Comedian Benyamin S. dies of a heart attack

Comedian Benyamin S. dies of a heart attack

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands crowded the Karet Bivak cemetery in
Central Jakarta yesterday for the funeral of noted Indonesian
comedian/actor/singer Benyamin Sueb, who died of a heart attack
at the Harapan Kita Cardiac Hospital at 5:20 a.m. yesterday.

Born on March 5, 1939, Benyamin, better known as Benjamin S.,
is survived by eight children, a wife and an ex-wife. Owner of
Ben's Radio, a Betawi radio station, Benyamin's latest ventures
included two TV shows, the Benyamin Show and the series Si Doel
Anak Sekolahan.

Among those at his funeral were Minister of Information
Harmoko, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anaz
and Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief as well as a number of
prominent business figures, famous movie stars and musicians.

The news of Benyamin's death shocked not only his children and
colleagues but also the whole nation.

"Benyamin S. was an outstanding figure in the Indonesian arts
community. He belonged to all people. We lost one of our greatest
artists," said Minister Harmoko before the funeral.

For many, attending Benyamin's funeral also meant a golden
opportunity to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrities.
During the funeral, a large number of teenage boys and girls and
even young mothers chased their idols. They screamed when some
famous stars, particularly those from Si Doel, including Rano
Karno, Maudy Kusnadi and Mandra, entered the cemetery gate. They
seemed to ignore the fact that those people, many close to
Benyamin, were mourning.

"I saw Benyamin in his latest film Begaya F.M last night. To
me he was more than an actor. I feel that I knew him personally,"
commented a young mother who brought her four-month old baby to
the funeral.

Benyamin S. started his career in music in l957 when he
established a pop band called Melodi Ria with Rachmat Kartolo and
famous jazz musicians Bill Saragih and the late Jack Lesmana.

Born to a middle-class Betawi couple, H. Sueb and Siti Aisyah,
of Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, young Benyamin became familiar
with traditional Betawi music and Portuguese-style keroncong
music.

In the late l960s, he began exploring Betawi music and
performed duets with female pop singers. His recordings with Ida
Royani were particularly popular. Many of his songs, most
containing anecdotes, clearly portray the way of life of the
Betawi people, while borrowing from Betawi folklore. His humorous
and satirical songs finally began to draw a large audience from
the lower-middle class to the upper classes of society.

His song Ondel-Ondel even inspired the Jakarta administration
to declare the puppet as the city's mascot. After he gained
popularity as a prominent Betawi singer, Benyamin took a look at
the possibilities in film.

It was the late director Sukarno M. Noer who asked him to act
in his film Honey Money in Jakarta Fair (1970). But it was the
late director Sjumandjaja who discovered his natural acting
talent. The director cast him in the role of a tacky Betawi man
struggling to keep up with the modernization process in a film
called Si Doel Anak Modern. In this film, Benyamin, who played
opposite famous artist Christine Hakim, won a Citra, the highest
Indonesian film award. Benyamin also won another Citra for his
role in Intan Berduri.

"I was terribly shocked to hear about his death. I always
treated him like my own father. I did not realize that it was his
last message," Rano Karno, who is said to be one of the persons
closest to the deceased, told The Jakarta Post at Benyamin's
house in an elite Cinere housing complex, Sawangan, Bogor.

Benyamin S. and Rano were involved in a famous TV drama, Si
Doel, which attracted large audiences in Indonesia as well as
Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Saudi Arabia.

Several months before his death, Benyamin was still involved
in various film projects, music shows and other art activities.

Benyamin later fell unconscious during a soccer game in his
Cinere neighborhood and was taken to the Harapan Kita Cardiac
Hospital. On Sunday, he recovered from a five-day coma. A number
of prominent figures, including President Soeharto and Jakarta
Governor Surjadi Soedirdja sent him flowers.

Even in his hospital bed, Benyamin still showed concern for
the fate of Indonesian film, particularly the popular Si Doel
series.

"No (Rano), lu musti terusin syuting meskipun enggak ada gue,
(Rano you must continue producing the TV drama Si Doel Anak
Sekolahan although I am not with you anymore)," were, in his
strong Betawi accent, Benyamin's last words of advice when Rano
visited him in the hospital on Sunday.

In his recent interview with The Jakarta Post, Benyamin said
that it was time for him to retire after 30 years in the
entertainment world. Yesterday, he entered the real world of
retirement. Good Bye Bang Ben. (raw/arh)