Titiek Puspa
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Sudarwati (; 1 November 1937 – 10 April 2025), better known by her stage name Titiek Puspa (), was an Indonesian singer and songwriter. In 2009, ''
Rolling Stone Indonesia ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known f ...
'' selected two of Puspa's songs as some of the best Indonesian songs of all time.


Background

Puspa was born with the name Sudarwati in Tanjung, Dutch Borneo (now
South Kalimantan South Kalimantan () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is the second most populous province on the island of Kalimantan, the Indonesian territory of the island of Borneo after West Kalimantan. The provincial capital was Banjar ...
), on 1 November 1937, to Tugeno Puspowidjojo (died 1973) and Siti Mariam (died 1964). Her father, a Javanese man, had moved the family to Tanjung for work; after Sudarwati's birth, the family moved to
Semarang Semarang (Javanese script, Javanese: , ''Kutha Semarang'') is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Netherlands, Dutch Dutch East Indies, colonial era, and is still an important regio ...
. Her family later changed her name to Kadarwati, and then finally to Sumarti; she was a sickly child, and cultural customs suggested that a name change could help her recover. She was the fourth of twelve children. As a child, she wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. However, after winning several singing competitions, she decided to become an entertainer, making the decision around age 14. Her parents forbade her from doing so.


Career

Puspa was an
alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: '' altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In four-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in ch ...
, with a "warm, husky, and strong"
timbre In music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instrument ...
, unlike many of the popular
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
singers of the 1960s. She modeled her singing technique on Dutch singer Anneke Gronloh, American jazz singer
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...
, and American pop and country singer
Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), better known by her stage name Patti Page, was an American singer. Primarily known for Pop music, pop and Country music, country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and b ...
. Puspa considered her career to have started in 1954, when she won a
Radio Republik Indonesia (Radio of the Republic of Indonesia, abbreviated as RRI, stylized in logo in all-lowercase) is a public radio network of Indonesia and one of Indonesia's two national Public Broadcasting Institutions, the other being the public television n ...
singing competition in
Semarang Semarang (Javanese script, Javanese: , ''Kutha Semarang'') is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Netherlands, Dutch Dutch East Indies, colonial era, and is still an important regio ...
,
Central Java Central Java (, ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogya ...
. Her stage name was chosen by President
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
during the 1950s. In 1959, she moved to Jakarta and began performing for a living. That year she also made her first recording for
Lokananta Lokananta is the first record label of Indonesia,Ismail Marzuki Ismail Marzuki (also known as Bang Ma'ing; 11 May 1914 – 25 May 1958) was an Indonesian composer, songwriter and musician who wrote around 202 to 240 songs between 1931 and 1958, including numerous popular patriotic songs. Among his best- ...
's song "", the group elected to keep her as their regular singer. She left the orchestra in 1962. In 1974, Puspa won the National Pop Song Festival with her song "". In November 1974, she was sent to the
World Popular Song Festival The , also known as Yamaha Music Festival and unofficially as the "Oriental Eurovision", was an international song contest held from 1970 until 1989. It was organised by the Yamaha Music Foundation in Tokyo, Japan. The first edition of the World P ...
in Tokyo as the representative for Indonesia. She reached the semi-finals of the competition. In 1984, Puspa and Euis Darliah won the Bronze Prize at the World Song Festival in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
with the song "". Puspa was a palace singer for Sukarno and
Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
, "performing at national ceremonies and state functions for visiting foreign dignitaries". She was among two Indonesian cultural missions, to Malaya in 1960 and the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
in 1965. She composed the song ''Bapak pembangunan'' for Suharto in 1985. Her song ' was popular in the 1980s. In a 2008 interview with Bruce Edmond of ''
The Jakarta Post ''The Jakarta Post'' is a daily English-language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Bina Media Tenggara and based in the nation's capital, Jakarta. ''The Jakarta Post'' started as a collaboration between four Indonesian media ...
'', Puspa stated that " ngs are my medicine, my vitamins, they make my life better".


