Historic violin to be played

JAKARTA: Indonesian people will have the rare opportunity to hear the national anthem Indonesia Raya played on the violin used by composer Wage Rudolf Soepratman to introduce the song 77 years ago.

Veteran violinist Idris Sardi has been given the honors of playing the instrument during the commemoration of the Youth Oath Day on Oct. 28 at the Gedung Pemuda building on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta, the same place that the historic youth meeting took place in 1928. The late violinist Soepratman played the song during the meeting, in which the country's founding fathers declared their commitment to one nation, homeland and language.

Idris said after a meeting with State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Adhyaksa Dault that he had asked for the violin to be repaired.

"I will play the song the way it was played for the first time. Hopefully, it will revive the old spirit of that youth movement," Idris said. -- Antara