Famous Indonesian

Wayang is an Indonesian/Malay word for theater. When the term is used to refer to kinds of puppet theater, sometimes the puppet itself is referred to as wayang. "Bayang", the Javanese word for shadow or imagination, also connotes "spirit." Performances of shadow puppet theater are accompanied by gamelan in Java, and by "gender wayang" in Bali.UNESCO designated Wayang Kulit, a shadow puppet theater and the best known of the Indonesian wayang, as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity...

Batik (Javanese-Indonesian-Malay pronunciation: ['ba.te'], but often, in English, is [bætik] or [ba'ti'k]) is an Indonesian word and refers to a generic wax-resist dyeing technique used on textile. The word originates from Javanese word "amba", meaning ”to write” and the Javanese word for dot or point, "titik."It is known to be more than a millennium old, probably in ancient Egypt or Sumeria. There are evidences that cloth decorated through some form of resist technique was in use in the early centuries...

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia, located in central Java, approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta (7°45′8″S, 110°29′30″E).It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918.The main building was completed in around 1953, since it is next to impossible to find...

Surabaya (formerly Soerabaja) is Indonesia's second-largest city, and the capital of the province of East Java.It is located on the northern shore of eastern Java at the mouth of the Mas River and at the side of the Madura Strait.The city is one of the busiest ports in the country. Its principal exports include sugar, tobacco and coffee. It has a large shipyard, and numerous specialized naval schools....

Jakarta (also Djakarta or DKI Jakarta), formerly known as Sunda Kelapa, Jayakarta and Batavia is the capital and largest city of Indonesia.Located on the northwest coast of the island of Java, it has an area of 661.52 km² and a population of 8,792,000 (2004). Jakarta has been developed for more than 490 years and currently is the eleventh largest city and metropolitan area and ninth most densely populated city in the world with 44,283 people per sq mile. Its metropolitan area is called Jabotabek...

The Monumen Nasional (or Tugu Monas, the National Monument tower) is a 450 ft (137 m) tall tower in Central Jakarta, symbolizing the fight for Indonesia's Independence.Its construction began in 1961 under Sukarno and was not finished until 1975 under Suharto. It is topped by a 14.5 tonnes flame-shaped bronze plated in 35 kg (1,125 troy ounces) of gold.Visitors can take a lift up to a platform with a good view of Medan Merdeka Park, Istiqlal Mosque and the city, if it is not too foggy.Inside the...

Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia and the site of its capital city, Jakarta.Once the centre of powerful Hindu kingdoms and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, Java now plays a dominant role in the economic and political life of Indonesia.With a population of 124 million, it is the most populous island in the world; it is also one of the most densely populated regions on Earth....

Bali is an Indonesian island located at 8°25′23″S, 115°14′55″E, the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east.It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. The island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia's small Hindu minority.It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather,...

Borobudur is a ninth century Buddhist Mahayana monument in Central Java, Indonesia.The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.A main dome is located at the center of the top platform. It is surrounded by seventy-two perforated stupas, each containing one sitting Buddha statue....

Kho Ping Hoo or Asmaraman Sukowati Kho Ping Hoo (born in Sragen, August 17, 1926 - died in Solo, 22 July 1994) was an Indonesian author from Chinese descent.He is very famous for his martial art stories with the background of China or Java. During his 30 years career, he had published at least 120 stories (according to Leo Suryadinata).However, Forum magazine claimed at least Kho Ping Hoo had 400 stories with the background of China and 50 stories with the background of Java....

Yayuk Basuki (born November 30, 1970, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia) is a former professional tennis player from Indonesia.She is the highest-ever ranked tennis player from Indonesia at #19 in the Women's Tennis Association....

Ruslan Abdulgani (November 24, 1914, Surabaya — June 29, 2005, Jakarta) his first name is also spelled Roeslan) was an Indonesian government official and diplomat known for his role as a leader during the Indonesian National Revolution in the late 1940s, and as a key minister and United Nations ambassador in the Sukarno government during the 1950s and 196...

Anggun Cipta Sasmi (born April 29, 1974, in Jakarta) is an Indonesian singer/songwriter. Her name means "Grace born out of a dream" in Indonesian.Anggun is also the highest-selling Asian artist outside Asia and made a history for being the first Asian artist to break into international music scene.She is best known in Europe, particularly in France and Italy, as well as in several parts of Asia....

Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie (born June 25, 1936), more commonly known simply as Rudy Habibie or B J Habibie, was the third President of Indonesia, holding office from 1998 to 1999.By May 1998, the increasing poverty caused by the Financial Crisis and political discontent had reached boiling point. On 13th May, the shooting of six students at Trisakti University in Jakarta, caused extreme anger which in turn caused widespread riots and lootings. There were now explicit calls for Suharto to step down...

Suharto (born June 8, 1921) is a former Indonesian military and political leader. He served as a military officer in the Indonesian National Revolution, but is better known as the long-reigning second President of Indonesia, holding the office from 1967 to 1998.Suharto stood for reelection for the seventh time in March 1998, justifying it on the grounds of the necessity of his leadership during the crisis. As in past years, he was unopposed for reelection. This sparked protests and riots throughout...

Ateng (also Andreas Leo Ateng Suripto) (8 August 1942 - 6 May 2003), better known as Ateng, was a popular Indonesian comedian actor.Famous for his shortness and Charlie Chaplin mustache....

Suzzanna (born 19 October 1942 in Bogor, Indonesia) is an Indonesian actress.She started out as a child actress and later became one of the biggest stars of Indonesian horror cinema....

Affandi was born in Cirebon, West Java, in 1907, as the son of R. Koesoema, who was a surveyor at a local sugar factory. Affandi finished his upper secondary school in Jakarta, but he forsook his study for the desire to become an artist. Affandi taught himself how to paint since 1934.In the 1950s, Affandi began to create expressionistic paintings. Carrying the First Grandchild (1953) was the piece that marked his newfound style: “squeezing the tube.” Affandi paints by directly squeezing the paint...

Raden Saleh Sjarif Bestaman (1807 - April 23, 1880) is one of the best known painters from Indonesia. Raden Saleh, that was born into the noble Javanese family in 1807, was a pioneer of modern Indonesian art.Although he was the first Indonesian artist to depict in the West style, the fact that he expressed the identity and the inventiveness in his work (seditentang to the traditional approach that stressed spread-culture the form and the established style) showed the method for the artist's Indonesian...

Tuanku Imam Bonjol (also Muhammad Shahab) (1772 – November 6, 1864), was a hero in the Indonesian struggle against Dutch rule. He was born in the village of Tanjung Bunga in the Pasaman regency of West Sumatra. His father's name was Buya Nudin. He was immersed in Islamic studies as he grew up, studying first from his father and later under various other Muslim theologians.After founding the state of Bonjol, Syarif became involved in the Adat/Paderi controversy as a Paderi leader. The Paderi movement,...

Prince Diponegoro (Pangeran Diponegoro) (born Yogyakarta 1785 - died Makassar 1855) was a Javanese prince who opposed the Dutch colonial rule. He played an important role in the Java War (1825-1830). In 1830, the Dutch exiled him to Manado.Diponegoro was a prince in the Javanese court of Yogyakarta. In the early 19th century the Javanese nobles were deprived of their right to lease land, which right was taken over by the Dutch colonial authority in order to improve their finances. Infuriated by...

Gesang Martohartono (born 1917) is a renowned Indonesian singer-songwriter from central Java, and composer of the song Bengawan Solo, a tune which has become famous throughout Indonesia, Japan and much of Asia, and which is almost synonymous with the kroncong style of Javanese music.He is most commonly known simply as Gesang....

Ali Amrozi bin Haji Nurhasyim (also known as Amrozi) (born July 5, 1962) is an Indonesian terrorist who was convicted for his part in the 2002 Bali bombing.He is a native of East Java and the fifth of 13 children. His two brothers Ali Ghufron, aka Mukhlas and Ali Imron were also both involved in the Bali bombing in October 2002.Mukhlas is suspected of converting Amrozi to militantism when the two reunited in Malaysia in the late 1980s. Both his brothers are currently in police custody....

