The Keroncong Cultural Night concert will feature notable Indonesian musicians including Mus Mujiono, Sundari Soekotjo, Didi Kempot, Sruti Respati, Intan Soekotjo and Irene Mus Mulyadi.

“I will sing six songs,” Mus Mulyadi told a press conference on Friday, adding that the performance would be accompanied by an orchestra. “One of them will be a duet with my wife [singer Helen Sparingga].”

Meanwhile, his daughter Irene Mus Mulyadi is slated to present David Foster’s To Love You More, which was originally performed by Celine Dion.

The head of Yayasan Cipta Budaya, which is organizing the event, Japto S. Soerjosomarno, said Mus Mulyadi deserved the tribute as one of the icons of keroncong music. “Most of the tribute’s profits will be donated to Mus Mulyadi, probably for his medication,” he said.

(Read also: Celebrating resilience of Jailolo women)

Sharing his concern for senior artists in the country, Japto said many had disappeared without support from the new stars who kept appearing in the industry. Thus the foundation aims to become an artists’ union to support and protect their rights, including their royalties. 

Tickets for the three-and-a-half-hour concert will start from Rp 500,000 (US$37), which includes dinner prior to the show, Mus Mulyadi’s CD and a book about keroncong.

Born in August 1945, Mus Mulyadi is considered one of Indonesia’s keroncong legends. Among his popular songs are “Rek Ayo Rek”, “Jauh di Mata”, “Jembatan Merah”, “Dinda Bestari” and “Kota Solo”. Along with suffering from diabetes since the 1980s, the singer has been blind since 2009.

During the press conference, Mus Mulyadi said he was currently recording a new album comprising keroncong songs and a mix between keroncong and pop music. “We plan to create 14 tracks [for the new album]; currently we have finished five,” he said. (kes)

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