n the second night of the Java Jazz Festival, 23-year-old accountant Paskahril Goldwin crossed Jakarta on a TransJakarta bus bound for Pantai Indah Kapuk 2 for one reason: to see singer Ziva Magnolya perform live.
A year earlier, Ziva’s songs had become the soundtrack to Paskahril’s final months as a university student, playing through long nights of thesis writing.
“It feels like a celebration of the past year,” she said. “Back then I listened to her music a lot while working on my thesis.”
Now earning her own salary by working as an accountant at Mega Kuningan area in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, Paskahril had spent months setting aside money for a ticket that cost about Rp 1 million (US$55.55).
On Saturday evening, she arrived at the festival grounds two hours before her favorite singer was scheduled to perform at 11 p.m.
Weaving through thousands of festivalgoers at the Nusantara International Convention Exhibition (NICE), she checked her phone repeatedly to make sure she was heading toward the right stage.
The 21st edition of Java Jazz Festival featured dozens of local and international performers across multiple stages, including British R&B singer Ella Mai, South Korean indie rock band Wave to Earth and United States saxophonist Dave Koz, but Paskahril had come for one name.
