Hard work a key to Bagito's 22-year survival

Hard work a key to Bagito's 22-year survival

JAKARTA (JP): Local stages have given birth to many comedy
groups, but only a few have survived the tough and competitive
entertainment business as a respected, qualified group.

Bagito group is among the few. The group comprises a trio of
comedians, Tubagus Dedi Suwandi Gumelar whose stage name is
Mi'ing, his younger brother Tubagus Didin Zaenal Abidin and Hadi
Prabowo "Unang" Suwardi.

Many say the trio's survival is a result of their hard work
and professional attitude practices since their debut in 1978.

Now they are harvesting the days of "working like a dog and
learning like you will never get smart."

In a plush five-star hotel in Jakarta, the group celebrated
their 22th anniversary last week. Unfortunately, Unang was ill
and could not attend the celebration.

Among the guests were former Indonesian Military Commander
Gen. (ret) Wiranto, former minister Adi Sasono, politician Hatta
Radjasa, former state official Ishadi S.K., monologue artist
Butet Kertaradjasa, senior writer and journalist Arswendo
Atmowiloto, activist Debra Yatim and political observer Andi
Mallaranggeng.

The varied backgrounds of the guests showed how widely the
group has been embraced by society, commented artist Debby
Sahertian, the emcee.

"It's not easy to have access to those guests today. Figures
like Pak Wiranto and Pak Adi Sasono rarely make public
appearances. But for Bagito they were willing to come," Debby
said.

The group's goals have been simple -- that humor and jokes
would be a catharsis for the people. That someday, the country
would grow mature enough that people could laugh at themselves
and not just make fun of other's shortcomings.

"We also hope that in the future, our grandchildren will
someday say that once there was a comedy group named Bagito,"
Mi'ing remarked.

A business management expert, Rhenald Kasali, praised Bagito
for its ability to understand and translate the word
"professionalism" into real works. He said in the celebration of
the group's anniversary that professionalism is indeed one of the
keys to success. The shallow understanding of professionalism in
the industry could result in the end of an artist's career.

Management consultant, Mario Teguh, shared the thought, saying
that surviving in the country's entertainment industry was not a
simple achievement. Hard work alone is not enough as it must be
accompanied by professionalism.

Along with his younger brother Didin, Dedy established the Bagito
group in 1978. Another comedian, Yanto, joined the group but was
later replaced by Unang.

Their star started to shine when state-owned TVRI hired them
to appear on a musical show.

To those who are informed, read the newspapers and understand
what is going on in society, Bagito's humor is a satire of the
political, social, cultural and economical situation in the
country.

Bagito is now the leading comedy group in the country and
usually accepts only high-profile invitations and highly rated
television shows.

The group can earn Rp 35 million for a single show.

Mi'ing, 42, believes that almost 80 percent of comedians are
born with natural talent but some fail to nurture their
abilities.

"My curiosity and hunger for knowledge were probably the keys
that nurtured my talent. We are comedians but nobody can stop us
from learning. Reading, the social situation and socialization
provide the material for our jokes," he commented. (emf)