Songwriting and themes

Puspa was also a composer, learning from her husband, jazz pianist Mus Mualim, in the early days of their marriage. She largely composed in the '' hiburan'' genre, a more Western-influenced music genre which has been compared to
easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...
, a genre popular in the United States around the same time. She drew from both Indonesian and foreign influences, such as "pop, rock 'n' roll, jazz, Broadway, and blues". To avoid censorship of songs that had more foreign musical influence, Puspa paired them with patriotic or nationalistic lyrics. In the 1960s, many of Puspa's songs focused on the common people () and the economic difficulties they faced. Her song "" referenced 1966 student protests. In the 1970s, Puspa recorded several songs "about modern women", including "" (recorded 1977), which may be Puspa's best known song. The lyrics sympathetically describe a "woman of the night", noting the stigma against
sex worker A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is ...
s and the difficulties they face. In contrast to societal views at the time, the song's narrator suggests that the woman, who is working to survive, has done less wrong compared to the men who solicit sex from her. Another song from the decade, "", describes a village girl who moves to the city. In 1997, her song "" won Best Children's Song at the Anugerah Music Indonesia Awards.


Acting and theatre

In the mid-1960s, Puspa entered cinema, acting in multiple films into the 1980s. Her first film was ' (1965) which earned her a position as a potential actress in Indonesia. In this film, she portrayed a main character which reflects the life of village society with all its dynamics and challenges. Through this character, Puspa not only shows her acting skills but also conveys a social message that is relevant to real life. Her next film was ' (1966) which was directed by
Misbach Yusa Biran Misbach Yusa Biran (11 September 1933 – 11 April 2012) was an Indonesian writer, director and columnist who pioneered the Indonesian film archives. Personal life Biran was born in Rangkasbitung, in the Lebak Regency, to a Minangkaba ...
in which she act in the art troupe. This film highlights the dynamics of the artists' lives behind the scenes and the character played by Puspa provides an in-depth perspective on the struggles, intrigues, and awakenings of artists in the face of the twists and turns of life. ' (1966) is not only interesting in terms of story, but also touches on the aspirations of artists who are struggling to realize their dreams. Puspa's third film, ' (1974) was one of her legendary film. In this film, she plays Mak Bakung, a stepmother who is full of hatred and prejudice. The story is taken from a famous folk tale, and although it focuses on the antagonist character, Puspa's performance is able to touch the hearts of the audience with strong emotions. This film is an epic in the musical drama genre, with Puspa successfully bringing the character to life, while providing a rich nuance to the audience. She then starred in ' (1975) as a one of three young women who looking for a job along with and . Puspa shows natural comedic talent and the characters she plays give a positive impression and laughter to the audience, showing that women empowerment can be conveyed through comedy. She later starred in her last film ' (1983) as a woman involved in a complicated relationship with a Chinese man and is one of Puspa's three examples of exploring the theme of urban social life. This work depicts various colorful subplots, with fresh humor about social life, a production that is very worthy of admiration. Puspa's acting conveys complex emotional depths, and her ability to capture the nuances of comedy. In the 1970s, she composed multiple
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
s, including ' (1972), ' (1974), and ' (1978). In 1972, she founded the group , an arts organization which performed some of her operettas and appeared on televised variety shows on
TVRI TVRI (, Television of the Republic of Indonesia) is an Indonesian national public television network and one of Indonesia's two national Public Broadcasting Institutions, the other being the public radio network RRI. First publicly airing in ...
, particularly around
Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide becaus ...
. Papiko's final televised program aired in 1985.


