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Sujud Sutrisno: Keeping to the rhythm of life(The Jakarta Post Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)from THE JAKARTA POST -- SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2006 -- PAGE 20 Pak.... ketipang..... tipung The sound reverberates from the conical drum of Sujud Sutrisno. He moves from village to village, beating the drum with his palms as children swarm around him, as though they never want to see him go He has been making money singing and playing percussion since the 1960s There is no shortage of street musicians in Yogyakarta but not many drummers have kept at it for as long as Sujud Like the playing of the Pied Piper, Sujud's music fascinates children. They follow him wherever he goes. He cuts a fine figure in traditional Javanese dress: a cropped black jacket, a hat perched on his head and a modest (false) moustache placed just so under his nose Sujud does not consider himself a street singer. Rather, he refers to himself as a door-to-door tax collector. But he is highly respected by other street musicians and artists A few years back, he was invited to play in the so-termed First Indonesian International Drum Festival Sujud was born in 1953 into a family of artists. His father, Wirosuwito, was a cokekan (dance show) artist Sujud became a street singer to pay his way through school. Though he did not complete junior high school, he was eager to learn Sujud differs from other street singers in that he rearranges pop songs, mostly from the 1970s. He likes to make people laugh and often takes off popular songs He probably had no idea he would one day make the crossover into commercial music, but in year 1999 he was recorded live in concert by Blass Records Then, few years later, Kua Etnika, a music group headed by Jaduk Ferianto, honored Sujud by naming him Indonesia's "greatest street singer." Sujud does not let his fame go to his head. As a soloist, drumming is not all about money for him, but also a spiritual endeavor As a true Javanese, Sujud believes in trimo ing pandum or accepting one's destiny. His fate, his says, is in God's hands. At the end of a performance, he never expects to be paid, but accepts what people want to give Sujud took the name Sutrisno only in adulthood, as is the Javanese custom Today, he lives alone in a rented house somewhere in Notoyudan, Yogyakarta. Since the death of his wife, he has done all the housework himself but buys his meals from food stalls He keeps to a "tight" schedule: singing 20 days a month and taking it easy the rest of the time. He sings only from 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. From afternoon until late evening, he receives guests and chats with neighbors He is not getting any younger, but Sujud is determined to carry on singing for as long as he is able. After that, he plans to open a small shop Sujud has made a name for himself through hard work. He has always remained humble and takes nothing for granted Patmawitana and Hanggara Prasetya, Yogyakarta Copyright 2006 The Jakarta Post |