RIP:Mbah Surip(1949-2009)

At 10.30 am this morning, a rising star in the Indonesian music industry i.e. Reggae Singer Mbah Surip a.k.a Urip Aryanto has passed away in Jakarta.

According to media reports, the cause of Mbah Surip's sudden death was heart attack. And in compliance with his wish, his body will be buried at the Bengkel Teater Complex owned by Indonesian theater living legend W.S. Rendra in Citayam, Depok, West Java, this evening. Before that, a wedding ceremony of his daugther will held at the same place.

Mbah Surip was born in Mojokerto, East Java, in 1949. He studied Chemical Engineering in Surabaya, and worked in the oil drilling industries in Indonesia and the United States where he wrote his top hit TAK GENDONG in 1986.
This song was first recorded in 2003 but only became very popular since the last few months.

Although I am not a big fan of Mbah Surip, but I have been facinated by his ability to 'mesmerize' our public with his song TAK GENDONG which in my humble opinion is very simple in lyrics & music compared to other popular songs. I agree that it was this simplicity that made the song has a powerful grip on the public, a fact also admitted by President SBY when he stated his words of condolence.

For details on the above, please click here, here, here and here.

In this regards, I would like to express my deepest condolence and simpaty to the children, grand children of Mbah Surip. I pray to God that his soul would rest in peace.

Photo: Courtesy of Facebook

Mbah Surip

Since the beginning of this year, several new musicians made their debut in the Indonesian Music world, one of them is a Reggae singer Mbah Surip (50) with his hit song " Tak gendong " (Javanese for I'll carry).

Unlike the other musicians who appeared well groomed, Mbah Surip appeared just like any other Reggae musicians, eccentric with Jamaican style long curly hair, colorful hat and clothes. The song itself is actually not so special compared to other hit songs, as a matter of fact it is very simple. Although the title is in Javanese, but the lyric is in Indonesian language which is confusing for me. The song was first recorded in 2003 but only became very popular in recent months, and has provide him with a Royalty of Rp 4.5 billion for Ring Back Tone from Telkomsel alone.

The real name of Mbah Surip is Urip Apriyanto, born in Mojokerto, East Java, on 5 May 1949, education : Chemical Engineer. Details about him can be read in Bahasa Indonesia by clicking here, here, here, and here.

Considering the above, I believed that Mbah Surip and his song became popular because they provide alternative for the usual hit songs which are more sophisticated and performed by musicians who appeared well groomed. Such alternative is necessary if people felt the same way as I do in the last 12 months i.e. very sick and tired with the social & political conditions in our country which is filled with too much political campaigns for the Parliamentary and Presidential elections.

Photo: Facebook