Ahmad Syech Albar

Ahmad Syech Albar, better known as Ahmad Albar, was an Indonesian rock singer and the vocalist of the band God Bless. He was born in Surabaya, East Java, in 1946, to a father of Arab descent and a mother of Javanese descent. He started his musical career in the Netherlands, where he formed the band Clover Leaf and released several singles. He returned to Indonesia in 1972 and founded God Bless with Jockie Soerjoprajogo, Fuad Hassan, Donny Fattah, and Ludwig Lemans. The band became one of the pioneers of rock music in Indonesia, and performed in various concerts and festivals, such as the opening act for Deep Purple in 1975. Albar also had a solo career, and collaborated with other musicians, such as Ucok Harahap in Duo Kribo, Guruh Soekarnoputra in Swara Mahardhika, and Ian Antono in Gong 2000. He also appeared in several films, such as Ambisi, Laila Majenun, and Badai Pasti Berlalu. He was known for his distinctive voice, his charisma, and his social activism. He was awarded the Order of the Dannebrog by the Danish government in 1989, and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Indonesian Music Awards in 2007. He died of a heart attack in 2021, at the age of 75.