Page 46 - Inzist Special Edition

THE BRAFAKS

SWAYING THE MISSION WITH MUSIC

It all started during a karaoke night at the Embassy when I heard some of my diplomats and their spouses sang like professionals. I
was so mesmerized that the idea to create a vocal quartet popped out.

Eleonora Tambunan (Minister Counselor), Ni Nengah Yuni Ariastiti (First Secretary), Virga Hasibuan and Andina Ayunani (spouses of
diplomats at the Embassy) purloined my attention. As I became more familiar with the character of their voices over time, I believed I
have made the right choice. From the get-go, I was convinced that they will produce a show-stopping harmony.

I have been a harmony enthusiast since I was younger. I enjoy singing with friends creating harmony and I love hearing people sing it.
Harmony is nice to hear but strenuous to produce. Harmonizing comes naturally when ones started singing it at an early age.

To have Eleonora and Virga who were part of church choirs since their youth were a big plus in this vocal group. As for the other two
members, no doubt they are very talented. Andina was once a professional singer while Ari, was quite simply, a hidden gem of a
singing talent.

Before long, a quartet from the Indonesian Embassy was born. I took advice from my Personal Assistant, Rito Triumbarto, to name it
‘The Brafaks’, the name of an internal communication method of correspondence in the Indonesian Foreign Ministry.

I trained the group for more than three months to elevate them to be professional singers as they prepared to perform in front of the
public for the first time. In a relatively short time, they became the talk-of-the-town and superstar amongst the Indonesian
community as they performed in various events.

The pinnacle of their brief yet unforgettable stint was when I invited them to take part in my album, Friends for Good which followed
by a concert to launch the album in Wellington. The audience was left astonished when I found out that my backup singers were my
own staff. Another one of their memorable performances was during the Miri Country Music Festival, a virtual concert, in late 2020.
As a country singer, I am proud to have them as bandmate for that performance.

The tricky part of forming the group is of course having the knowledge that diplomats will stay in one post temporarily. Only two
months following the album release, Andina and Ari had to leave Wellington. I then recruited two new members from the Indonesian
community, Meta and Vira who are great singers and fast learners. With the new formation and a new name, the New Brafaks, they
performed in a number of events including in Auckland.

Eleonora left Wellington in October 2021 whilst I will conclude my ambassadorship on December 2021. I do hope the Brafaks can
continue to be the Indonesian cultural ambassador in New Zealand regardless of who is at the helm at the Embassy.

The Brafaks