Remy Sylado

Remy Sylado was an Indonesian author, actor, and musician who was known for his wide interests and his mbeling poetry style. He was born in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on July 12, 1945, as Yapi Panda Abdiel Tambayong. His father was a custom officer and a music composer, while his mother was a housewife and a theater actress. He moved to Semarang, Central Java, at a young age and studied in Catholic schools. He developed an interest in theater, comedy, and music since his childhood and joined several theater groups. He also worked as a reporter and editor for various magazines and newspapers, such as Tempo, Aktuil, and Kompas. He married Maria Louise, a fellow journalist, in 1976. Remy Sylado made his debut as a film composer in 1973, with the film Pelarian. He then wrote and acted in several other films, such as Duo Kribo, Serangan Fajar, and Pengkhianatan G30S PKI. He also appeared in many TV shows, such as Keluarga Cemara, Si Doel Anak Sekolahan, and Warkop DKI. He was praised for his versatility and his ability to make people laugh with his facial expressions and witty dialogues. He also released several albums, mostly in the folk genre, and collaborated with other musicians, such as Harry Roesli, Iwan Fals, and Ebiet G. Ade. He was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Sigma Delta Chi honorary societies. Remy Sylado was also a prolific author, who published more than 100 books in various genres, such as poetry, novels, short stories, essays, and biographies. He was known for his mbeling poetry style, which was critical, humorous, and cheeky. He broke the conventions of poetry and inspired many other poets. Some of his notable works include Ca-bau-kan, The Shia Revival in Indonesia, and Kei: Kutemukan Cinta di Tengah Perang. He also translated and commented on some classical Islamic texts, such as The Revival of the Religious Sciences by al-Ghazali and The Peak of Eloquence by Ali ibn Abi Talib. He was a proponent of the Shia school of thought and the founder of the Indonesian Ahlul Bait Association (IJABI). He also organized several conferences and seminars on Shia Islam and interfaith relations. Remy Sylado passed away on December 12, 2022, at the age of 77, due to COVID-19. He was buried in his hometown of Jakarta, Kebayoran Baru. He is remembered as a walking encyclopedia of arts and humanities and a legend of Indonesian culture.