Fariz R.M. owes his career to more than a simple stroke of luck. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has managed to create commercially successful songs and albums without sacrificing his idealism, a feat that would be hard to achieve in today's Indonesian pop music scene.

Fariz, known by an adoring public for his old-school, eclectic hits, such as "Sakura" and "Barcelona", is an expressive person who explores complex ideas through songwriting -- without having to bow to the recording industry's whims.

By his estimation, Indonesian music was much better two decades or even five years ago. And cellphone ring tones are partly to blame: They cannibalize the artistry of musicians and groups because they expose listeners to a minute of each song, rather than its entirety, he says.

"Even free concerts no longer create the appreciation they once did. Bands today only perform three songs. How can they create a climax with that approach?" asked Fariz, whose full name is Fariz Roestam Moenaf.

In the 1980s, he was the sort of poster boy who regularly appeared in teenage magazines. Pointing at a photograph of his younger self, in which he poses with a handheld Casio keyboard, Fariz says, "Look at that 'dog' in the picture. I invented him for the sake of Indonesian music."

His influences range from The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Police to Marvin Gaye and Claude Debussy -- a spectrum of styles and sounds not immediately apparent, except to discriminating ears, which can detect the source of his atmospheric nuances.

Fariz has been quite the rebel, infusing electro-dance rhythms and New Wave into his music way before others artists dared to do so. He titled his 1992 album Revolusi Ular, Hiu & Cendrawasih (Revolution of Snake, Shark and Bird of Paradise), an edgy title compared to other albums of the time. He regards his 1987 album, Living In the Western World, as his magnum opus.

"The Indonesian music scene today has a deficit of ideas and references. What we have today is just the blatant repetition of the same musical concepts, which means less appreciation for the music itself," Fariz said.

The legendary musician Chrisye was the first to coin the name "Fariz R.M.". "Chrisye thought the nickname sounded nice, so I stuck with it," he said, reminiscing about his friend and mentor, who has since passed away.

"I was able to create music at a time when the industry was not that demanding," he explained. "Now they want to apply formulas for easy success. The best thing to do is forge new sounds rather than copying somebody else. In copying, you can never be as great as the original."

The 49-year-old, who began his love affair with music at age five, is blessed with a wife, Oneng, and three children, Venska, Venski and Vergio. Fariz's father was from West Sumatra's Padang Panjang, while his mother, Anne Rijnenberg R.M., was Dutch-Betawi.

It is to her he owes his fondness of music, he said.

"I took classical piano lessons when I was a child. Once, I got bored playing classical compositions and wanted to delve deeper into the blues. The magical thing about my mother was that she didn't stop me from playing other genres."

Fariz laments the lack of musical education in the national school curriculum, saying potential cultural deterioration could be dangerous for the future of the country.

Citing the power of music in children's lives, he mused about the time he performed at a fair with a band from his child's school. "I was thrilled and inspired to hear 'Sakura' played by these kids in a rockish, grungy way. There was real energy there."

Lately, Fariz has been composing songs for the National Geographic. Outside of music, he spends most of his time reading, to broaden his horizons.

Despite his popularity, Fariz said he preferred small, intimate concerts. He winces when describing the time he was about to perform at the Jakarta Convention Center in front of thousands of fans. A radio broadcast cut in through the loudspeaker, bragging about the road congestion caused by the concert. "I was ashamed of that," he said.

On Friday, July 25, Fariz performed at an outdoor venue in Kemang, dubbing the medium-sized concert, which featured Sherina and Koil, among others, his "anthology".

Speaking about a recent marijuana possession charge, in which he faced up to one year in prison, the musician maintained his innocence. "I was a victim in that situation. There was no proof, so I was released."

The difficult experience was a blessing in disguise, he said. "Because of that, my children are closer to me now than ever before. They knew I did nothing to harm myself and they've never seen me wasted. I told them an honest and good man will always overcome adversity."

Above the tight and pulsing composition of his anti-establishment song, "Analogi, Teori" (Analogy, Theory), his lyrics could be seen as an official statement on the life he has led:

"I'm not a politician," he says in the song, "I'm not a sensation. I'm only a musician ... and can't really sing. Luckily, I have my dignity."

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