Wage Rudolf Supratman Explained

Wage Rudolf Soepratman
Birth Date:9 March 1903[1] [2] [3]
Birth Place:Batavia, Dutch East Indies
Death Place:Surabaya, Dutch East Indies
Birthname:Wage Rudolf Soepratman
Nationality:Indonesian
Parents:Djoemeno Senen Sastrosoehardjo alias Abdoelmoein (father)Siti Senen (mother)
Profession:Composer

Wage Rudolf Soepratman (Wage Soepratman in the old orthography, commonly known as W. R. Supratman; 9 March 1903  - 17 August 1938) was an Indonesian journalist and songwriter who wrote both the lyrics and melody of the national anthem of Indonesia, "Indonesia Raya". He is an Indonesian national hero.

Biography

W.R. Soepratman's father was Sergeant Djoemeno Senen Sastrosoehardjo, a KNIL soldier, and his mother was Siti Senen. Soepratman was born Wage on 9 March 1903 in Jatinegara, Jakarta. Several months later, his father added Soepratman to his name and explained that he was born in Meester Cornelis, Batavia. Soepratman was the seventh of nine children. His eldest sibling was Rukiyem Supratiyah van Eldik.

At the age of 6, he entered Budi Utomo elementary school in Cimahi. After his father retired, Wage followed his sister Rukiyem to Makassar, where he began attending a Europeesche Lagere School (ELS) in 1914. It was then when Rudolf was added to his name, so that his rights would be equal to the Dutch. However, he was asked to leave the school after it was revealed that he was not of European descent. He continued his studies in a Malay language school. After returning home, he learned to play guitar and violin. His brother-in-law, van Eldik, gave him a violin as seventeenth birthday present in 1920. After graduating from Malay language school in 1917, Wage attended Dutch language courses and graduated in 1919. He continued to Normal School, or Teachers' College, and became an auxiliary teacher in Makassar after he graduated.

In 1920, he and van Eldik founded a jazz-styled band, called Black & White. He played the violin. They performed at weddings and birthday parties in Makassar.

Beginning in July 1933, Wage started to feel ill. Then in November 1933, he resigned as Sin Po journalist and settled first in Cimahi, then Palembang, and finally in Surabaya. On 17 August 1938, he died at 01.00 a.m. and was buried in Kenjeran, Surabaya. On 13 March 1956, his remains were moved to Tambak Segaran Wetan cemetery.

Indonesia Raya

Wage composed both the music and lyrics for the song "Indonesia Raya", which later became Indonesia's national anthem. It was introduced during the Second Indonesian Youth Congress on 28 October 1928. The song was quickly adopted by Sukarno's PNI.[4]

In 1929, the prominent Indonesian businessman and record executive Tio Tek Hong contacted Supratman; the two agreed to issue the first records of the anthem with Supratman retaining its copyright.[5] [6] The new records were extremely popular, but in 1930 the Dutch colonial authorities placed a ban on the song and confiscated all remaining unsold records. The text was revised in November 1944, and the melody arranged to its present musical form in 1958.

Legacy

The government awarded Wage the National Hero title and the Bintang Mahaputra Utama kelas III in 1971. Several Indonesian cities and towns have named streets after Wage, usually referred to as Jalan WR Soepratman.[7]

Personal life

Wage belonged to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.[8] [9] [10] [11] He was buried in a Muslim ceremony[12] [13] [14] in Kapas Public Cemetery, Tambaksari, Surabaya.[15]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Wage Rudolf Soepratman-Meluruskan Sejarah dan Riwayat Hidup Pencipta Lagu Kebangsaan Republik Indonesia "Indonesia Raya" dan Pahlawan Nasional . Anthony C Hutabarat, SH..
  2. Web site: Profil Wage Rudolph Soepratman . merdeka.com . Fathimatuz Zahroh . 3 August 2018.
  3. Web site: Biografi W.R. Soepratman Lengkap . 13 February 2018 . biografiku.com . 3 August 2018.
  4. The Muslim world: a historical survey. Modern times: Volume 4 - Page 307 H. Scheel, Gerhard Jaschke, H. Braun - 1981 "The party's emblem and the symbol of the future Free Indonesia were a red and white flag with a figure of a bull's head, and the hymn sung at its gatherings was Indonesia Raya ("Great Indonesia"), composed by Wage Rudolf Supratman "
  5. Book: Sularto . Bambang . Wage Rudolf Supratman . 1 August 2012 . Direktorat Jenderal Kebudayaan . Jakarta . 8 March 2022 . id.
  6. Book: Sakrie . Denny . 100 Tahun Musik Indonesia . 1 March 2015 . GagasMedia . Jakarta . 978-979-780-785-6 . 8 March 2022 . id.
  7. Web site: Location & Businesses related to "Jalan Wr. Supratman". Streetdirectory. 17 September 2017.
    • Book: Oerip Kasansengari. . Lagu Kebangsaan Indonesia Raya dan W.R. Soepratman Pentjiptanja. 1967 . Surabaja . P.D. Pertjetakan Grafika Karya, Djalan Tanjunganom 19 - 21 Surabaja. 97 .
    • Book: Bambang Soelarto . Moh. Kudus Sosrokusumo . Kusbini . Sagimun M. D. . Soendoro. Sumaryo L. E. . 2 . Brosur Lagu Kebangsaan Indonesia Raya . id. Indonesoan National Anthem Indonesia Raya Brochure . 1972 . Jakarta . Proyek Pengembangan Media Kebudayaan, Indonesian Department of Education and Culture. 117 .
  8. Web site: The cold war of faith between Hamadiyya and orthodox Muslims -. 17 February 2012.
  9. News: Al Makin . Fatherland: Soil and water . . 16 August 2012. 27 September 2017.
    • Book: Oerip Kasansengari. . Lagu Kebangsaan Indonesia Raya dan W.R. Soepratman Pentjiptanja. 1967 . Surabaja . P.D. Pertjetakan Grafika Karya, Djalan Tanjunganom 19 - 21 Surabaja. 81 - 87 .
    • Book: Bambang Soelarto . Moh. Kudus Sosrokusumo . Kusbini . Sagimun M. D. . Soendoro. Sumaryo L. E. . 2 . Brosur Lagu Kebangsaan Indonesia Raya . id. Indonesian National Anthem Indonesia Raya Brochure . 1972 . Jakarta . Proyek Pengembangan Media Kebudayaan, Indonesian Department of Education and Culture. 22 .