Radiodiffusion Internasionaal Annexe

♬ Kunanti Djawabmu

♬ Kuma’afkan

Rachmat Kartolo & Brimoresta were from Indonesia.

During the early 1960s, President Sukarno was under pressure from the pro-communist organization Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat to ban rock’n’roll. Local groups rock groups were often thrown in jail. In fact, one of Indonesia’s first rock bands, Koes Bersaudara had a hit with a song called “I’m In Jail”, which was also included on their first album.

After the Sukarno was removed from power, Western music did manage to infiltrate Indonesian radio. But, ‘tear-jerkers’, such as Rachmat Kartolo’s “Patah Hati” (Broken Hearted) were banned since they were seen as ‘weakening’ the revolution. Under the New Order, control of the arts and the media by the government has been inconsistent, but generally Indonesia has enjoyed a vibrant music scene.

Rachmat Kartolo was more well know for his acting career, staring in first film Terpesona in 1966, and he was still acting as of 1989. There is a long article about him here… But it’s in Indonesian. Other than that, I have not been able to find anything about Rachmat Kartolo or his backing band Brimoresta. If you have any information, please contact me.

Catalog number EPLN 10 on Irama of Indonesia. No other information available.