Dorce Gamalama

Dorce Gamalama was born into a noble family in West Sumatra, Indonesia, as a boy named Dedi Yuliardi Ashadi. She lost both of her parents when she was very young and was raised by her grandmother, who introduced her to music and theater. She ran away from home at the age of seven and started working as a newspaper seller, a dish washer, and a cake seller. She also joined various traditional Javanese theater and puppetry groups, and became a popular singer of Keroncong music, a genre that blended Portuguese, Malay, and Indonesian influences. She recorded songs for His Master's Voice, a British record label, and performed in night markets and radio shows. She met her husband, Teguh Slamet Rahardjo, a musician and comedian, in 1946 and they married in 1950. They founded their own troupe, Srimulat, which initially focused on music and comedy, but later shifted to slapstick comedy and satire. Srimulat became one of the most popular and influential comedy groups in Indonesia, and spawned many famous comedians and actors, such as Teguh Karya, their eldest son, who became a renowned film director. Srimulat also appeared in several movies, such as Tiga Dara (1956), Tiga Abdul (1964), and Si Doel Anak Modern (1966). Dorce Gamalama felt trapped in her male body since she was seven years old, and she underwent sex reassignment surgery in Surabaya in 1983. Her gender change was officially recognized in 1986. She was often referred to as "Bunda" (Indonesian for "Mother"). She wrote an autobiography entitled Aku Perempuan (I am a Woman). She died of COVID-19 in 2022, at the age of 58. She is remembered as a pioneer of Indonesian comedy and a versatile entertainer.