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Resistance, rebellion and song: How Pramoedya's spirit lives on in art
The renowned author, best known for his critical essays and the Buru Quartet, continues to be a force for justice through his spiritual successors in activism, music and of course, literature.
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Fighting spirit: Herry Sutresna, a lyricist and the MC of leftist hip-hop collective Homicide who is better known by his stage name Morgue Vanguard (MV), gestures while performing at a clandestine gig in late 2008, organized by Ultimus Bookshop in Bandung, West Java. (JP/File)
I
ndonesia doesn’t have too many authors whose influence extends beyond the local literary scene, and whose works continue to serve as inspiration for many working in the fields of social and political activism, theater and music.
Pramoedya Ananta Toer is one such rare figure.
His historical novels grouped in the Buru Quartet were tools of political education for student activists in the 1980s and the 1990s, who went on to play a leading role in the street protests that led to the downfall of authoritarian Soeharto and his New Order regime.
Award-winning writer Leila Chudori immortalized the rebel writer's influence on her writing through Laut Biru, a student activist well-versed in Pramoedya's books and the protagonist of her novel Laut Bercerita (The Sea Speaks His Name), which interweaves fiction and historical facts.
Music is another area where Pramoedya has left an indelible mark, albeit more in terms of his spirit.
If mainstream musicians developed a habit of borrowing lines from modernist poets like Chairil Anwar and Sapardi Djoko Damono, songwriters operating in the margins were motivated more by Pramoedya's spirit of rebellion: These include artists like Morgue Vanguard (MV), the rebel MC of Bandung-based hip-hop collective Homicide, and singer-guitarist Cholil Mahmud of Jakarta-based indie rock band Efek Rumah Kaca.
"From Pramoedya, I learned about consistency and perseverance," MV, whose real name is Herry Sutresna, told The Jakarta Post recently.
