Surabaya entertainers back Inul

Surabaya entertainers back Inul

SURABAYA, East Java: Dozens of entertainers in Surabaya
demonstrated on Wednesday in support of controversial dangdut
singer Inul Daratista. The show of support comes days after "king
of dangdut" Rhoma Irama berated Inul for her erotic dancing.

"What Inul does is a creation by an entertainer who started
her career at the bottom. No one can stop creativity, the desire
to express oneself," said Herry Lento, who coordinated the rally
in front of the Surabaya Youth Building.

Once an unknown dangdut singer performing at small venues
around East Java, Inul's gyrating hips made her an overnight
star. But a number of religious figures have criticized her so-
called "drilling" dance, which they say is too erotic for
domestic audiences.

Dangdut king Rhoma has forbidden Inul from performing his
songs, and as the chairman of the Association of Indonesian
Dangdut Singers he recently reprimanded her for her dancing.

Religious leader and former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur"
Wahid recently came out in support of Inul. He said that those
who criticized her were misusing religious precepts as a pretext
to suppress freedom of expression. -- Antara