Musician Harry Roesli dead at 58

Musician Harry Roesli dead at 58

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Musician Harry Roesli, a flamboyant and dynamic figure in the
local arts scene, died of heart disease at Harapan Kita Hospital
in West Jakarta on Saturday night. He was 53.

Known for poking fun at his portly figure, Harry had suffered
from hypertension and diabetes. He suffered a heart attack on
Nov. 30, and had since been hospitalized in his hometown of
Bandung and then Jakarta.

Born Djauhar Zaharsjah Fahrudin Roesli, Harry studied at the
Jakarta Arts Institute and percussion musical composition at the
Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands.

He founded Depot Kreasi Seni Bandung (DKSB), a nonconventional
musical organization that took aim at sociopolitical conditions
and the country's leaders through irreverent performances.

His social concern was reflected in his employment of street
singers and disadvantaged children in many of his performances.

The grandson of Marah Roesli, one of the country's leading man
of letters, he occasionally ran afoul of the authorities,
particularly during the authoritarian regime of Soeharto.

"I've never thought about what people may think about them
(his artistic creations), I'm just conveying my works of art. Let
the audience judge," he told The Jakarta Post in 2003.

Although weakened by illness, he had recently declared his
intention to take part in a nationwide cultural tour.

Harry is survived by his wife and two sons.