Radiodiffusion Internasionaal Annexe

♬ Putri Malu

♬ Abunawas

Trio Bintang were from Indonesia.

The Republic of Indonesia, is a nation in Southeast Asia. Comprising of 17,508 islands, it is the world’s largest archipelagic state. It is also one of fourteen nations that the Equator runs through. With a population of almost two and a quarter million people, it is the world’s fourth most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority nation, although officially it is not an Islamic state.

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. Due to this 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.

The only information that I have been able to find about Trio Bintang, is that their guitarist was Jopie Reinhard Item. He apparently had also performed with Lilis Suryani, Elly Kasim, Titiek Puspa, Ernie Djohan – to name a few. He now plays instrumental jazz. And apparently, Trio Bintang performed for a reunion show in 1999 for the Wisma Anak-Anak Harapan orphanage in Untal-Untal Dalung on the island of Bali.

Catalog number BT-102 on Bintang records. No other information available.

Man, these tracks are fantastic. I’m shocked there hasn’t been more interest from reissue labels in Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean music.

Comment by Joe July 7, 2008 @ 2:28 pm