Hard work a key to Bagito's 22-year survival<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Local stages have given birth to many comedy
\ngroups, but only a few have survived the tough and competitive
\nentertainment business as a respected, qualified group.<\/p>\n
Bagito group is among the few. The group comprises a trio of
\ncomedians, Tubagus Dedi Suwandi Gumelar whose stage name is
\nMi'ing, his younger brother Tubagus Didin Zaenal Abidin and Hadi
\nPrabowo \"Unang\" Suwardi.<\/p>\n
Many say the trio's survival is a result of their hard work
\nand professional attitude practices since their debut in 1978.<\/p>\n
Now they are harvesting the days of \"working like a dog and
\nlearning like you will never get smart.\"<\/p>\n
In a plush five-star hotel in Jakarta, the group celebrated
\ntheir 22th anniversary last week. Unfortunately, Unang was ill
\nand could not attend the celebration.<\/p>\n
Among the guests were former Indonesian Military Commander
\nGen. (ret) Wiranto, former minister Adi Sasono, politician Hatta
\nRadjasa, former state official Ishadi S.K., monologue artist
\nButet Kertaradjasa, senior writer and journalist Arswendo
\nAtmowiloto, activist Debra Yatim and political observer Andi
\nMallaranggeng.<\/p>\n
The varied backgrounds of the guests showed how widely the
\ngroup has been embraced by society, commented artist Debby
\nSahertian, the emcee.<\/p>\n
\"It's not easy to have access to those guests today. Figures
\nlike Pak Wiranto and Pak Adi Sasono rarely make public
\nappearances. But for Bagito they were willing to come,\" Debby
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The group's goals have been simple -- that humor and jokes
\nwould be a catharsis for the people. That someday, the country
\nwould grow mature enough that people could laugh at themselves
\nand not just make fun of other's shortcomings.<\/p>\n
\"We also hope that in the future, our grandchildren will
\nsomeday say that once there was a comedy group named Bagito,\"
\nMi'ing remarked.<\/p>\n
A business management expert, Rhenald Kasali, praised Bagito
\nfor its ability to understand and translate the word
\n\"professionalism\" into real works. He said in the celebration of
\nthe group's anniversary that professionalism is indeed one of the
\nkeys to success. The shallow understanding of professionalism in
\nthe industry could result in the end of an artist's career.<\/p>\n
Management consultant, Mario Teguh, shared the thought, saying
\nthat surviving in the country's entertainment industry was not a
\nsimple achievement. Hard work alone is not enough as it must be
\naccompanied by professionalism.<\/p>\n
Along with his younger brother Didin, Dedy established the Bagito
\ngroup in 1978. Another comedian, Yanto, joined the group but was
\nlater replaced by Unang.<\/p>\n
Their star started to shine when state-owned TVRI hired them
\nto appear on a musical show.<\/p>\n
To those who are informed, read the newspapers and understand
\nwhat is going on in society, Bagito's humor is a satire of the
\npolitical, social, cultural and economical situation in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Bagito is now the leading comedy group in the country and
\nusually accepts only high-profile invitations and highly rated
\ntelevision shows.<\/p>\n
The group can earn Rp 35 million for a single show.<\/p>\n
Mi'ing, 42, believes that almost 80 percent of comedians are
\nborn with natural talent but some fail to nurture their
\nabilities.<\/p>\n
\"My curiosity and hunger for knowledge were probably the keys
\nthat nurtured my talent. We are comedians but nobody can stop us
\nfrom learning. Reading, the social situation and socialization
\nprovide the material for our jokes,\" he commented. (emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hard-work-a-key-to-bagitos-22-year-survival-1447893297",
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