In this year's playlist, MJ has picked out 6 Indonesian songs, each having its own meaning to his routine.
6 songs, let's go!
1. Cuma Saya
M.A.C
‘Cuma Saya’ is a song about a guy singing to his ex girlfriend or girlfriend at the time, where he asks her why she is bored with him.
“Like, it’s fine if you’re bored with me, but where else are you gonna go?”
However MJ picked this song because of its first verse:
Sayang kalo bosan ko bilang
jangan ko pigi dan menghilang
ya kalo sa salah, tolong di ubah
bukannya ko langsung berubah
which translates to,
If you’re bored with me, then just say so
don’t just up and leave and disappear
if I was wrong, then please help me to change
instead you changed (by leaving me just like that)
MJ feels that this really incapsulates him using the Indonesian coffee during the competition.
“Because if you have a certain coffee that you really like, and you know it can improve significantly, then don’t just leave it be. Try to do something. We can’t plant a Colombian Geisha- well we can, but it will take years and years.”
MJ believes that if we want to see change, we have to also be the change.
2. I Don’t Mind
Vidi Aldiano, Sheryl Sheinafia, Jevin Julian
‘I Don’t Mind’ reminds MJ of the Man in The Arena script, written by Theodore Roosevelt.
“It’s about going after what you believe in life, and not worrying about what critics think. The trials and tribulations that come with it is part of the journey and I’m all in for that!”
3. Nona
MukaRakat
‘Nona’ meaning lady, is a song that MJ picked as a promise to Ferdi, who is Andre’s (of Tuang Coffee) chief of staff. Back in Flores, MJ and his team would listen to songs that originated from Timor as they wash (process) the coffee. However, Ferdi exclaimed that, while the songs they were listening to may be from Timor, but they aren’t exactly from the region where the coffee cherries were grown.
So Ferdi introduced MukaRakat, a hip hop band from Ruteng. While most of the songs are filled with swears, ‘Nona’ is one of the few that is vanilla enough to be included in the playlist.
“It’s really all about singing and dancing with Nona, a lady. Plus, I also like dancing!”
4. HOPE
Saykoji
To MJ, ’Hope’ represents that, while you do need to be hopeful, you also have to work for it.
“What we do today, will affect our tomorrow. And I feel like that very lyrics from the song is very impactful. And so, every time I feel lazy, or don’t feel like training for the comps, I will play this song, and it will get my spirit up. What you don’t do today, also affects your tomorrow.”
5. Faith
Tuantigabelas
‘Faith’ here, is all about the grind.
‘Faith’ here, is all about the grind.
“The musician tours around, jumping from city to city, hustling. He has a family to look after, and while I don’t have kids (yet) or a family to look after per se, but I do travel a lot, going to and fro different regions as a coffee processor. Who I look after are the Indonesian coffee.”
And MJ does this. Going to Milan, to represent the coffee.
Representing, Indonesia.
6. Made in Jakarta
Adrian Khalif
“While my coffees are from the Eastern region of Indonesia, this song, ‘Made in Jakarta’ is really just to represent me. I was made in Jakarta. Or probably not- I don’t know where I was made haha! But I was born in Jakarta… so… yeah!”
