The Death of a Maestro

Idris Sardi was forced to turn from classical to pop music as Indonesians failed to accommodate his extraordinary musical talent and creativity.

May 6, 2014

ABOUT two centuries ago colonial Indonesia saw a very interesting phenomenon, the birth of slave orchestra. Dutch colonial officers and landowners, especially in West Java, had groups of slaves trained to play western musical instruments. The slaves originated from many different ethnic backgrounds. Their skills in playing classical music were so much appreciated that the worth of a slave then was determined by his skill in playing Western musica

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