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Iwan Fals: The rebel icon talks of love and peace
There used to be a time when the name Iwan Fals was synonymous with rebelliousness
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Sound sticker: Legendary musician Iwan Fals now comes in a set of stickers for LINE.(Courtesy of LINE) (Courtesy of LINE)
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here used to be a time when the name Iwan Fals was synonymous with rebelliousness.
The legendary singer became a symbol of rebellious spirit with his politically and socially critical songs, such as 'Wakil Rakyat' (People's Representatives), 'Lonteku' (My Whore) and 'Bongkar!' (Smash!), in the late 1970s up to the late part of the 1990s.
While composing and singing songs that criticize the government and the social condition are hardly a revolutionary act in today's democratically free Indonesia, Iwan crafted his songs under the strong monitoring of the country's authoritarian New Order ruler, Soeharto.
Back then, it was not surprising to learn of his concerts getting canceled or stopped by state apparatus because his lyrics were considered provocative and could potentially disrupt order.
There was a lot of silenced anger within the hearts of the youth during the new order and Iwan gave that silence a voice through his songs, sung regularly during rallies even until this very day.
Images of his signature messy long hair, mustache and beard were printed on black T-shirts worn by members of the punk and antistatist communities at that time.
But his signature look is now long gone. No more messy long hair. His face is clean shaven. Most of his songs have a softer tone and lyrics that talk about love, peace and tranquility.
However, Iwan insists that nothing has changed with regard to his concern about the current political and social conditions of Indonesia and his passion to resist injustice through his works.
'I personally feel that nothing has changed. I just go with the flow of my life and it has taken me to where I am today,' he told The Jakarta Post.
Speculation suggests that his sudden shift in persona and artistic approach started following the untimely death of his oldest son, Galang Rambu Anarki ' named after one of his songs that translates to 'raise the anarchy banner' ' in 1997.
Some people have even considered him a sell out because in the last few years, he has been an ambassador for a coffee brand, something that would not have happened in the old days when Iwan refused to have his persona or works being commercialized by a brand or corporation.
But the notion that Iwan has lost his idealism and resistance spirit might have been a bit too premature when considering how he has dealt with politics in recent years.
During the 2014 presidential election, representatives from both candidates ' Prabowo Subianto and Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo ' visited Iwan and asked for his support.
Iwan may not seem as rebellious as he used to be, but he still has a massive cult following at the grassroots level.
Sound sticker: Legendary musician Iwan Fals now comes in a set of stickers for LINE.(Courtesy of LINE)
Despite being approached by both camps, Iwan maintained his anarchic stance and refused to declare support for any of the candidates, even though backlash ensued from voters who were disappointed by his nonvoting stance.
But his move shows that he still cannot be lured nor bought by any political interests.
Iwan said that if something had changed in him, it might be in the way he presented his form of resistance and protests.
'There have been a lot of changes. Different time's calls for different ways of channeling criticism,' he said.
'Nowadays, what I see in Indonesian society is a lot of jealousy, anger and unsportsmanlike behavior. Politicians and leaders who lose an election [but] never accept their defeat and continuously launch attacks for their own personal agenda.
'What happens next is that the same condition also takes place within the society.'
In Iwan's latest adventure, he collaborated with LINE, a messenger application from Japan.
In the collaboration, he provides his persona to be used as stickers in the application, which has over 60 million users in Indonesia. He has also released with LINE two family themed television ads and a music video titled 'Damai Kami Sepanjang Hari' (Our Peaceful Day), with his family members
The stickers' recent launch in Jakarta was also attended by Iwan's family: His wife Rosana, daughter Annisa Cikal Rambu Bassae and youngest son Raya Rambu Rabbani.
LINE has previously collaborated with several other Indonesian celebrities, such as Bunga Citra Lestari, Dian Sastro, Joe Taslim, Nicholas Saputra and Raisa, to provide its users with celebrity stickers to enhance their communication using the application.
From rebel icon to celebrity persona, has Iwan finally let go of his rebellious ways?
Iwan said that in today's Indonesia, which is marred with jealousy and hatred among polarizing political camps, the strongest defense came in the form of love and compassion.
'And the best place to find love and compassion is in your own family. If we cannot find or maintain love within our family then everything will be ruined and become meaningless,' he said
'That is why I have gladly collaborated with LINE, because through this collaboration, I am not doing this alone. My family also took part in it to launch a positive campaign about the importance of family.'
