Albert Williancoen, Jakarta – Mohammad Guruh Irianto Sukarnoputra, the youngest son of Indonesia's first president Soekarno and a prominent musician, choreographer and cultural figure, died on Saturday at the age of 73.
Guruh died at 4:16 a.m. at MRCCC Siloam Hospitals Semanggi in Jakarta, his family said in a message of condolence.
Guruh had previously spent about four weeks receiving treatment at Medistra Hospital in Jakarta. His condition reportedly improved before deteriorating again, prompting his transfer to Siloam.
His death brought to an end the life of a figure who occupied an unusual place in Indonesia's public life. Born into one of the country's most consequential political families, Guruh chose the arts as his principal avenue of expression before later entering politics himself.
The youngest child of Soekarno and Fatmawati, Guruh was the younger brother of Megawati Soekarnoputri, Indonesia's fifth president and chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).
But Guruh's early interests were far removed from parliamentary politics.
According to records held by Indonesia's National Archives, he began studying Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese dance at the age of five. He also learned piano and performed on stage as a child. As a teenager, he formed the band The Beat G in 1965, beginning a lifelong engagement with music and performance.
He later studied archaeology at the University of Amsterdam, graduating in 1976. While in the Netherlands, he remained active in the arts, joining Javanese and Balinese gamelan activities and teaching Balinese dance through CREA, a cultural organization at the university.
His return to Indonesia marked the beginning of the most influential period of his artistic career.
Bridging tradition and modernity
Guruh became widely known for bringing traditional Indonesian artistic forms into dialogue with contemporary music and performance.
One of his most important projects was Guruh Gipsy, a collaboration with the Jakarta progressive-rock group Gipsy, whose members included legendary singer Chrisye, Keenan Nasution, Roni Harahap, Oding Nasution and Abadi Soesman. The project combined Western rock instrumentation with Javanese and Balinese musical elements.
The album, released in 1977, has since become a landmark in Indonesian music. The National Archives describes the project as an ambitious experiment in combining Balinese gamelan with Western music, while contemporary accounts have highlighted its influence on the development of Indonesian popular music.
Guruh also founded Swara Maharddhika in 1977 as a platform for young artists and for experimentation in the performing arts. The organization brought traditional Indonesian dance together with modern Western forms. In 1979, it staged the first Pergelaran Karya Cipta Guruh Soekarno Putra, with Guruh serving as choreographer, composer and director.
He later established Gencar Semarak Perkasa, or GSP, in 1989, expanding his work into large-scale performances and cultural productions.
His artistic career earned recognition both in Indonesia and abroad. France awarded him the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1991. He also received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Anugerah Musik Indonesia in 2010 and the Nugraha Bhakti Musik Indonesia award in 2011.
From the stage to parliament
Despite his reputation as an artist, Guruh eventually followed another part of his family legacy into politics.
He entered the House of Representatives in 1992 as a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Following the political split that produced the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, he joined Megawati's PDI-P and returned to parliament after the 1999 election. He remained a legislator through successive terms, including the 2019-2024 parliamentary term.
His political identity was closely associated with the party's Sukarnoist and marhaenist tradition.
On Saturday, PDIP Secretary-General Hasto Kristiyanto said the party had lost a major cultural figure and a longtime party activist.
"[The] PDI Perjuangan family has truly lost Mas Guruh Sukarnoputra," Hasto said in a written statement. He described Guruh as a major artist, a marhaenist and a party fighter.
As a mark of respect, Hasto instructed PDIP branches from the national leadership down to neighborhood-level units to fly the party flag at half-mast for seven days.
Guruh remained involved in social and cultural activities before his illness forced him into hospital care.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/guruh-sukarnoputra-soekarnos-son-and-renowned-artist-dies-at-7