RI's greatest pianist dies
RI's greatest pianist dies
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia's all-time great jazz pianist Nick Mamahit died in a hospital here on Wednesday night. He was 80 years old.
"Dad was admitted to the hospital on Monday. He was suffering from breathing difficulties and heavy coughing," Yusuf Ibrahim, the pianist's son was quoted as saying by Detikcom.
The pianist, who had suffered a stroke in 1998, was immediately asked to stay at the hospital, physicians at the Prikasih hospital in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta said.
Nick went into a coma on Wednesday morning and did not regain consciousness. He passed away at 7:30 p.m. He is survived by four children and 10 grandchildren. His wife, Louis Henriette van Beugent, died in 1988.
It was not immediately clear when the pianist will be buried but plans were afoot on Wednesday night to bring his body home from the hospital to Cinere in South Jakarta.
Nicolas Maxmillan Mamahit could barely reach the foot pedal when he started to learn the piano at nine years old. He liked to listen to the music played by his father and played the piano in his father's absence.
After his marriage, he left for the Netherlands to study music at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music.
Returning to Indonesia in the 1950s, Nick quickly gained fame. He set up a group called The Progressives with Dick Abel and Van der Cappellen. They recorded several tunes including Rindu, Tanam Jagung and Tjemas.
When the group dissolved he set up another group Irama Spesial with Jim Espehana and Bart Risakotta. The records the group produced were more successful than the previous ones.
In 1953 he recorded Senyum (Smile) with Sam Saimun and Bing Slamet. Three years later they recorded the famous Indonesian song Sarinande.
Nick played music into his later years, mostly in hotels, notably the Mandarin hotel.
The pianist often lamented the lack of appreciation for jazz among Indonesian music fans. He attributed this to the way most Indonesians were introduced to music through the kroncong. According to Nick the kroncong was very simple compared to jazz.