Legend Benyamin has gone but the memories remain

JAKARTA (JP): It's been three years since legendary Betawi actor, comedian and singer Benyamin Sueb passed away, but many people still remember his humorous songs and his typical anecdotes of the native Jakartan culture, Betawi.

People from all walks of life packed a seminar on Benyamin's contributions to Jakarta, held at the Nyi Ageng Serang building in Kuningan, South Jakarta last week.

"I am still a fan of Benyamin's even though he has already died," said a man, who claimed that he watched all Benyamin's movies.

But only a few celebrities were spotted in the audience. Among them were comedian Ateng, artist and designer Ida Royani and Aminah Cendrakasih, who starred with Benyamin in the TV series Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Doel The Graduate).

Benyamin, owner of Ben's Betawi radio station, died of heart attack in September 1995 at the age of 56, leaving his role as the father of Doel (played by Rano Karno) in the TV series Si Doel vacant. It was a big success and the production of the TV series continued. The final episode was screened last month.

Chairman of the Indonesian Movie Archives, Misbach Yusa Biran, recognizes Benyamin's significant role in promoting Betawi culture.

"One of Benyamin's contributions is in making Betawi's dialect popular among people, even teenagers, not only here in Jakarta, but nationwide," he told The Jakarta Post after the seminar.

The seminar was organized by the Betawi Arts Foundation as part of a 12-day Betawi cultural event, entitled In Memory of Bang Ben.

The event culminates in a photo exhibition featuring Benyamin's activities, a Betawi food festival, and an operetta, Betawi: Kemaren, Sekarang, Besok (Betawi: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow), to be held at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, today.

Misbach said that formerly there were many traditional Betawi performances, which also used Betawi's dialects, but were popular only among the lower-classes.

"But Benyamin, through his songs and the screening of his movies on TV, was well-accepted not only by the lower and middle classes, but also by the upper class people in society," said Misbach. He particularly cited the success of Benyamin's Si Doel.

Starting his career in music in 1957, Benyamin set up a pop band, Melodi Ria, along with musician Rachmat Kartolo and famous jazz musicians Bill Saragih and the late Jack Lesmana.

In the late 1960s, Benyamin, who was born into a middle-class family, began exploring Betawi music. He performed duets with female pop singers, such as Ida Royani. Most of his songs contained anecdotes, featuring Betawi people's day to day activities. Jakarta's mascot, the ondel-ondel puppet, was inspired by his song, Ondel-Ondel.

He began his movie career in 1970, when the late director Sukarno M. Noer, father of actor Rano Karno, asked him to act in his film, Honey Money in Jakarta Fair. In 1976 he played in Sjumandjaja's Si Doel Anak Modern (Doel the Modern Kid) opposite noted artist Christine Hakim, and later received a Citra award, the highest Indonesian film award for his role as a tacky Betawi man struggling to keep up with modernization.

Misbach said that Benyamin's role in popularizing and preserving Betawi culture should not end because he has passed away.

"Younger generations (of Betawi people) should do something to preserve Betawi culture... the initiative should come from Betawi people themselves," he said.

He lamented that many Betawi people were still obsessed with their glorious past without doing anything to keep up with the present.

"I think it's about time people stopped reminiscing about the past... younger generations, who are more dynamic, should do something, make a breakthrough...," Misbach said.

For instance, he said, younger generations of Betawi people should not be satisfied with only preserving some of Betawi's culture, such as gambang kromong, or Betawi's musical orchestra.

"If necessary, gambang kromong can be developed into something like a real, modern, orchestra...," Misbach said.

He said that even Topeng Betawi, a Betawi traditional dance, was not preserved by the Betawi people, but by an artist from the Jakarta Arts Institute. "So, it's no use feeling angry all the time, for being ousted to the city's outskirts. People should think about why this is happening and do something about it," Misbach said. (ste)