Guess What? Daniel Sahuleka

Guess What? Daniel Sahuleka

Ambonese singer Daniel Sahuleka, who is now a citizen of the Netherlands, graced the stage at Erasmus Huis, the Dutch Cultural Center, early this week. But instead of singing, he searched his jeans's pockets and then his shirts' pockets. He looked confused, then he said to the audience "aku lupa dompetku, aku cari dompet dulu yah (I forgot my wallet, I'll find it first)." He left the stage, leaving the audience delirious with laughter.

Featuring a dozen songs, including Indonesian hits of the 1980s like You Make My World so Colorful and Don't Sleep Away This Night, Sahuleka treated the full-house to a great show. Blending his lovely solo guitar playing, his Ambonese voice, his pidgin Indonesian and his jokes, he made the one night performance "a gift for Indonesians in conjunction with Erasmus Huis' 25th anniversary," as put by David C.K. Altes, Erasmus' deputy director. It was not only entertaining but also communicative.

Some of the audience, who had to sit on the floor because of the large number of visitors, even talked to him during the show. "I am going to Yogyakarta for a concert tomorrow," said Sahuleka, which was responded to by girls in the back row "we'll go with you."

The audience also laughed when Sahuleka commented during a song that his singing was "a mess".

He got heaps of applause when he said he dreamt of being able to sing at a free concert in Indonesia that anyone could attend.

"I'll take all of you into my heart so I can always remember you." Oh Daniel. (als)