On the composer of Bengawan Solo
Referring to the letter Composer of Bengawan Solo by M. Hadi S. in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 30, 1999, I am strongly convinced that Bengawan Solo was not composed by Gesang, but it was composed by the late Sujoko.
This controversial issue came to the surface a long time ago and the name of Gesang often appeared in newspapers, also when he was invited to come to Japan and on various other occasions. It was often mentioned in the newspapers and tabloids published in Central Java and Jakarta that Bengawan Solo was not really composed by Gesang. However, up to date, Gesang has never denied it and has never insisted either openly that he was the composer of that song.
When I lived in Surakarta I had a neighbor by the name of (the late) Sapari -- a well-known musician. He was about the same age as Sujoko. During the Dutch rule, Mas (brother) Sapari played in NIROM, Bandung, West Java. When the Japanese occupied Indonesia he returned to his hometown of Surakarta. His house was only about 30 meters away from my father's house. He often came to our house to play badminton. Also he often played Kroncong music together with us.
In Surakarta's Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) orchestra he was known as a capable musician and played the melody guitar. But he confessed that he admired Kamsidi for his adeptness in musical arrangement, among other potpourri Jaya Wijaya. Sapari said that Gesang was not the composer of Bengawan Solo. According to him, Gesang was highly unlikely to have the capability to compose a song, because he was hardly a musician and could not play any musical instrument.
Given that information, I was appalled and almost burst into laughter when seeing on TV, Gesang wearing Javanese traditional costume and playing the traditional bamboo flute. I was then reminded of the Sujokos who had never enjoyed the result of Sujoko's musical piece. In an open letter, a reader in Surakarta said that he was in possession of authentic evidence to the effect that Bengawan Solo was not composed by Gesang. But, strangely, Gesang has kept totally silent on this matter.
SUNARTO PRAWIROSUJANTO
Jakarta