Sad News, Yaser Arafat From Malacca Ensemble Dies

Yaser Arafat when appearing at the 2015 Mount Bromo Jazz (Instagram @jazzgunung)

JAKARTA - Sad news comes from the world of Indonesian music. Yaser Arafat, a percussion player as well as a composer of ethnic music, is known to have died.

The news of the death of the percussion player from Malacca Ensemble was announced by uploading the official Instagram account of Mount Jazz on Monday, February 19 evening.

"We, the entire family of Mount Indonesia Jazz, are deeply sorry for the passing of the artist and the ethnic composer from Malacca Ensemble, Yaser Arafat," wrote the Mount Jazz Instagram account.

"May his deeds and worship be accepted by Him. Amen."

Not much information was provided regarding the death of Yaser Arafat. In the uploaded photo, Yaser appears to have performed with Malacca Ensemble at the Mount Bromo Jazz event in 2015.

Meanwhile, Malacca Ensemble is a jazz ethno music group that combines elements of Malay music into the works that are displayed.

Previously, this group was called the Malacca Jazz Unit which was founded in 2008.

Malacca Ensemble consists of composers who also master certain musical instruments. They are Hendri Lamiri (violin), Demas Narawangsa (drums), Indro Hardjodikoro (bass), Yaser Arafat (percussion), Butnk Olala (akordeon), Faisal (guitar), Rio Zee Rinaldo (keyboards), and Eunique SALom (vocals).