Legacy and awards

Puspa has been described as "the grand dame of Indonesian entertainment". In 1963 the Indonesian variety magazine ''Varia'' described her name and voice as "inseparable", writing that listeners would stop their activities to focus on her songs when played on the radio.
Alberthiene Endah Rr. Alberthiene Endah Kusumawardhani Hilaul-Sutoyo (16 September), better known as Alberthiene Endah, is an Indonesian biographer, novelist, and journalist. She is known for her in-depth biographies of Indonesian celebrities, such as Chrisye and ...
wrote a biography of Puspa, entitled "A Legendary Diva". It was released in 2008. Two of Puspa's songs, "" (from the album of the same name) and "" (from ') were selected as some of the best Indonesian songs of all time by ''
Rolling Stone Indonesia ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known f ...
'' in 2009. "Kupu-Kupu Malam" was ranked 32nd; the write-up noted that the song was an unbiased look at
prostitution in Indonesia Prostitution in Indonesia is legally considered a "crime against decency/morality", although it is widely practiced, tolerated and even regulated in some areas. Some women are financially motivated to become prostitutes, while others may be force ...
, with Puspa's vocals at times as if she were holding back tears and at other times roaring with strength. "", Puspa's tribute to
Bing Slamet Ahmad Syech Albar (27 September 1927 – 17 December 1974), better known by his stage name Bing Slamet, was an Indonesian singer, songwriter, comedian, and actor. During his career, he acted in 17 films and released "dozens" of albums. Shortl ...
, was ranked 41st and described as being capable of expressing her feelings of loss without coming across as overly emotional. In 2017, Puspa received the Special Award from ASIRI for "her lifetime dedication to the music industry".


Personal life

Puspa was married three times; she married her first husband, Kasno, in 1957, at age 19. The couple divorced in 1959, when she was pregnant with their first child. She married her second husband, RRI radio announcer Zainal Ardi, in 1960, with whom she had a second daughter. She separated from Ardi in 1963. She later married Mus Mualim, a
Radio Republik Indonesia (Radio of the Republic of Indonesia, abbreviated as RRI, stylized in logo in all-lowercase) is a public radio network of Indonesia and one of Indonesia's two national Public Broadcasting Institutions, the other being the public television n ...
employee. The pair remained married until Mualim's death in 1991. Puspa originally began learning songwriting from her husband in the early days of their marriage. Puspa lived in
South Jakarta South Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaksel, is one of the five administrative cities which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. South Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a ...
. In 2009, Puspa was diagnosed with
cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix or in any layer of the wall of the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that can invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later sympt ...
. After several months of treatment, including two months of
chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...
at the
Mount Elizabeth Hospital Mount Elizabeth Hospital, known colloquially as Mount E, is a 345-bed private hospital in Singapore operated by Parkway Health. Construction began in 1976 and the hospital officially opened on 8 December 1979. The hospital specialises in card ...
in Singapore (where she wrote 61 songs), she was declared to be free of cancer. She credited her prayer and meditation in the hospital with her success at fighting cancer. Puspa was Muslim. In the early 2000s, she traveled to
Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
on pilgrimage.


Death

On 26 March 2025, Puspa was invited to appear on the
Trans7 PT Duta Visual Nusantara Tivi Tujuh (previously PT Duta Visual Nusantara), operating as Trans7 or TRANS7 in all caps (stylized TRɅNS, 7, pronounced ''Trans Tujuh'' in Indonesian, formerly known as TV7) is an Indonesian free-to-air television b ...
sketch comedy show ', and finished the shooting process at 8pm. Shortly after the end of shooting, she suddenly collapsed in the studio and was rushed to the hospital by the television crew. On 10 April, Puspa died at in
Setiabudi Setiabudi is a district in the administrative city of South Jakarta, Indonesia. It is part of the Golden Triangle of Jakarta (), the centre of business and commercial establishments in the city. Setiabudi is named after an Indonesian hero of part ...
,
South Jakarta South Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaksel, is one of the five administrative cities which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. South Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a ...
, at the age of 87, due to a
intracerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as hemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into Intraparenchymal hemorrhage, the tissues of the brain (i.e. the parenchyma), into its Intraventricular hemorrhage, ventricles, or into both. An ICH is ...
. Days before her death, she made an Eid greeting as her final Instagram post in which she said 'bye bye' at the end of the video, sparking public speculation.


