cut corners. That is also the reason why he was keen on churning out a new album of original material. Any idea to score quick-and-easy successes by releasing a greatest-hits compilation or sonically recycling his past discography has never crossed his mind.
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