Guess What? Vina Panduwinata

Pop star Vina Panduwinata failed to hide her devastation at the death of senior musician Charles Hutagalung on Monday.

Charles, the lead singer of the Mercy's, a rock group popular in the 1970s, died of a stroke at age 52.

"It's bad that he died young -- he was 10 years my senior. What a loss!" she told The Jakarta Post by telephone.

The mother of one who has recently released an album Bawa Daku (Take Me Along) lamented the bad luck that has befallen Indonesian veteran artists who have toiled for the profession but whose works have not received due appreciation from the music industry.

Vina suggested there should be a kind of foundation that oversees medical funds for veteran artists to reduce their financial burden in old age.

"Some of us have initiated a fund-raising for artists' welfare while (art activist) Chandra Darusman has been campaigning for protection of musicians' intellectual rights," she said.

"There are many things we can do to correct the situation but, above all, the law on intellectual property rights should be properly enforced." (bby)