... but many sing it either improperly or at wrong tempo<\/p>\n
By Ahmed Kurnia Soeriawidjaja<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Can you sing the national anthem Indonesia Raya
\nproperly?<\/p>\n
Most Indonesians would be indignant if asked this question and
\nwould surely answer "of course"!<\/p>\n
But wait a minute. That may not be the case.<\/p>\n
According to musician Addie Mulyadi Sumaatmadja, "The
\nIndonesia Raya we often hear is improperly sung or played, and
\nnot in accordance with its original arrangement."<\/p>\n
Mostly, he added, the song is sung or played at the wrong
\ntempo.<\/p>\n
According to the original arrangement, Indonesia Raya should
\nbe played with 1\/16 notes, not 1\/3 or even 1\/8 notes as is often
\nthe case.<\/p>\n
"As a result, we listen to an Indonesia Raya which is
\nromantic, slow and sometimes even out of tune," Addie told The
\nJakarta Post as he demonstrated the correct version of the
\nanthem.<\/p>\n
Addie's revelation came as an irony. Amidst the exuberant mood
\nthat went with the celebration of the country's golden
\nanniversary, it appeared that Indonesians cannot sing their
\nnational anthem properly.<\/p>\n
"Indonesians have yet to appreciate their own national anthem.
\nNot only do they sing it and play it incorrectly, they sometimes
\ndo not behave properly when singing or playing the song," he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
He pointed to Americans, who are very respectful towards their
\nnational anthem. In the States, everybody sings or plays a single
\nversion of the song.<\/p>\n
"They follow the notes and sing it with a proper attitude,
\nwhich is by placing their hands on their hearts," said Addie, who
\nspent several years there.<\/p>\n
Similarly, the Thais show a high respect for their national
\nanthem. According to Addie, he was quite surprised when he saw a
\npedicab driver in Bangkok stop his vehicle when he heard the
\nnational anthem being sung in a stadium.<\/p>\n
"He stood at attention until the song was completed. Only then
\ndid he continue driving," he recalled.<\/p>\n
Addie has long been intrigued by the way his fellow
\nIndonesians sing and play Indonesia Raya. The state-owned TVRI
\nand the other private TV stations begin broadcasting with
\nIndonesia Raya, but none of the versions are played at the same
\ntempo.<\/p>\n
"No one seems to care and I have been very disappointed with
\nthis," he said.<\/p>\n
It was his disappointment which led him to seek out the
\noriginal version of the song in order to play it properly.
\nSeveral months ago he visited the state-owned RRI radio station
\non Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, where he found a
\ncopy of the original score.<\/p>\n
"Then I discovered that the correct version of Indonesia Raya
\nis the one played by RRI," he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia Raya was composed by Wage Rudolf Supratman and
\narranged by Jos Cleber, a Dutchman. The Indonesia Raya Committee,
\nwhich was formed on Nov. 16, 1948, then declared the official
\nversion of the song. Previously, there was no uniformity in the
\nlyrics or in the way the song had to be played.<\/p>\n
Addie said musicians are to blame.<\/p>\n
"It is their responsibility to defend their national anthem.
\nIndonesians react when their flag is burned, but it is musicians
\nwho have to be in the forefront in defending Indonesia Raya," he
\nargued.<\/p>\n
Addie then took the initiative to play Indonesia Raya properly
\nand correctly. For the past months he has tried to fully
\norchestrate the song by involving the Twilite Orchestra. The
\norchestra also recorded and processed the song at Capitol Records
\nin Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
"May be this is the first time Indonesia Raya has been fully
\norchestrated in a proper and correct way," he claimed.<\/p>\n
The orchestra also recorded a number of other patriotic songs,
\nincluding Bagimu Negeri.<\/p>\n
Addie also tried to learn more about Supratman, who died on
\nAug. 17, 1938. He read a number of books on him and even sent a
\nTwilite member to visit Supratman's grave and his relatives in
\nSurabaya.<\/p>\n
There are still mysteries surrounding Supratman. He was born
\non March 9, 1930, and spent a brief time before his death working
\nas a journalist for the Sin Po newspaper (1925-1933).<\/p>\n
Among the mysteries is his marriage to Salamah. It is not
\nclear when they got married. Some books on him do not even
\nmention the marriage. The location of his birthplace also remains
\ncontroversial. According to his birth certificate, he was born in
\nJakarta, but according to his relatives, Supratman was born in
\nPurworejo, Central Java.<\/p>\n
Supratman first played Indonesia Raya at the closing of the
\nIndonesian Youth Congress II, which produced the Sumpah Pemuda
\n(Youth Pledge) on Oct. 28, 1928, at Jl. Kramat Raya 106, Central
\nJakarta. The song is very similar to Rouget de L'isle's La
\nMarseille (1922). This is probably because Supratman was greatly
\noverwhelmed by the spirit of the French national anthem.<\/p>\n
Supratman, who died seven years before his song was declared
\nthe national anthem on Aug. 17, 1945, received a Mahaputra
\nAnumerta star from the government. On March 14, 1960, the
\nMinistry of Education and Culture paid Rp 250,000 to his
\ndescendants for the copyright to the song.<\/p>\n
Addie hopes the concert in Bogor will be a momentum for
\nIndonesians to be more appreciative of their national anthem as
\nwell as its composer, who was jailed by the Dutch colonial
\ngovernment prior to his death.<\/p>",
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