Dangdut fiesta on Heroes' Day

SURABAYA: Top artist Camelia Malik plans to stage a Dangdut festival, bringing some 15 top names in the Indonesian traditional music, in November to mark the golden anniversaries of Independence Day, Armed Forces Day and National Heroes' Day.

Camelia, also known as the queen of the traditional Indonesian erotic dance Jaipongan, promised that the top notch singers from the Indonesian dangdut circle would perform at the Nov. 11 festival to be held at the field of the headquarters Brawijaya Military Command.

Admission will be free, she added.

Surabaya was the scene of fierce fighting by Indonesian youths resisting the Dutch attempt to reimpose colonial rule in November 1945. Because of that, November 10 has since been remembered as National Heroes' Day.

"We can't give details of the festival yet. We've just secured the support of the governor, Camelia told reporters after meeting with Basofi Sudirman, the governor of East Java province, Antara reported yesterday.

The festival, she added, would be broadcast live nationwide by TPI, a private television network, she added. (emb)