Voice of Baceprot
Three Indonesian schoolgirls hijab wearing Firda (19), Siti (19), Widi (19) formed a heavy metal band called Voice of Baceprot in 2014.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation and also a place where pluralism and religion often rub against each other, it happened and getting bigger.
Imagine a valley, sterile from an ear-splitting city, three young girls carry cheap electric guitars into a bedroom turned studio with a brick supported drum set. They practice music every day after school for two-three hours in their humble studio. No wonder they are better musicians compared to teenagers their age. One day, Tom Morello (guitarist of Rage Against the Machine) noticed their already viral video performance of one of RATM’s song. The band make headlines everywhere.
Prayers from mosque orchestrated the activities of adolescent in the village. Some of them dream big, but most can only dream of escaping poverty by marriage. Firda, Siti and Widi decide that they are one of the dreamers; to be professional musicians. They set an example to dream big to the adolescent villagers, that life is an endless choice. There’s an eager empowerment in the midst of metal genre stigmas.
VoB travels a long and winding road, from tiny stages, school gigs and finally prestigious stages.