hara

About the work

 

hara is the solo project of Indonesian singer-songwriter Rara Sekar. Her music weaves together folk, Indonesian traditional music, cinematic pop, ambient, and field recordings, while centering on themes of ecology, vulnerability, grief, and politics. hara has performed at select music and literary festivals including Camp A Low Hum 2024 (Wainuiomata, New Zealand), Newtown Festival (Wellington, New Zealand), Joyland Festival (Jakarta), Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (Bali), and Makassar International Writers Festival.  She has also opened for international acts such as Japanese singer-songwriter Ichiko Aoba on her Saison de Fleur tour in Jakarta and collaborated with a wide range of Indonesian artists. She has released two EPs: Kenduri (2021) and Layar Terkembang (With Sails Unfurled) (2024), along with two original soundtracks: Niskala (from Sandiwara Sastra – Misteri Nusantara) and Tak Ada Keluarga yang Sempurna (from Dua Hati Biru). Her work has been featured on BBC World Service - Music Life Podcast, BBC Radio 3’s Ultimate Calm with Ólafur Arnalds, BBC The Cultural Frontline, and in Teju Cole’s playlist the same sun. Born and raised in Bandung, Indonesia, she is currently based in Pōneke/Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand.