Chrisye

Chrisye
Chrisye sitting onstage in 2006, during his battle with cancer Chrisye sitting onstage in 2006, during his battle with cancer
Background information
Birth name	Christian Rahadi
Also known as	Chrismansyah Rahadi (after converting to Islam)
Born	16 September 1949 Jakarta, Indonesia
Died	30 March 2007(2007-03-30) (aged 57) Jakarta, Indonesia
Genres	Pop, R&B, Pop Rock, Javanese Pop, Progressive Rock (early)
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
Years active	1969–2007 Chrisye's signature
Labels	Musica Studios

Chrismansyah Rahadi (16 September 1949 – 30 March 2007), born Christian Rahadi and better known by his stage name Chrisye ([xəˈriʃə]), was an Indonesian progressive-pop singer and song writer.

Born in Jakarta of mixed Chinese-Indonesian descent, Chrisye became interested in music at an early age. By high school he played bass guitar in a band he formed with his brother, Joris. In the late 1960s he joined Sabda Nada (later Gipsy), a band led by his neighbours, the Nasutions. In 1973, after a brief hiatus, he rejoined the band to play in New York for a year. He briefly returned to Indonesia and then went back to New York with another band, the Pro's. After once again returning to Indonesia, he collaborated with Gipsy and Guruh Soekarnoputra to record the 1976 indie album Guruh Gipsy.

Following the success of Guruh Gipsy, in 1977 Chrisye recorded two of his most critically acclaimed works: "Lilin-Lilin Kecil" by James F. Sundah, which eventually became his signature song, and the soundtrack album Badai Pasti Berlalu. Their success landed him a recording contract with Musica Studios, with whom he released his first solo album, Sabda Alam, in 1978. Over his almost 25-year career with Musica he recorded a further eighteen albums, and acted in a film, 1981's Seindah Rembulan. Chrisye died in his Jakarta home on 30 March 2007 after a long battle with lung cancer, leaving behind his wife, Gusti Firoza Damayanti Noor, and four children.

Known for his stiff stage persona and smooth vocals, Chrisye was critically acclaimed in Indonesia. Five albums to which he contributed were listed in Rolling Stone Indonesia's list of the 150 Greatest Indonesian Albums of All Time; another five of his songs (and a sixth he contributed to) were named as some of the best Indonesian songs of all time in a later issue of the same magazine. Several of his albums received certification of silver or higher. He received two lifetime achievement awards, one in 1993 from the BASF Awards and another posthumously in 2007 from Indonesian television station SCTV. Rolling Stone Indonesia declared Chrisye the third-greatest Indonesian musician of all time in 2011.

Life and career

Early life

Chrisye was born Christian Rahardi in Jakarta on 16 September 1949 to Laurens Rahadi, a Chinese-Betawi entrepreneur, and Hanna Rahadi, a Chinese-Sundanese housewife. He was the second of three sons born to the Protestant couple; his brothers were Joris and Vicky. After spending Chrisye's initial years on Talang Street near Menteng, Central Jakarta, in 1954 the family moved to Pegangsaan Street (in Menteng).

While attending GIKI Elementary School, Chrisye befriended the neighbouring Nasution family; he became especially close to Bamid Gauri, with whom he played badminton and flew kites. He also began listening to his father's record collection, singing along to songs by Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Dean Martin. After graduating from elementary school, Chrisye attended Christian Middle School III Diponegoro.

While Chrisye was in Senior High School PSKD Menteng, Beatlemania reached Indonesia. Responding to Chrisye's desire to play music, his father bought him a guitar; Chrisye chose the bass guitar, as he considered it the easiest to master. Chrisye and Joris learned to play by accompanying their father's records and songs recorded from the radio, and were unable to read music. They eventually began playing at school events, with Chrisye performing the vocals. During this period, he began smoking by sneaking cigarettes during school ceremonies; he was caught and punished by being forced to smoke eight cigarettes at once in front of the assembly, but he continued and eventually became a chain smoker.

Band member and early projects (1968–1977)

Chrisye playing the bass in 1977. He kept his long hair for the majority of his career, until chemotherapy led to him losing it.

In the mid-1960s, the Nasution siblings formed a band; Chrisye and Joris watched them play songs by Uriah Heep and Blood, Sweat & Tears. In 1968, Chrisye registered at the Christian University of Indonesia (UKI) to fulfill his father's wishes and become an engineer. Around 1969, however, Gauri invited him to join the Nasution's band, Sabda Nada, to replace their ill bassist Eddi Odek. Pleased with his performance, the Nasutions asked him to stay as a permanent member. The group had a regular gig at Mini Disko on Juanda Street and freelanced at birthday and wedding parties. When Chrisye had a chance to sing while performing covers, he would attempt to sound as much like the original artist as he could.

In 1969 Sabda Nada renamed themselves Gipsy to give themselves a more macho and Western-sounding name. The schedule for the band, which had no manager, became increasingly frantic; they had begun giving regular performances at Ismail Marzuki Park. As a result, Chrisye decided to drop out of UKI; in 1970, he transferred to Trisakti Tourism Academy, where he considered the schedule to be more flexible.

In 1972 Pontjo Nasution offered Chrisye the opportunity to play in New York. Although ecstatic, Chrisye was afraid of telling his father, who he thought would disapprove of the idea. He eventually fell ill over a period of several months, during which time the rest of the band left for New York. After Chrisye discussed his fears with Joris and his mother, his father told him it would be fine if he wanted to drop out of college to join Gipsy. After his health improved, in mid-1973, he left with Pontjo to meet Gipsy in New York. That same year he dropped out of Trisakti.

While in New York, Gipsy performed at the Ramayana Restaurant, which was owned by the Indonesian gas company Pertamina. The band, housed in an apartment on Fifth Avenue, performed in New York for almost a year, providing Indonesian-themed music and covering songs by Procol Harum, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Although Chrisye became upset that he could not fully express himself through covers, he continued to work.

Upon returning to Indonesia at the end of 1973, Gauri introduced Chrisye to former president Sukarno's son, the songwriter Guruh Soekarnoputra. As the Nasutions worked with Guruh to prepare for their next project, Chrisye began to write his own songs; in doing so he noted that he had difficulty with lyrics that included hard consonants, and worked to avoid them. The following year, he went back to New York with another band, The Pro's. In mid-1975, with several weeks left on his contract, his parents called him from Jakarta and told him that his brother Vicky had died of a stomach infection. Unable to return to Jakarta immediately, he was easily distracted. When they returned to Indonesia, Chrisye "cried for the duration of the flight" and sank into a depression after arriving.

After a period of not playing, Chrisye was contacted by the Nasutions and invited to rejoin Gipsy for their new project with Guruh; Guruh also offered Chrisye several songs in which he would be lead singer, with the lyrics written especially for him. Overcoming his depression, he joined the group as they practised at Guruh's house in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. Often rehearsing late into the night, the indie project mixed Western rock and Balinese gamelan and was produced collaboratively. Recording took place in mid-1975, only four songs were finished in the first several months. It was released to critical acclaim in 1976, with a production of 5000 copies. The success of Guruh Gipsy convinced Chrisye that he could sing as a soloist.

In late 1976, Chrisye was approached by songwriter Jockie Soerjoprajogo and Imran Amir, head of Prambors Radio, who asked him to provide the vocals for the Prambors Radio Teenage Song Writing Competition; Chrisye refused. Several days later Sys NS, an employee of Prambors, approached Chrisye while he was meeting with Guruh and Eros Djarot. Sys emphasised that Prambors needed Chrisye for "Lilin-Lilin Kecil" ("Little Candles"), composed by James F. Sundah. After hearing the lyrics, Chrisye agreed. The song was recorded in Irama Mas Studio in Pluit, North Jakarta and included on an album with the other contest winners; originally the ninth track, it was rearranged into the lead position to increase the album's marketability after the original format sold poorly. The song then took off, receiving much airplay; the album itself was the best-selling album of the year.

After the success of "Lilin-Lilin Kecil", in mid-1977 Pramaqua Records approached Chrisye and offered him an album, Jurang Pemisah (Dividing Canyon). Working with Jockie, Ian Antono, and Teddy Sujaya, Chrisye recorded seven songs for the album; Jockie did two more. Although he was pleased with the results and had high hopes for the album, Pramaqua decided it was not commercially viable and refused to promote it until Chrisye's subsequent album Badai Pasti Berlalu took off. He attempted unsuccessfully to buy all the stock and effectively prevent its release, but because the general public considered the album a sequel to Badai Pasti Berlalu, the sales were poor. Although the cassettes reached radio stations throughout the country, Chrisye later described the album as selling "as warmly as chicken shit".

That same year, Chrisye and several artists including Djarot and Jockie recorded the soundtrack for Badai Pasti Berlalu over a couple of months. After the soundtrack won a Citra Award at the 1978 Indonesian Film Festival, Irama Mas studios approached the group to do a soundtrack album for a flat fee. With Chrisye and Berlian Hutauruk on vocals, the soundtrack was rerecorded in album form in Pluit over a period of 21 days. It was released under the same name as the film, with a picture of actress Christine Hakim on the cover. The album included Chrisye's first songwriting credit, "Merepih Alam" ("Fragile Nature"), but sales were stagnant for the first week until radio stations began to play the singles.

Early solo and film career (1978–1982)

Chrisye's tenor voice and performance on Badai Pasti Berlalu led to Amin Widjaja of Musica Studios approaching him and asking him to sign with Musica. Widjaja had been scouting him since the release of Guruh Gipsy. Chrisye agreed, on condition that he be allowed creative freedom. Amin reluctantly agreed to the condition. Chrisye immediately began work on his first album with Musica in May 1978, Sabda Alam (Nature's Order), choosing several songs by other artists and writing others himself, including the title song. He recorded it after locking himself in the studio with the sound engineer and arranger; though Amin wanted to observe their progress, Chrisye refused to allow him access. The album, heavily influenced by Badai Pasti Berlalu and drawing on the double-recording technique pioneered by the Beatles, was released in August of that year. After a period of heavy promotion, during which Chrisye did interviews with the national television station TVRI and radio stations, the album was a success, eventually selling 400,000 copies.

The next year, Chrisye recorded Percik Pesona (Stain of Enchantment), working with Jockie. Produced after Amin's death, the album featured songs written by Chrisye's close friend Junaidi Salat, as well as Yocky, and Guruh. The album's title was chosen by vote; the titular song was not released as a single. Percik Pesona, released in August 1979, was a critical and commercial failure. Chrisye blamed the album's failure on its similarity to Badai Pasti Berlalu after discussing the issue with other artists. As a result, following a period of contemplation, he began branching out into different genres. That same year, he was on the panel of the Prambors Teenage Songwriting Competition, held on 5 May.

After deciding that romantic pop songs influenced by easy listening would suit him best, Chrisye began recording his next album, Puspa Indah (Beautiful Flower). All but one of the songs were composed by Guruh Sukarnoputra; the album also featured an English-language song, "To My Friends on Legian Beach". Two of the songs, "Galih dan Ratna" ("Galih and Ratna") and "Gita Cinta" ("Love Song"), were used in the 1979 film Gita Cinta dari SMA (Love Song from High School); Chrisye played a minor part in the film as a singer. Due in part to the popularity of the film, Puspa Indah was well received and sold well; "Galih dan Ratna" and "Gita Cinta", released as singles, also saw success.

In 1981, Chrisye played in the Indonesian film Seindah Rembulan (As Beautiful as the Moon). At first reluctant, he was convinced by Sys NS that it would be fun. He later regretted the decision, considering the film crew unprofessional and often fighting with director Syamsul Fuad. That same year, he released Pantulan Cinta (Love's Reflection), a collaboration with Jockie Soerjoprajogo. After the album flopped, Chrisye decided to take a long sabbatical.

Marriage and changing styles (1982–1993)

Although popular with groupies, Chrisye had rarely dated. In early 1981, however, he began courting Guruh Soekarnoputra's secretary, Gusti Firoza Damayanti Noor (Yanti). Yanti, of mixed Dayak and Minang ancestry, was a former singer and came from a musically inclined family; she would often discuss music with Chrisye while he waited for Guruh, and he would also see her when visiting her brother Raidy, one of his friends. When she moved to Bali to work at a five-star hotel there for several weeks, Chrisye followed her and told her that he would marry her when she returned to Jakarta; although not a formal proposal, Yanti accepted. In 1982, he converted to Islam, as Islam does not permit interfaith marriages between Muslim women and non-Muslim men; Chrisye at the time had been growing increasingly discontent and disillusioned with the Protestant Church. On 12 December 1982, he married Yanti in a Padang-style wedding.

Driven by his poor financial position and invigorated by Djarot's return from Germany, Chrisye began work on his next album with Djarot and Jockie in early 1983. Aciu Widjaja, the new manager of Musica, speculated that they required a new sound; as such, Chrisye, Djarot, and Jockie mixed art rock with Chrisye's standard romantic pop and drew influences from The Police. The resulting album, Resesi (Recession), was released in 1983. The album was well received, selling 350,000 copies and being certified silver; the singles "Lenny", "Hening" ("Silent"), and "Malam Pertama" ("Wedding Night") received much airplay.

After Resesi, Chrisye collaborated with Djarot and Jockie on the 1983 album Metropolitan. The album, drawing on New Wave influences and dealing mainly with issues facing youth, was well received, later going silver; the single "Selamat Jalan Kekasih" ("Goodbye Dear") also became a hit. That year, Chrisye and Yanti had their first daughter, Rizkia Nurannisa. The following year, Chrisye, Djarot, and Jockie collaborated again on Nona (Miss), which was full of social criticism; the album spawned four singles and went on to be certified platinum. Despite Nona's warm sales, after some influence from Aciu, Chrisye decided to look for a new sound and broke off his partnership with Djarot and Jockie in mid-1984.

Chrisye soon approached Addie MS, a young composer, and asked him to help with the next album. Addie, despite feeling that he was not in the same class as Djarot and Jockie, accepted; Addie soon suggested using similar melodies as in "Lilin-Lilin Kecil" and Badai Pasti Berlalu. The resulting album, Sendiri (Alone), with songs by Guruh and Junaidi Salat, included harps, oboes, English horns, and a string section. Spawning three singles, the album sold well and earned Chrisye his first BASF Award.

In late 1984, Chrisye approached another young composer, Adjie Soetama, whom he invited to help him prepare his next album. As light beats and cheerful melodies were in vogue at the time, the two incorporated a lighter style. Recording for the new album, titled Aku Cinta Dia (I Love Her), began in 1985; aside from Soetama, Guruh and Dadang S. Manaf contributed some songs. The titular song was chosen after Aciu heard a jam session led by Adjie and immediately decided that it would be the lead single. The album called for more emoting, which Chrisye – known as having a stiff stage persona – struggled to deliver, though Yanti prepared colourful costumes and Alex Hasyim trained him in choreography. Upon its release, Aku Cinta Dia sold hundreds of thousands of copies in the first week and was eventually certified gold. That same year, Chrisye and Adji Soetama released Hip Hip Hura (Hip, Hip, Hurray!), and another collaboration, Nona Lisa (Miss Lisa), was released in 1986; the later two albums had similar beats and rhythms and sold well, although not as well as Aku Cinta Dia. On 2 March 1986, the couple had their second daughter, Risty Nurraisa.

Despite the success of the trilogy, Chrisye and his family continued to struggle financially; twice they had to sell their family car to raise cash; this led Chrisye to briefly consider quitting the music industry. In 1988, Chrisye recorded Jumpa Pertama (First Meeting), and the following year he released Pergilah Kasih (Go Away Dear. He later recalled that the resulting album, with an arrangement by Younky Suwarno, had a "beautiful touch". The title song, "Pergilah Kasih", was written by Tito Sumarsono and used to make Chrisye's first music video; the video, directed by Jay Subyakto, was the first Indonesian song to be shown on MTV Southeast Asia.

On 27 February of the following year, Chrisye and Yanti had twin sons, Randa Pramasha and Rayinda Prashatya. In 1992, Chrisye recorded a cover single of Koes Plus' song "Cintamu T'lah Berlalu" ("Your Love has Passed") with arrangement by Younky; the music video was again broadcast on MTV Southeast Asia and became the first Indonesian music video to be broadcast on the American version of MTV. The following year, Chrisye paired up with Younky again to record Sendiri Lagi (Alone Again), a project which required four months of planning and another four months of recording; the music video for the title song was also circulated on MTV.

Concerts and collaborations with Erwin Gutawa (1994–2004)

After the success of the Sendiri concert, Chrisye collaborated several times with Erwin Gutawa (pictured in 2004).

Although Sendiri Lagi did fairly well, in the beginning of the 1990s Chrisye began to feel pressure from the increasingly visual-oriented music industry and increasing amount of young talent. He began considering leaving the music industry, feeling as if he had already "reached the finish line". Despite reassurances from Yanti that many singers continue to perform into their sixties, Chrisye observed that many established acts were being pushed aside by newcomers. In this state of despair, Chrisye was approached by Jay Subyakto and Gauri Nasution, who offered him a solo concert at the Plenary Hall of the Jakarta Convention Centre, which had never before hosted a solo concert by an Indonesian artist. Unconvinced he had sufficient fans to fill the hall, Chrisye initially refused.

After several weeks of badgering by Gauri and being introduced to Erwin Gutawa, who was scheduled to handle the arrangements for the concert, Jay Subyakto persuaded Chrisye that it could be the last chance to revive his career. Lacking the necessary funding they approached RCTI in search of sponsorship but they were refused, and laughingly told that they should try holding a concert at the National Monument. Unwilling to abandon their plans, Chrisye, Subaktyo, and Gutawa put together a group of artists and began rehearsals. Around the time of RCTI's fourth anniversary, the television station relented and agreed to fund the concert as part of their celebrations; the thousands of tickets available sold out within a week.

The concert was held on 19 August 1994. Chrisye performed a set that included his greatest hits and several duets, including "Malam Pertama" with Ruth Sahanaya, in front of a full orchestra conducted by Gutawa. Chrisye later recalled that when the concert, which was entitled Sendiri to show that "100% Indonesian" concerts could be successful, was held, the audience – children and adults – had memorised the lyrics to his songs, classics and recent releases; he said that this gesture made him feel incredibly small. Invigorated by the concert's success, Chrisye went on tour to Surabaya, Surakarta, and Bandung, using a convoy of 24 trucks and buses to transport the necessary equipment. These concerts also sold out.

Following the success of his Sendiri tour, Chrisye began to explore the possibility of producing an album of his early hits, remastered by Gutawa. On the condition that they use an Australian orchestra to provide backing music, Gutawa agreed to an acoustic-flavoured album. Aciu agreed, despite the expected cost of Rp 600 million (US$70,000). After basic recording in Jakarta, Chrisye, Gutawa, and sound engineer Dany Lisapali spent two weeks in Studio 301 in Sydney finishing off the album. The Philip Hartl Chamber Orchestra provided the music; the mixing and mastering was also completed in Sydney. AkustiChrisye, was released in 1996 and sold well.

After AkustiChrisye, Gutawa suggested that Chrisye try a new style, with more serious songs. The two soon began collaborating on Kala Cinta Menggoda, which again used an Australian orchestra. Chrisye, however, found himself unable to record one of the songs, "Ketika Tangan dan Kaki Berkata" ("When Hands and Feet Speak"), written by poet Taufiq Ismail and based on verse 65 of the Qu'ranic sura Ya Sin; he would break into tears after singing only a couple of verses. Eventually, the day before he was to leave for Australia, he was able to complete the song with Yanti's support. On 11 October, Chrisye performed "Indonesia Perkasa" ("Powerful Indonesia") at the opening ceremony of the 1997 Southeast Asian Games; the song was written for the event. The following month, he released Kala Cinta Menggoda. The music video for the titular song, directed by Dimas Djayadiningrat, won the MTV Video Music Award for South-East Asia on 10 September 1998; Chrisye went to Los Angeles to accept the award at the Universal Amphitheatre.

Chrisye began work on a rearrangement of Badai Pasti Berlalu in 1999, at the request of Musica Studios, although he felt that the original album was fine, and once again teamed up with Gutawa. The new album, which retained the title Badai Pasti Berlalu, cost Rp.800 million (US$ 95,000) to produce and promote, in part owing the the cost of employing another Australian orchestra, the Victorian Philharmonic Orchestra. After its release, the album sold well, breaking even within three months and selling 350,000 copies. The album led to Chrisye's second sold-out solo concert at the Plenary Hall of Jakarta Convention Centre, known as the Badai concert, and he received numerous offers to perform at venues throughout the country. He later told Kompas that he felt as if he had reached a dead end, having tried all genres available. He continued performing, singing "Indonesia Perkasa" at the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games on 19 June 2000 in Sidoarjo, East Java.

In 2001 Chrisye released the studio album Konser Tur 2001 (Concert Tour 2001), which included two new songs and several old ones. The music video for one of the new songs, "Setia" ("Loyal") was controversial because of its portrayal of a woman in tight clothing. Soon afterwards, he decided to cover some of what he considered the most important Indonesian songs since the country's independence, ranging from songs from the 1940s like Ismail Marzuki's "Kr. Pasar Gambir & Stambul Anak Jampang" ("Kroncong of Gambir Market and Stambul of the Cowlicked Child") to the late 1990s like Ahmad Dhani's "Kangen" ("Longing"); it also featured a song written exclusively for the album by Pongky of Jikustik and two duets with Sophia Latjuba. The album, Dekade (Decade), was released in 2002; by October 2003, it had sold 350,000 copies. On December 15 of that year, Chrisye participated in the Bali for the World – Voices of Stars concert at Kartika Beach Plaza to raise funds for the victims of the bombings on 12 October; other acts involved included Melly Goeslaw, Gigi, Slank, and Superman is Dead. On 12 July 2004, Chrisye held a third concert, Dekade, at Plenary Hall. The concert, with a set that contained numerous classics included in Dekade, featured duets with Sophia Latjuba and several of the original performers, such as Fariz RM with "Sakura" and A. Rafiq with "Pengalaman Pertama" ("First Experience"); Gutawa's orchestra again provided the music.

Chrisye then began work on his last studio album, Senyawa (One Soul). In collaboration with other Indonesian artists, such as Project Pop, Ungu, and Peterpan he also produced the album, replacing Gutawa. The song "Bur-Kat" ("Say It Quickly"), with Project Pop, marked his first attempt at rap. Released in November 2004, it was well received by the market, but Sony Music Entertainment Indonesia complained that the names of their artists were featured on the cover. As a result the album was withdrawn, and re-released without the offending names.

Illness and death (2005–2007)

Chrisye's grave in Jeruk Purut Cemetery

In July 2005 Chrisye was admitted to Pondok Indah Hospital, complaining of difficulty in breathing. After 13 days of treatment he was moved to the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, where he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Although concerned about losing his hair, which he considered part of his image, he underwent the first of six rounds of chemotherapy on 2 August 2005.

Chrisye's health improved in 2006, and he was able to undertake long interview sessions with Alberthiene Endah in May and November 2006 as she prepared to write his biography. He also released two compilation albums, Chrisye by Request and Chrisye Duets; however, he reportedly did not feel well enough to release new songs. By February 2007, however, his health was fading.

Chrisye died at 4:08 am WIB (UTC+7) in his home in Cipete, South Jakarta. He was buried in Jeruk Purut Public Cemetery, South Jakarta, on 30 March 2007. His funeral was attended by hundreds, including Indonesian celebrities such as his collaborator Erwin Gutawa and singers Titiek Puspa, Ahmad Albar, Sophia Latjuba, and Ikang Fawzi. The funeral was marred by the presence of pickpockets, one of whom was captured but subsequently released.

One hundred days after Chrisye's death, Musica released two compilation albums. Entitled Chrisye in Memoriam – Greatest Hits and Chrisye in Memoriam – Everlasting Hits, they contained fourteen hits from albums ranging from Sabda Alam to Senyawa. On 1 August 2008, Chrisye's last single "Lirih" ("Gentle Voice"), written by Aryono Huboyo Djati, was released posthumously. The song's existence was previously kept secret, and the recording date is unknown. Djati has said that it was recorded "for fun". A music video directed by Vicky Sianipar and featuring Ariel Peterpan, Giring from Nidji, and Chrisye's widow was later released.

Style

According to Jockie, one of the main reasons that Chrisye was chosen to record "Lilin-Lilin Kecil" was that he had a unique voice with soft timbre, which went well with the keyboards used; Jockie, however, felt that Chrisye's voice lost its dynamics when mixed with mellow music, which led to the rock-influence in Jurang Pemisah. Gutawa compared Chrisye's voice to a blank sheet of paper, able to be applied to anything.

A writer for the Indonesian magazine Gatra described Chrisye's on-stage persona as "stiff", with very little movement. He chose his own costumes and at times experimented with different colours and designs. For his music videos he preferred using a single kind of shirt, quipping in an interview with Kompas that he would only wear a different one if he had fallen in a ditch.

Legacy

Glenn Fredly (left) performing a tribute to Chrisye at the 2009 Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta

Chrisye has been described as "legendary" by several journalists, In 2007 Rolling Stone Indonesia selected Badai Pasti Berlalu as the best Indonesian album of all time, and another three of Chrisye's solo albums were also on the list: Sabda Alam at 51, Puspa Indah at 57, and Resesi at 82. Guruh Gipsy was selected as the second-best album of all time. This was followed by the selection of five of his songs ("Lilin-Lilin Kecil" at number 13, "Kidung" at number 26, "Merpati Putih" at number 43, "Anak Jalanan" at number 72, and "Merepih Alam" at number 90) as some of the best Indonesian songs of all time; Guruh Gipsy's song "Indonesia Maharddhika" placed at number 59. In 2011 they listed Chrisye as the third-biggest Indonesian musician of all time. Eros Djarot described him as having a great voice, but somewhat shy and generally unwilling to discuss social issues.

According to data from the Indonesian Recording Industry Association, the original Badai Pasti Berlalu is the second-best-selling album Indonesian album of all time, with nine million copies sold between 1977 and 1993. In 1990 the music video for "Pergilah Kasih" was the first Indonesian music video to be shown on MTV Hong Kong; the video clip for "Sendiri Lagi" was voted the best Indonesian music video of all time in the fifth episode of Video Musik Indonesia.

In 2009 many Indonesian artists, including Vina Panduwinata, Ahmad Albar, D'Cinnamons, and Sherina Munaf, performed 20 of his songs as a tribute in the concert "Chrisye: A Night to Remember" at the Ritz Carlton, Jakarta. The sold-out concert also featured testimonials by his wife and children.

Alberthiene Endah has written two biographies of Chrisye. The first, Chrisye: Sebuah Memoar Musikal (Chrisye: a Musical Memoir), was published in 2007 and details his childhood, career, and struggle with cancer. The second, The Last Words of Chrisye, was released in 2010 and covers the final years of his life.

Honours and awards

Chrisye received numerous awards during his career. In 1979 he was selected as Favourite Singer of the Indonesian Armed Forces. His albums Sabda Alam and Aku Cinta Dia were certified gold, and the albums Hip Hip Hura, Resesi, Metropolitan, and Sendiri certified silver.

Chrisye received three BASF Awards, held by the BASF cassette production up to the mid 1990s, for bestselling albums; his first was in 1984 for Sendiri, followed by one in 1988 for Jumpa Pertama and one in 1989 for Pergilah Kasih. He received the BASF Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994 for his contributions to Indonesian music; the same year he received the BASF Award for Best Recording Artist. In 1997 he received an Anugerah Musik Indonesia for Best Male Pop Singer. The following year Kala Cinta Menggoda won nine AMIs, including Best Album; Chrisye himself received awards for Best Male Pop Singer, Best Recording Singer, and Best Graphic Designer (shared with Gauri). In 2007 he posthumously received the first SCTV Lifetime Achievement Award, which was accepted by his daughter Risty.

