Mbah Surip. (Photo: Afriadi Hikmal, JG)
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has joined thousands of people
across the country to mourn the death of overnight sensation Urip
Arianto, better known as Mbah (Grandpa) Surip, on Tuesday.
The
President extended his condolences to the singer whom he dubbed “a
down-to-earth artist who dedicated his life to develop his art in his
own way”.
“I express my condolences, and hope that God will
accept his soul. May he rest in peace in accordance to the way he lived
his life in this world,” Yudhoyono told a media conference.
He said people could learn from Urip’s cheerful spirit and asked artists and regional administrations to assist with his burial.
A
former street singer, Urip experienced a phenomenal rise to stardom in
just months, with his single Tak Gendong (I carry you on my back)
became a hit.
Urip’s assistant Farid said the singer fainted
Sunday evening after arriving from Yogyakarta for a concert,
speculating that he possibly suffered from heart attack.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/04/president-offers-condolences-mbah-surip.htmlIndonesian Reggae Star Mbah Surip Dies Aged 60
Renowned Indonesian reggae singer Mbah Surip died at Pusdikkes Hospital in East Jakarta on Tuesday. He was 60 years old.
Surip
rose to fame with the hit song “Tak Gendong” (“I Will Carry You On My
Back”). The song also added at least Rp 4 billion ($400,000) to his
bank account.
Mbah Surip
died at 10.30 a.m on the way to Pusdikkes Hospital in East Jakarta, according to Tarzan, a close friend of Surip. He
was taken to the hospital from a house belonging to Mamiek Prakoso, a comedian
from Srimulat.
Metro
TV reported that witnesses saw Surip’s mouth was foaming when he
reached the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 11:30
a.m. Tuesday morning. He was known to be addicted to coffee and was a
chain smoker. The media is still awaiting confirmation from the
deceased’s family.
Surip was a street artist almost all of his life.
Mbah
Surip was recognizable by his braided hair and hearty laugh. His
signature greeting was “I love you full,” which he would say over and
over to everyone he met.
“I love singing and I don’t mind
doing it non-stop, once I sang for 60 hours with only a little sleep,
but I’m happy,” Surip once said in an interview with SCTV.
Surip will be buried at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Bengkel Teater
Cemetery in Citayam, Depok, West Java.
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