Sunyahni, bursting with talent

Sunyahni, bursting with talent

Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

She has earned herself the nickname "Dadaist", a school of
fine art twisted into a local dialect to mean "busty", but Anik
Sunyahni has convinced everyone that her biggest asset is her
talent.

Nyahni, as she is affectionately called, continues to enjoy
rising popularity as a pesinden, or singer of Javanese ethnic
music. Wayang (shadow puppet) and Javanese contemporary music
concerts featuring her are always sold out.

Nyahni is popular among people of all walks of life in Central
Java, East Java and Yogyakarta, her current hometown after she
moved from her birthplace of Sragen, East Java.

Her singing talent spans from the traditional gending to the
most contemporary local music genre called Campursari.

At 35, she is a divorcee with three children and at the same
time a top singer of Javanese songs.

At each performance, she is always the star and the focus of
attention because she has a golden voice, is good looking and has
an appealing body.

The nickname "Dadaist" came from (the late) Umar Kayam, a
respected writer and cultural observer who was an avid admirer of
Nyahni. Men will do anything to get close to her, just for a
glimpse of her in her tight traditional kebaya with a low
neckline that exposes her cleavage.

Nyahni's appearance has its own attraction. When she attended
the Javanese Language Congress in Yogyakarta recently, the
delegates from Suriname were so charmed by her that they planned
to invite her to perform in Suriname.

Addressing seminars on the arts has become her latest
activity. Last week, a discussion titled Journeys in Art at the
Cultural Studies Center, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, also
featured her.

Nyahni, who dropped out of school after second grade, is an
eloquent speaker in the arts.

"Seeing your capability of creating so many Javanese songs and
considering that many of these have become top hits, you deserve
a degree," one participant said in her praise.

Obviously, her physical and intellectual charms have been a
blessing and a curse.

Once, Nyahni, who often accompanies a leather shadow puppet
performance with masters Ki Manteb Sudharsono or Ki Anom Suroto,
was secretly prohibited from appearing before the ranks of the
East Java provincial administration.

Rumor had it that the wife of the then governor of East Java
did not like the idea of her husband admiring Nyahni.

"She may have been jealous of me, because during my earlier
performance in East Java, she (the governor's wife) saw us pull
each others' leg. She should know that happened only on the stage
and could not have been real," she told The Jakarta Post.

Nyahni has often told people that she is but a humble villager
and that she is virtually uneducated. She remains very modest
despite the dozens of songs she has composed and recorded. Her
albums, both cassettes and VCDs, sell like hotcakes.

Though now she earns between Rp 5 million and Rp 12 million
for each performance, she is always prepared to perform free for
social purposes.

"I must always be thankful to God for bestowing upon me a
golden voice and for giving me the strength to resist
temptation."

There have always been temptations in her journey in life,
particularly as a celebrity.

"My first husband did not want me to become a singer. He would
hit me until I bled. So I asked for a divorce. I remarried only
to find another husband who wanted me to quit my job. Eventually,
I opted to become an artist rather than have a husband who had no
respect for the arts.

"I think it is my destiny to be an artist. If another man
wanted to propose to me, he would have to understand my world,
the world of an artist," said Nyahni, who earned only Rp 500 as
her first fee back in 1980.

Now she can easily make money performing from one city to the
next in Indonesia. "I have visited most major cities in
Indonesia. The only place I haven't visited is the province of
Aceh."

Following her success with her campursari album, she has been
busy promoting her latest album, Keroncong Jamus (Javanese
music). Keroncong Jamus maintains its keroncong spirit although
the music incorporates the Jaipong genre of West Java and a
keyboard.

Sunyahni has a great passion to revive traditional music. It
is this passion that prompts her to continue creating music and
songs.

The inspiration to write a song comes to her at any time. It
may come while on a train journey or while bathing her child.
Sometimes it just comes when she is in the kitchen.

"Once when I had a temperature and had to stay in bed, I kept
thinking about a friend of mine who had asked her husband for a
divorce. I was inspired by this friend and wrote a song that
could really reconcile the husband and wife. I called the song
Reconciled," said Nyahni.

Nyahni has dedicated her life to art. Although her marital
life is in ruins, she remains a star during a performance. Her
fans do not care about her private life. They come to enjoy her
golden voice and graceful appearance in a kebaya, with a tuberose
perched on her hair bun.