Amanda Chitarra is an Indonesian-born singer, songwriter, music teacher, and self-taught baker currently residing in Los Angeles, California. She teaches voice and piano lessons in the Pasadena area and also online. She owns a self-operated home bakery - Gulung Bakehouse - where she bakes batik decorated roll cakes and goes out to pop up markets. And recently, she launched the first ever baking and music show on Youtube called...... BAKING MUSIC!
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- How she started -
Being born in a musical family -- a father who is one of Indonesia's legendary composers, and an aunt who is also one of the country's prominent divas -- Chitarra grew up, rooted in the many layers of music. From the sublime sounds of Indonesian traditional music to the Classical European tunes. She started learning voice and piano at an early age, taking weekly lessons at Purwa Caraka Music Studio in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. She participated in concerts as a solo singer, and joined multiple choir and vocal group projects along the way, where she performed at events and competitions.
At the age of 16, Chitarra found a love for design and decided to enter architecture school. During her studies, she met composer, guitarist, and producer Yudhistira Mirza, and reconnected with her love of music. She graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Architecture from Curtin/Limkokwing University, and in the same year, started a duo project PARISUDE.
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- Music Projects -
Chitarra started her music career in 2009 as half of the Indonesian electronic ethnic duo, PARISUDE. As part of the duo, she released three albums -- an EP "Sudut Pandang" in 2011, a full album "Trikaya Parisude" in 2013, and another EP "Musikalisasi Puisi" in 2014. The duo had performed at various events and morning TV programs, such as Nusa Dua Fiesta (2012), Festival Tokove (2013), and Rolling Stone Cafe (2014) to name a few. In late 2014, Chitarra moved to Los Angeles to study Vocal Performance at Los Angeles College of Music (LACM). Parisude was put on a hiatus for this reason.
Chitarra then graduated with high distinction in 2016 and during her studies as a part of a school's project, she formed a progressive, world and jazz fusion band with fellow students -- Ryota Kuroda, Will Gardner, and Takeshi Kato -- called 3ANTRA (pronounced "mantra"). With the band, Chitarra released a self-titled EP. In 2017, Chitarra also formed a piano/harp/vocals duet with harpist Emma Rostykus. They released a few music cover videos on Youtube, and performed at cafes in the Los Angeles area before the duet ended their journey in 2020.
In April 2020, Chitarra was setting her path and marching to the beat of her own drum by releasing her debut single, "Rules of the Jungle". The single was her re-introduction as a solo artist after a few years of hiatus from the original music scene. "Rules of the Jungle" had also successfully gained respectable attention within the Indonesian indie music sphere. Following up on the success of her first single, "Chasing Hearts" was launched in August 2020. This second single was inspired by the organic process of love searching where Chitarra explored interweaving melodies and soothing soundscapes to create an ethereal melodrama.
Both “Rules of the Jungle” and “Chasing Hearts” are planned to be a part of Chitarra's debut mini-album “The World In Me”. The release of the mini-album is currently postponed.
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- Her sound -
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Growing up exposed to both western and traditional Indonesian music, Chitarra is keen to incorporate diversity into her singing style. Early childhood favorites include Disney songs and Broadway musicals, to teenage years listening to Linkin Park and Paramore, then the young adult age idolizing Anggun and Enya, up until today with all-time inspirations like Florence Welch, Aurora, and Imogen Heap. Bringing her roots in Indonesian music traditions and blending them with contemporary sound, she has created a unique sonic experience that transcends geographical and cultural borders.