Works


Discography


Albums

The following is a list of Puspa's albums: * ''Dian Nan Tak Kundjung Padam'' (
Lokananta Lokananta is the first record label of Indonesia,Bing Slamet Ahmad Syech Albar (27 September 1927 – 17 December 1974), better known by his stage name Bing Slamet, was an Indonesian singer, songwriter, comedian, and actor. During his career, he acted in 17 films and released "dozens" of albums. Shortl ...
'' * ''Cinta'' (Paragon Record, 1975) * ''Hidupku Untuk Cinta'' (MGM, 1976) * ''Kupu-Kupu Malam'' (English: ''Night Butterflies''; Purnama Records, 1977) * ''Karya Terbaik'' (Yukawi Records, 1977) * ''Bunga Pujaan'' (Irama Tara, 1977) * ''Mini Si Mini'' (Irama Tara, 1977) * ''Sapiku'' (Purnama Records, 1980) * ''Tinggal Bilang Yang (Musica Studios, 1981) * ''Otobiografi Titiek Puspa'' (DD Records, 1982); featuring Anita Rachman * ''Saya Cinta Buatan Indonesia'' (DD Records, 1982) * ''Ronce - Ronce'' (Fajar Records, 1983) * ''Apanya Dong'' (English:''What''; Atlantic Record, 1984); with Euis Daliah * ''Dicoba Dong!'' (DD Records, 1985) * ''Bambu Bambu'' (Billboard Records, 1986) * ''Virus Cinta'' (English: ''Love Virus''; Musica Studios, 1997) * ''From Us To You'' (Musica Studios, 2005) * ''Titiek Puspa 70 th'' (Sony BMG, 2007) * ''Duta Cinta & Titiek Puspa'' (
Musica Studios PT Musica Studios is an Indonesian music company based in Jakarta. Known as Metropolitan Studios in the 1960s and then Musica Studios in the 1970s, Musica was founded by Yamin Widjaja, the owner of an electronics store. Musica is one of the lar ...
); certified
Double Platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music Sound recording and reproduction, recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video ...
in 2017 by ASIRI


Selected singles

* "Mama" (1964); written in honor of her mother's death * "Horas Kasih" (1984), with Euis Darliah


Filmography

The following is a list of ''
sinetron A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
'' and films that Puspa performed in: * ''Di Balik Cahaya Gemerlapan'' (English: ''Behind the Shimmering Light''; Persari, 1966) * ''Minah Gadis Dusun'' (''Minah the Village Girl''; Berdikari Film, 1966) * ''Bing Slamet Setan Djalanan'' (Safari Sinar Sakti Film, 1972) * ''Pemburu Mayat'' (Avatara Film, 1972) * ''Rio Anakku'' (PT Rapi Film, 1973) * ''Bawang Putih'' (Safari Sinar Sakti Film, 1974) * ''Ateng Minta Kawin'' (Safari Sinar Sakti Film, 1974) * ''Tiga Cewak Badung'' (Safari Sinar Sakti Film, 1975) * ''Inem Pelayan Sexy'' (''Inem the Sexy Maid''; PT Candi Dewi Film, 1976) * ''Inem Pelayan Sexy II'' (''Inem the Sexy Maid 2''; PT Candi Dewi Film, 1977) * ''Karminem'' (NV Perfini, 1977) * ''Kisah Cinta Rojali dan Juleha'' (PT Inem Film, 1979) * ''Tutul Perempuan'' (Tobali Indah Film, 1979) * ''Gadis'' (PT Inem Film, 1980) * ''Putri Giok'' (PT Sjam Studio Film Production, 1980) * ''Koboi Sutra Ungu'' (English: ''Purple Silk Cowboy''; PT Parkit Film, 1981) * ''Apanya Dong'' (PT Inem Film, 1983)


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Puspa, Titiek 1937 births 2025 deaths 20th-century composers 20th-century Indonesian actresses 20th-century Indonesian women singers Anugerah Musik Indonesia winners Indonesian film actresses Indonesian Muslims Indonesian singer-songwriters Javanese people Deaths from intracranial haemorrhage People from South Kalimantan