History Today 5 March 1939: Birth Date Of The Great Betawi Artist, Babe Benjamin Sueb

Benjamin Sueb, a great Indonesian artist who has succeeded in promoting Betawi culture, especially through the comedy soap opera Si Doel Anak Sekolahan. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Today 83 years ago, or March 5, 1939, to be precise, the legendary Indonesian artist, Benjamin Sueb was born in Batavia (Jakarta). During his life, the man who was familiarly called Bang Ben was known to be versatile. It can cover everything. From singers, actors, to comedians. All because of Benjamin's courage in breaking into the market. His idealism bore fruit. His name is known everywhere. In fact, supporters of the Betawi language increased because of Bang Ben.

Benjamin Sueb was born in Kampung Utan Panjang, Kemayoran, Batavia. He was born in a simple, if not poor, family. But Benjamin is lucky, he lives in a family of artists. His grandfather, Haji Ung, was known as a seasoned artist. Therefore, making music has become Bang Ben's daily activity since childhood.

This talent was increasingly felt when he formed a musical group with his brothers. Keleng Rombeng, his name. The name given was none other than because the music group created by Benjamin used used goods as musical instruments: oil drums, biscuit tins, and medicine boxes. The music group brought Bang Ben and music closer together.

One of Benjamin Sueb's acts in the 1975 film Benjamin Cowboy Refuge. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Maybe Bang Ben and music are two things that can't be separated after that. Even though Bang Ben has to fight fiercely to live his life looking for fortune in Jakarta, music has never been abandoned. Every day he often performs in various places in the capital city. A gig at the Hotel Des Indes, one of them.

The songs he often plays are western and Dutch pop songs. Although it didn't last long. The prohibition of the song "ngak-ngik-ngok" by President Soekarno in 1965 became the origin. Unexpectedly, Bang Ben finally chose Betawi music: xylophone kromong. His song Nonton Cinema was created in the 1960s.

"Benjamin is not discouraged. Since that incident, he racked his brain. As a solution, he sings Betawi songs to the accompaniment of xylophone kromong. "If there was no ban from Bung Karno, I probably would never have become a singer of Betawi songs," he said. Slowly but surely, his name skyrocketed as a singer typical of the Betawian style.”

"The songs are funny. The way he writes songs, which can be born anywhere, may be an illustration that this person has tried to appear as he is. The rudeness in his lyrics, the rhythm he finds, and sometimes the sentimentality that sticks out of his songs, besides being an honest expression is also a way to be communicative," said Nurdin Kalim in his writing for Tempo Magazine entitled Portrait of Benjamin What It Is (2005).

Benjamin Sueb and the supporters of the comedy soap opera Si Doel Anak Sekolahan. (Photo: Doc. RCTI)

The song also brought him to grow rapidly in the entertainment world in the country. Benjamin Sueb can then taste a career as an actor to a comedian. His spontaneous acting style made many people like Bang Ben's works. In fact, Bang Ben fans are not only domestic. But also from abroad. Brunei and Malaysia, for example.

This fame also brings good news for the Betawi people. Betawi language, which has always been Bang Ben's teaching, can be accepted all over the country. Because people who hear or watch the film feel liberated. At its peak, the popularity of the Betawi language rose sharply.

“But the strongest breaking force came from singer and comedian Benjamin Sueb, who started his career in the 1960s, then from the soap opera Si Doel in the late 1990s. He doesn't hesitate to reveal all Betawi expressions in his songs, from the problem of using the injection, to the story of being hit by a car again. Nothing is taboo in Benjamin's eyes, everything is broken. People then feel liberated, so that the supporters of the Betawi language are getting wider,” wrote Ridwan Saidi in the book Ketoprak Jakarta (2001).

Benjamin Sueb died in Jakarta on September 5, 1995 due to a heart attack while playing soccer. His name is now immortalized as the name of the main street in the Kemayoran area, Central Jakarta.