The Beautiful Songs of Marzuki

Ismail Marzuki wrote songs with a variety of themes, from marches to social-criticism to love songs. Some have accused him of plagiarism.

May 20, 2014

My homeland Indonesia
Elegant land that I love so much,
A great place where I will lay me down
A land I'll laud for all of time

These are some of the lyrics to Rayuan Pulau Kelapa ('Call of the Coconut Islands'), one of Ismail Marzuki's most popular songs. Along with Indonesia Tanah Pusaka ('Land of My Heritage') also an Ismail composition, Rayuan Pulau Kelapa is played to open and close programs aired by Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI). The son

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