Blind and visually impaired people in Indonesia are mostly associated with massage therapists. But today, many are also associated with music.

They have explored their musical talents beyond their physical limitations, and scientific studies have found that losing one sense can lead to the enhancement of other senses. Some have found renewed strength through gospel music, while others through mainstream entertainment and its generally more diverse audiences.

Medan-born musician Jhon Purba is one example of someone who has found his place in religious music.

“Playing music is a grace from God. Through music, I have the strength to express my love for God and fellow humankind,” Jhon told The Jakarta Post by phone following a recent Christmas concert to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at the Indonesian Bethel Church (GBI) Bellevue in Depok, Wst Java.

Jhon and his virtually impaired vocal group, the Diffable Agape Ministry, performed two numbers, Soraklah Hai Seisi Dunia (Cheer up the world) and Kabarkan Injil (Preach the Gospel).

The audience, which comprised members of a congregation, listened attentively to Jhon and the Diffable Agape Ministry, with Jhon at center stage on the keyboard.

Jhon says that be was completely blind by the time he was 3 years old, when he had a severe smallpox infection that “destroyed” his eyes and damaged his optical nerves.

“I was very sad at the beginning, but gradually I began to find peace in myself. When playing music, I can forget the burden of all thoughts. All of the uncomfortable feelings I have disappear,” says the 60-year old.

He acknowledges that it was now common to see many and blind or visually impaired people playing music, and some playing more than one musical instrument. Apart from the keyboard, Jhon also plays the piano, guitar and violin.

“But the question is, what they do play music for? Each has his or her own purpose. For me, playing music is to glorify God. By glorifying God, I feel that I am blessed [...] A happy or joyous heart is medicine,” says the father of four.

Three of his four children, who are not visually impaired, have graduated from university.

Jhon taught himself to play music. “My first encounter with music was when I was 10 years old. I stroked the keys of a piano at a Catholic boarding house in Medan, and I gradually [learned] to differentiate between the specific tones like do, re, me, fa, etc.,” he says.

Jhon relied solely on his hearing abilities to learn how to play music, and did not use the Braille system for musical notation. Upon learning to recognize the tones, he began to learn to play the songs of praise that were familiar to him. His passion for music grew when he moved to Jakarta in 1984.

“Even when I was studying in Bandung, majoring in a foreign language, I could not spend a day without playing music,” says Jhon, who also composes, mostly songs of religious praise.

Jhon started composing songs in 1993, but did not record them until 2019. “In the past, other singers sung the songs I wrote, but on the album called Karunia Pemuji [The Gift of Praise], I sing eight of the 10 tracks.”

“I feel that I should be grateful to God in any condition,” says Jhon, who performs mostly perform in houses of worship, like a church.

Other talented blind and visually impaired musicians have collaborated with musicians who are not visually impaired.

The Catur Band, is a pop group with a strong acoustic touch that was set up in September 2019 and whose members are virtually impaired. Their lead vocalist is Andinia “Andini” Komalla, a graduate of Australia’s Deakin University who released a solo single in 2015, Kamu dan Abu-abu (You and Gray). Prior to joining the Catur Band, Andini had collaborated with musician Osvaldo Rio, who is hearing impaired.

“It’s really exciting to play music with virtually impaired musicians. I even feel like I learned to play music [better] because they are very sensitive to tones,” says Andini.

Another band, Almumtaz from Banyuwangi regency, Central Java, has its own unique feature: It delivers motivational messages during their performances that stress the importance of maintaining a positive outlook on life, and especially addresses fellow people with disabilities.

“Every time [Almumtaz] performs, they raise awareness over education for special needs children, because many [children] with disabilities do not want to attend school. When they are on stage, the musicians also serve to motivate [them],” says Mohamad Afif Khoiri, the band’s manager and a teacher at Sekolah Menengah Pertama Luar Biasa (SMP-LB), a special needs school in Banyuwangi.

Their blindness did not deter street musicians Rafiq, Agus, Slamet, Yatiman and Mamat Sumantri from forming their Raplus band, which performs from event to event to make a living.

These musicians have indeed created “another self” as Keller mentioned, relying on the strength of their spirit and musical talents to pursue an independent, creative life of dignity.

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