Imam Samudra aka Abdul Aziz aka Qudama (born January 14, 1970 in Serang, Banten) is an Indonesian terrorist who was convicted for his part in the 2002 Bali bombing.On September 5, 2006 he was condemned to eight years in jail for sheltering Noordin Mohammed Top, the alleged mastermind of the plot....

DR. Hidayat Nur Wahid, MA., Lc. (born in Klaten, Central Java on April 8, 1960) was elected as the leader of Indonesia's Constitutional Assembly (MPR) on 6 October 2004.He resigned as the leader of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) on 11 October 2004....

Tukul Arwana (also Tukul Riyanto) born October 16, 1963. He is one of the famous comedian from Indonesia. Tukul Riyanto (16 October 1963) is an Indonesian comedian who presents the Bukan Empat Mata chatshow on Trans 7. Tukul was born in Semarang, Central Java. When he was young, he often appeared on stage during celebrations of Indonesia's Independence Day. He also worked as driver. A friend, Joko Dewo, persuaded him to move to Jakarta, and initially supported him financially. Tukul then married...

Jojon (also Djuhri Masdjan), is a veteran Indonesian comedian. He was born on June 5, 1947, and is a former member of Jayakarta group, along with Cahyoo and Uuk.He can be easily recognized by his Adolf Hitler/Charlie Chaplin lookalike mustache. Currently, Jojon is a single comedian, and plays a significant supporting role on many TV shows such as SBY and Kerajaan Sahur.Jojon is so famous that there is even an Indonesian folksong "Hujan Rintik-Rintik, Jojon Minta Uang", which usually accompanies...

Elvy Sukaesih (born June 25, 1951) is one of the most popular singers in Java, Indonesia, and has been dubbed the Queen of Dangdut.Sukaesih has a significant fanbase in other Asian countries such as Japan. She has been a prolific recording artist since the late 1960s.Elvy Sukaesih's male counterpart is the King of Dangdut, Rhoma Irama....

Liem Swie King (born February 28, 1956) was an Indonesian badminton player in the late 1970s and 1980s who competed in singles and some doubles events. Along with Morten Frost Hansen (Denmark), Han Jian (China), and Prakash Padukone (India), he was one of the world's dominant players in that era.Liem, whose given name "Swie King" means "a person of intellectual brilliance", was best known for his aggressive play and the ferocity of his smash. He won the All-England Men Singles Championships in 1978,...

Anton Medan (born Tan Hok Liang on October 10, 1957) is a former robber and gambling tycoon who converted to Islam and became a preacher in 1992. Prior his conversion to Islam, he grew up amid the dark politics of Indonesia. It was during the Suharto's New Order rule when gangsters were used in politics, bussiness and government agencies.In 1998, Anton Medan was put as a scapegoat being the orchestrator of the Jakarta Riots after which the allegation was then quietly dropped. The riot, which was...

Susi Susanti (also Lucia Francisca Susi Susanti), born in Tasikmalaya, West Java on February 11, 1971, was an Indonesian badminton player. Sometimes her name is also spelled Susy Susanti.She won the Olympic Gold medal for woman's singles in the 1992 Olympic in Barcelona and the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games. She is married to Alan Budikusuma, who also won a gold medal winner in 1992 Barcelona Olympics.Often considered the finest female badminton player Indonesia produced, Susanti dominated...

Chris John (also Yohannes Christian John) (born September 14, 1979 in Jakarta, Indonesia) is the WBA featherweight boxing champion (2003-). His record is 38-0-1 (20 KOs).John started boxing in his early childhood and was trained by his father Johan Tjahjadi (aka Thjia Foek Sem), a former amateur boxer. John is the third Indonesian to win a boxing world title, following Ellyas Pical and Nico Thomas. John turned professional in 1997 and is known as "Thin Man".In 2005 John splitted with trainer Sutan...