Personal life

Aciu Widjaja, now President-Director of Air Asia, described Chrisye as a simple man and said that one time, when he, Chrisye, and several others had gone overseas Chrisye was the only one who did not look for brand-name clothing or world-class restaurants; instead he ate at a food court and bought what he felt was comfortable. In his biography, Chrisye noted that he enjoyed eating at roadside foodstalls well after his marriage and would be perplexed when people stared at him. Guruh recalled that Chrisye would sleep anywhere during extended planning sessions, including under the piano.

After his marriage to Yanti, she ended her singing career to become a housewife. After they had children, there were times when Chrisye had little time to spend with them as he was busy performing or recording; however, he attempted to spend as much time with them as possible, at times picking the children up from school. In a 1992 interview, he said that his children did not want to follow in their parents' footsteps and become singers because they had seen the stresses it put on the family.

Partial discography

Chrisye released 31 albums during his lifetime, one with Guruh Gipsy, 21 studio albums, and nine compilation albums. His solo albums after Sabda Alam all sold over 100,000 copies. In a 1992 interview with Kompas, Chrisye said that he fell ill after recording each of his albums, blaming the pressure to promote them.

Chrisye also released many singles, several of which were used as theme songs for Indonesian soap operas. "Pengalaman Pertama" was used for the serial Ganteng-Ganteng Kok Monyet (Very Handsome, But Like a Monkey!), "Cintaku" ("My Love") from the remastered Badai Pasti Berlalu was used for Gadis Penakluk (The Maiden Conqueror), and "Seperti Yang Kau Minta" was used for Disaksikan Bulan (Witnessed by the Moon).

With Guruh Gipsy

• 1976 – Guruh Gipsy

Studio albums

• 1977 – Jurang Pemisah (Dividing Canyon)
• 1978 – Sabda Alam (Nature's Order)
• 1979 – Percik Pesona (Nature's Order)
• 1980 – Puspa Indah (Beautiful Flower)
• 1981 – Pantulan Cita (Love's Reflection)
• 1983 – Resesi (Recession)
• 1984 – Metropolitan
• 1984 – Nona (Miss)
• 1984 – Sendiri (Alone)
• 1985 – Aku Cinta Dia (I Love Her)
• 1985 – Hip Hip Hura (Hip Hip Hurray)
• 1986 – Nona Lisa (Miss Lisa)
• 1988 – Jumpa Pertama (First Meeting)
• 1989 – Pergilah Kasih (Go Away Dear)
• 1993 – Sendiri Lagi (Alone Again)
• 1996 – AkustiChrisye
• 1997 – Kala Cinta Menggoda
• 1999 – Badai Pasti Berlalu (The Storm Will Surely Pass; re-recorded in collaboration with Erwin Gutawa)
• 2002 – Dekade (Decade)
• 2004 – Senyawa (One Soul)

Soundtrack albums

• 1977 – Badai Pasti Berlalu (The Storm Will Surely Pass)

Singles

This section lists only singles that were not part of an album.

• 1977 – "Lilin-Lilin Kecil" ("Small Candles")
• 1995 – "Asalkan Pilih Jalan Damai" ("As Long as You Take the Peaceful Path"; with Krisdayanti and Harvey Malaiholo)
• 2008 – "Lirih" ("Softly")

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

• "150 Album Indonesia Terbaik Sepanjang Masa". Rolling Stone Indonesia (in Indonesian) (32). Jakarta: 32, 33, 64, 66, and 77. 2007. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "150 Lagu Indonesia Terbaik Sepanjang Masa". Rolling Stone Indonesia (in Indonesian) (56). Jakarta: 47, 53, 62, 68, 73, and 80. 2009. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Campbell, Debe (1998). "Indonesia". Billboard. Cincinnati: Prometheus Global Media. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); More than one of |work= and |journal= specified (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Endah, Alberthiene (2007). Chrisye: Sebuah Memoar Musikal (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama. ISBN 978-979-22-2606-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Endah, Alberthiene (2008). The Last Words of Chrisye (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama. ISBN 978-979-22-5655-0. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Ginting, Asrat (2009). Musisiku (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Republika. ISBN 978-979-1102-52-0. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

