The Immortal Soul of Solo

Almost everyone in Malaysia and perhaps even Singapore is familiar with the Indonesian tune, Bengawan Solo. It was very popular in this region during the post-WW II period. With its breezy feel and nature-inspired lyrics, it evokes the nostalgic spirit of a bygone era - those heady and hopeful days of new-found independence and the promise of lasting peace among nations. Bengawan Solo is arguably the most popular keroncong tune of all time.

But who composed Bengawan Solo (literally, The River Solo)? Even many of my younger Indonesian friends do not know the answer. But if you peruse the keroncong section of any music store in Jakarta today, you will be greeted by CD after CD with covers bearing the picture of an old man with full lips and toothless grin: Album Mas Keroncong Gesang, Campursari Gesang and Asti Dewi Christiana, Gesang: Sebelum Aku Mati.....the list goes on.

Read the contents at the back of these CDs, you will find Bengawan Solo listed on most of them, and in small prints: "diciptakan oleh Gesang".

That was how I got to know Gesang early last year: while browsing at the CD store in Sarinah, Thamrin on a quiet Saturday morning. I've since then become quite a fan. His is the voice of a gentle old man crooning his grandchild to sleep with soft lullabies -- a guttural voice that evokes a certain rustic charm and blends beautifully with the slow soothing rhythms of the keroncong.

I took the trouble to do some research about Gesang through the Internet: He was born Sutardi, in a family of five brothers and sisters in Solo (Surakarta) on October 1st, 1917. He got his first break in his music career as a vocalist in a local cultural club.

Bengawan Solo was apparent composed by Gesang in 1940 while he was daydreaming beside the river Solo. The tune became a hit in the region and even found listeners as far as China; it helped to popularize Indonesian keroncong music throughout the world. For his contributions to Indonesian music, Gesang was rewarded with a house in Palur by the Central Java government.

Gesang has since performed in places as far as Shanghai, North Korea and Japan. Apart from Bengawan Solo, he has also composed other popular keroncong tunes now considered classics, like Saputangan and Jembatan Merah. Gesang - 86 years of age this year - still lives a quiet life in Palur, pursuing the favourite Javanese pastime of rearing singing birds.

These days whenever I get sick of listening to yet another bad rendition of Michael Learns to Rock from my friends at the karaoke, I'd grab the mike and take my revenge by crooning Gesang's Jembatan Merah or Saputangan. Well, they asked for it.