Ellyas Pical (born 24 March 1960 in Saparua) was the first world boxing champion from Indonesia, and was three times IBF Super flyweight champion (1985 – 1989). In his childhood, Pical was a pearl diver, diving without equipment.Pical's nickname "The Exocet" was given by the press referring to his left-hand punch. The name comes from the French-made missiles used to against the Royal Navy by the Argentine Air Force during the Falklands War, which happened in 1982 during Pical's era. He got his title...

Amien Rais (born Surakarta, Central Java 26 April 1944) is a prominent Indonesian politician who led and inspired the reform movement that forced the resignation of the authoritarian ruler, President Suharto, in 1998.Amien Rais was the leader of Muhammadiyah, one of the two biggest Muslim organizations in Indonesia, in 1995 - 2000. Amien Rais was the chairman of Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in 1999 - 2004....

Mohammad Hatta (August 12, 1902 - March 14, 1980) was born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). He was Indonesia's first vice president, after being the country's Prime Minister.Known as "The Proclamator", he and a number of Indonesians, including the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno, fought for the independence of Indonesia from the Dutch East Indies.Despite his effort to gain Indonesian independence, he had studied in the Netherlands since 1921 until 1932. Moreover,...

Munir Said Thalib (December 8, 1965 - September 7, 2004), affectionally known simply as 'Munir', was Indonesia's most famous Human Rights and anti-corruption activist.The founder of the Kontras human rights organisation and laureate of the Right Livelihood Award, Munir was assassinated in 2004 while travelling to Utrecht University to pursue a Master's degree in international law and human righ...

Ebiet G. Ade (born April 21, 1955) is an Indonesian singer and songwriter close to the suppressed society. His musical touch has influenced Indonesian pop music. His lyrics are made by himself, he never collaborates with other musicians to arrange the lyrics, but he can collaborate with them to arrange his musical arrangement.Born as Abdul Gafar Abdullah in Wonodadi, Banjarnegara, he is the youngest son of Aboe Ja'far. He had many desires: engineer, doctor, and painter. But as it turned out, eventually...

Abu Bakar Ba'asyir (also Abu Bakar Bashir) was born in Jombang, East Java in August 17, 1938. He was a student of Gontor Islamic boarding school in Ponorogo, graduating in 1959, before entering Al-Irsyad University, in Solo, Central Java and graduating in 1963.After time as an activist for the Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam (Indonesian: "Islamic Student Association") in Solo, he was elected secretary of Al-Irsyad Youth Organization, and then president of Indonesian Islamic Youth Movement (GPII) (1961),...

Sukarno ( June 6, 1901 – June 20, 1970) was the first president of Indonesia. He helped the country win its independence from the Netherland and was President from 1945 to 1967, presiding with mixed success over the country's turbulent transition to independence. Sukarno was forced from power by one of his generals, Suharto, who formally became President in March 1967.The spelling "Sukarno" has been official in Indonesia since 1947 but the older spelling Soekarno is still frequently used. Indonesians...

Rhoma Irama (born December 11, 1946, in Tasikmalaya, West Java) is an Indonesian dangdut singer. During the height of his stardom in th 1970s, he became the self-proclaimed Raja Dangdut (King of Dangdut) with the group Soneta.He was known as his stage name Oma Irama before he made a pilgrimage to Mecca and became a haji. He later took the name Rhoma Irama, which is an abbreviation of "Raden Haji Oma Irama" (Raden is an aristocracy title for Javanese and Sundanese cultures, but it is still unknown...

Iwan Fals (born September 3, 1961 in Jakarta) is an Indonesian singer and songwriter. He has released several dozen albums of mostly solo guitar-based material in a style said to be influenced by Bob Dylan. He is considered a popular and charismatic singer in the country. He is known as a social observer and protest singer, although he has sung many songs about love and romance.He has two children, Annisa Cikal Rambu Basae and Rayya Rambu Robbani. His eldest son, Galang Rambu Anarki, died in April...