Ismail Marzuki's Ninja Way Against Invaders Using Music

JAKARTA - Not all freedom fighters have to take up arms against the invaders. Ismail Marzuki is the proof. He is the Soekarno of the music world. Music is Ismail Marzuki's ninja way of fighting. Every time the song of struggle is played, the spirit of the people against the invaders increases.

Its existence had made the invaders furious. But the original Betawi child never hated the Dutch or the Japanese and their language. The only thing that "salon musicians" hate is colonialism or colonialism.

The popularity of the Bumiputra musicians from the 1930s to the 1950s was not much. One of the names that filled that period was Ismail Marzuki. All Indonesians know Ismail Marzuki as a music maestro who dominated the years of struggle.

The presence of the Kwitang child who was born on May 11, 1914, in the music scene was even recognized by the Netherlands. He also often performs from stage to stage for Dutch parties. Ismail Marzuki's main strength in playing music is none other than his own father, Marzuki.

The father, who is a bookkeeper at a car repair company “Ford Reparatie Atelier Tio” in Senen Raya, also enjoys music. As an employee, his father earned a salary of 150 guilders. Therefore, Ismail Marzuki's family is among the wealthy.

His father had a "talking machine" gramophone and LPs quite a lot. That's why his father's love for music spread to Ismail Marzuki. This privilege became the beginning of Ismail Marzuki learning many musical instruments on his own, until he became famous.

“It's a different story if you want to imagine how the life of music in the decades of 1940 and 1950. After the 1945 Revolution, many people were familiar with marching songs for struggle or praise to the homeland and nation. Ismail Marzuki, for example, became the creator of romantic struggle songs, such as Gugur Bunga (1945), Halo Halo Bandung (1946), Selendang Sutera (1946), or A Pair of Eyes Ball (1946). After that, no one knew the exact journey of Indonesian music, except for the proliferation of keroncong orchestras, folk songs, or choirs,” said Rudy Badil in the book Warkop: Main-Main so Not Main (2010).

His musicality increased when Ismail Marzuki attended the Dutch school Hollandsch Inlandsche School (HIS), then Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (MULO). After that, Ismail Marzuki was not only fluent in Dutch but also knew the character of European music. Studying at HIS made him live the life of a true artist. Not infrequently Ismail Marzuki buys black rebates for western songs with his pocket money.

In everyday life, Ismail Marzuki is like a typical Betawi child. He must balance between school lessons with religious lessons. In the morning he studied at school. In the afternoon, he studied at the Unwanul Falah Madrasa which was founded by the famous cleric Ali Alhabsyi in Kwitang (Habib Kwitang). In order to encourage his son to study hard, his father then started buying his son a musical instrument. Ismail is happy not playing.

He then began to learn many musical instruments. The opportunity was continued by trying to change song after song from various genres. Flying hours also increased, from radio, to films, to touching the stage of Societeit, an exclusive club at that time. Because of that, Ismail Marzuki likes everything related to musical activities. Except for one thing. Ismail Marzuki abstains from playing music at weddings.

“Ismail abstains from playing at weddings. He said, this is to elevate the degree of Indonesian musicians themselves. At that time musicians had a bad image in the eyes of some people, until they were nicknamed 'Crocodile Keroncong.' Because of Ismail's influence, Lief Java (his musical group) did not receive any calls to play at the wedding. The individuals who support the orchestra are likewise. That is why Ismail is nicknamed: salon musician,” said Ahmad Naroth in the book Ketoprak Betawi (2001).

During the Dutch colonial period, Ismail Marzuki explored his talents in the world of music. So different things with the Japanese colonial period. At the beginning of Japan's control of the archipelago, Ismail Marzuki like the natives in general who put their trust in Japan. The land of the rising sun is considered a savior.

But after Japan was in power for one year, the ulcers of the invaders began to appear. They are even more vicious than the Dutch. Ismail Marzuki was furious. He racked his brains to be able to fight with other freedom fighters. In the end he chose to fight in his own way. Not by taking up arms. But through music.

He began composing the songs Whisper the Homeland and Indonesia Pusaka. The song was widely broadcast on the radios of its time. Ismail was reprimanded, interrogated, and detained by the Japanese Military Police. He was labeled a rebel by the Japanese.

Because the feet have been stepped, the hands are stuck, Ismail Marzuki never backs down. He also composed other songs. A series of popular songs of struggle are the fruits of his work, such as the march of the Indonesian Defense Forces (PETA) Gah Perwira to the Seduction of Kelapa Island.

“The songs composed by Bang Mail (his nickname) are a form of his love for the homeland. He wanted to fight and then use the song as a tool. He continues to compose songs wrapped in nationalism. The song has its own value for the listeners, the freedom fighters. From his work, we can easily understand his direction against colonialism.”

“For the Betawi and Indonesian people, his work is timeless. Bang Mail is second to none. It is quite right that Betawi artists are remembered to this day. And it's only natural that Ismail Marzuki was later named a national hero,” said Betawi culturalist Masykur Isnan, contacted by VOI, November 10.

Ismail Marzuki's struggle was finally avenged. Indonesia managed to escape from the shackles of Japanese colonialism on August 17, 1945. After that, he increasingly pursued the world of music. He is known as a prolific and clever musician. Every day he always used to spawn works. Of course with the typical characteristics of Ismail Marzuki. He puts forward freedom of expression, freely moves between genres, and is good at inserting criticism in his songs.

Throughout his life the legendary artist has composed more than 200 songs. He continued to struggle through the path of music even to the point of death. Ismail Marzuki also died at his residence, Tanah Abang area, Central Jakarta, on May 25, 1958.

Lung disease suffered so the cause. As a token of appreciation, the Governor of Jakarta, Ali Sadikin (1966-1977) used his name for the Jakarta arts center on November 10, 1968. The place was renamed Ali Sadikin as Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM).

"It was named Taman Ismail Marzuki to honor the late artist Ismail Marzuki, son of Jakarta, composer and freedom fighter," closed Ali Sadikin as Ramadhan KH wrote in the book Bang Ali: Demi Jakarta 1966-1977 (1992).

*Read other information about the Dutch colonial period or read other interesting articles from Detha Arya Tifada.