Special TV program for independence

JAKARTA (JP): Debbie Gibson, Rick Price, the Nelsons, music groups Real McCoy and IVxample are among some of the international rock stars who will feature in a special Asia MTV program to mark Indonesia's 50th independence anniversary.

The one-hour musical program, a joint venture with ANteve, will be broadcast at 2 p.m. on Independence Day, Aug. 17, a spokesman for the private Indonesian station said yesterday.

The MTV Special: RI 50 will be presented by Asia MTV's Rahul Khanna and first Indonesian video jockey Nadya Hutagalung. Local artists, such as pop singers Bucek Depp and Paquita Widjaja, and female rapper Denada Tambunan will also take part in the program.

Anteve, which is owned by the Bakrie business group, has been relaying six hours of MTV programs each day, in three different sessions, since May.

Special programs, such as RI 50 and MTV Heboh (MTV Sensational), which is now being shot, are also being made jointly by Hong Kong-based Asia MTV and Anteve.

A television series called Biola Bangsakoe (My Nation's Violin), which highlights the life and musical endeavors of Wage Rudolf Supratman, Indonesia's hymn composer, will be screened at 8 p.m. on the nights of Aug. 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, to mark Indonesia's golden anniversary.

"It is a kind of historical adaptation, especially on Supratman. I used the vision of his wife Salamah to portray him," director Judy Soebroto, who has read hundreds of books to be able to bring the film to the screen, said.

The series, divided into seven episodes, does not only tell the story of Supratman but also of Indonesia from the Majapahit kingdom period, to the colonial and revolution eras. (als)