jpnn.com, JAKARTA - The Google Doodle homepage displays an illustration of Indonesian singer Ellya Khadam on Saturday (23/10), but not many Indonesians in today generation know her.
Created by illustrator Fatchurofi Muhammad from Semarang, Central Java, the image was displayed in honor of the late Ellya's birthday.
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Ellya was known as a pioneer of dangdut music in Indonesia.
Born in Batavia (now Jakarta) on October 23, 1928, Ellya's original name was Siti Alya Husnah.
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Besides Ellya Khadam, she was also known as Ellya Agus or Ellya M. Haris.
Ellya spent her childhood in Kawikawi village in Manggarai, South Jakarta.
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She married at a young age and was blessed with two children. Her first marriage did not go smoothly, so she married another man.
As a teenager, Ellya began learning to sing self-taught after being inspired by a neighbor who was a Malaysian pop singer.
She developed her dangdut musicality and joined a local band.
Ellya became more popular after becoming a singer of the Melayu Kelana Ria Orchestra in the 1950s.
The orchestra, led by Adi Karso and Munif Bahasuan, gave birth to a number of Melayu songwriters in the 1960s, which became the initial milestone of the dangdut music genre.
Ellya was best known as the author of the songs "Boneka Dari India" (Dolls from India), "Djandji", and "Pergi Tanpa Pesan" (Gone Without a Message), which were very popular from the late 1950s to early 1960s. "Boneka Dari India" was considered the standard of Indonesian dangdut music.
Not only that, she was also famous for popularizing the songs "Beban Asmara" (Romance Burden) by Munif B. and "Ogah Ah!".
In addition to being a singer, Ellya was a famous actress.
In the 1970s, she played in various films, especially music-themed films.
A number of films that she starred in include "Tjita-Tjita Ajah" (Just Dreams), "Ratu-Ratu Rumah Tangga" (Queens of the Household), "Mak Tjomblang" (Matchmaker), "Matahari Pagi" (Morning Sun), and "Bing Slamet Satan Djalanan" (Bing Slamet the Street Demon).
Ellya also founded the music group Orkes Melayu El Sitara to support her recording process.
Although her name sunk in the 1980s, she still continued her path in the entertainment industry until her death.
Ellya died on November 2, 2009, in Bogor, West Java, due to diabetes.
Today, Ellya would have celebrated her 93rd birthday. (ded/mcr20/jpnn)