News sources

• Andrianto, Teguh (20 December 2002). "Bali for the World - Voices of Stars: Damai di Bali". Kompas (in Indonesian). p. 42. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Chrisye Dikuburkan di Tengah Rintik Hujan". Gatra (in Indonesian). 30 March 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Chrisye Dimakamkan di TPU Jeruk Purut". Antara (in Indonesian). 30 March 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Chrisye Idap Kanker Paru". Gatra. 26 August 2005. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Chrisye Meninggal Dunia, Dunia Musik Indonesia Berduka". Antara (in Indonesian). 30 March 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Chrisye: Menjadi Penyanyi Bukan Pilihan". Kompas (in Indonesian). 17 October 1993. p. 7. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Chrisye: Sakit Setiap Berkarya". Kompas (in Indonesian). 16 August 1992. p. 7. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Dari 'Resesi' Sampai 'Lilin-Lilin Kecil'". Kompas (in Indonesian). 21 August 1994. p. 1. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Djati, Aryono Huboyo (22 August 2008). "Lagu Rahasia Yoyo-Chrisye". Gatra (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Finalis LCLR Prambors 1979". Kompas (in Indonesian). 22 April 1979. p. 5. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Hariyadi, Mathias (23 October 1998). "AMI '98, Pesta Chrisye dkk". Kompas (in Indonesian). p. 15. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Hariyadi, Mathias; Redana, Bre; Mulyadi, Efix (20 September 1998). "Lebih Jauh dengan Chrisye". Kompas (in Indonesian). p. 2. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Ilmu Baru Chrisye". Gatra (in Indonesian). 29 October 2004. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Ivvaty, Susi (1 April 2007). "Konser "Badai Pasti Berlalu" yang Mengingatkan". Kompas (in Indonesian). p. 31. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Kondisi Menurun Chrisye". Gatra (in Indonesian). 25 February 2007. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• KS, Theodore (30 April 2007). "Mengenang Chrisye: Musisi Kaya Diskografi". Kompas (in Indonesian). p. 40. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Kurniasari, Triwik (22 November 2009). "Alberthiene Endah: Life, She wrote". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
• Kurniasari, Triwik (6 June 2010). "A lesson from a musical legend". Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
• "Lagu Rahasia Chrisye Dirilis". Gatra (in Indonesian). 22 August 2008. Archived from the original on 15 September 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Lopulalan, Benito (4 March 2009). "Warming Up for Java Jazz". The Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
• "Musica: Kami Lalai". Gatra (in Indonesian). 3 December 2004. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Musik Pop dan Film". Kompas (in Indonesian). 29 August 2004. p. 35. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Nama dan Peristiwa: Album Kompilasi Chrisye". Kompas (in Indonesian). 11 September 2006. p. 16. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Nama dan Peristiwa: Chrisye". Kompas (in Indonesian). 27 May 1978. p. 6. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Nama dan Peristiwa: Chrisye". Kompas (in Indonesian). 12 August 1979. p. 5. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Nama dan Peristiwa: Chrisye". Kompas (in Indonesian). 12 December 1982. p. 5. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Nama dan Peristiwa: Chrisye". Kompas (in Indonesian). 31 July 1994. p. 8. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Nama dan Peristiwa: Chrisye". Kompas (in Indonesian). 7 April 1996. p. 8. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Napak Tilas Chrisye". Kompas (in Indonesian). 12 August 2008. p. 31. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Nge-Rap Gaya Chrisye". Gatra (in Indonesian). 11 February 2005. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Pattisina, Edna C. (1 April 2007). "Dia Berjingkrak di Balik Panggung". Kompas (in Indonesian). p. 31. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "PON XV: Pengisi Acara Pembukaan Guruh Soekarnoputra". Kompas (in Indonesian). 20 June 2000. p. 17. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Rakaryan S. (1 December 1997). "Chrisye: Pintar-Pintar Kitalah". Kompas (in Indonesian). p. 1. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Royalty system in the country's music industry". The Jakarta Post. 30 January 2000. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
• Sartono, Frans (1 April 2007). "Chrisye: Dari Lilin Kecil ke Badai". Kompas (in Indonesian). {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Sensasi Bulan Sabit Chrisye". Kompas (in Indonesian). 13 July 2003. p. 1. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Siahaan, Marlina Marianna (30 March 2007). "Chrisye Dimakamkan, Pencopet Beraksi". Tempo (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Suryanto, ed. (26 May 2007). "Chrisye Dapat Penghargaan Khusus SCTV Awards". Antara (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Video Clip Chrisye akan Direvisi". Gatra (in Indonesian). 4 July 2001. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Wajah Lama Energi Baru". Kompas (in Indonesian). 19 October 2003. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

Web sources

• "Classic Chrisye: A Night to Remember". Rolling Stone Indonesia (in Indonesian). 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
• Damayanti, Irina; Windratie (13 October 2009). "Konser Classical Chrisye, A Night to Remember". Viva News (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Djarot, Erros (8 February 2011). "The Immortals : 25 Artis Indonesia Terbesar Sepanjang Masa". Rolling Stone Indonesia (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• "Senyawa" (in Indonesian). Musica Studios. September 2004. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.