Nicky Astria

Last updated
Nicky Astria
Birth nameNicky Nastiti Karya Dewi
Born (1967-10-18) 18 October 1967 (age 57)
Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
OriginIndonesia
Genres Rock
OccupationSinger
Years active1984–present
Labels Aquarius Musikindo, Harpa Records, Musica Studio's, Blackboard Indonesia

Nicky Nastiti Karya Dewi (born 18 October 1967), better known by her stage name Nicky Astria, is an Indonesian musician.

Contents

Born in Bandung, West Java, to a schoolteacher and his musician wife, Astria began singing in 1975 while the family was stationed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After several years of participating in festivals and taking vocal training, in 1984 Astria was signed to AMK Records. Although her first album flopped, she found success with her second and third albums, Jarum Neraka and Tangan-Tangan Setan.

Bruce Emond of The Jakarta Post described her as "one of the biggest [Indonesian] music stars of the late 1980s", [1] while guitarist-cum-songwriter Ian Antono called her "the best female pop rock singer Indonesia has ever seen". [2] Two of her songs, "Jarum Neraka" and "Tangan-Tangan Setan" (both 1985), were listed as among the best Indonesian songs of all time by Rolling Stone Indonesia in 2009

Biography

Early life and career

Astria was born on 18 October 1967, in Bandung to Tatang Kosasih Wirahadimaja, a schoolteacher, and Andrina Heryati, a traditional musician; she was the couple's only daughter and fourth of five children. Astria was known as a tomboy in her youth [3] and is of Sundanese descent. [4] In 1972, her father was sent to head the Indonesian school at the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Astria, although of the age to begin kindergarten, was enrolled in the first grade. She reportedly had trouble initially, as her family spoke Sundanese at home, and thus she had difficulty understanding the Indonesian-language lessons. [3]

Astria sang in public for the first time at Independence Day ceremonies on 17 August 1975. When this was received well, she began singing at different formal occasions, by request of her father. [3] The family returned to Bandung in 1975, and Astria enrolled at Halimun Public Elementary School. She continued to perform and receive vocal coaching, and by the end of elementary school had already competed in the Children's Pop Singing Festival (Festival Penyanyi Pop Anak-Anak). While still at State Junior High School 13 – where she was caught several times skipping school and not paying her school fees – Astria competed in the Teenage Pop Singing Festival (Festival Penyanyi Pop Tingkat Remaja). Although she intended to be a singer, her father wanted her to find another occupation. [5]

In 1981, Wirahadimaja died. On his deathbed, he gave Astria his blessings for her to become a singer; she had just received her first honorarium for performing, Rp. 25,000 for performing Ahmad Albar's "Balada Sejuta Wajah" ("Ballad of A Million Faces"). Her father's death left her family financially destitute, which led to Astria moving to her grandmother's house. She gave her first rock performance with the Ronners at the Rally Rock Jakarta-Bandung in Jakarta. [6]

Professional career

In 1984, [1] Astria was signed to AMK Records; to be more commercial, she adopted the stage name Nicky Astria. She soon released Semua dari Cinta (Everything from Love), which featured songs by Tarida Hutauruk and Jelly Tobing. [7] The album, which had somewhat pop sound, [8] was poorly received. [7] She was later introduced to several prominent musical figures, including guitarist-cum-songwriter Ian Antono, who served as producer and helped her further her career. [9] She was managed by her brother Bucky for the first several years of her career. [7]

Astria second album, Jarum Neraka (Pin from Hell), was released in 1985. It had more of a rock feel and sold over 350,000 copies, making it the first Indonesian rock album to do so. It was followed by Tangan-Tangan Setan (Hands of Satan), also in 1985; [8] this third album brought her mainstream success. [10] Astria's success led to numerous new female rockers entering the industry, [8] after three previous female rockers had left several years earlier. [7] Although her elder brother Dicky insisted she attend university, Astria focused on her musical career. [2]

Every year from 1985 to 1987, Astria won the BASF Award for Best Female Rock Singer. [7] In the late 1980s Astria toured with fellow female rockers Nike Ardilla and Anggun, often sharing a room despite the press depicting them as rivals. [11] Astria performed in the Tokyo Music Festival in 1988, singing one of her songs and participating in a rendition of the Japanese-language song "Hana". [12] In 1989, Astria released a rearranged version of "Jarum Neraka", the titular song of her second album. [8] Towards the end of the 1980s, she acted in Biarkan Aku Cemburu (Let Me Be Jealous), after being invited by her neighbour Eddy D. Iskandar. [2]

In 1999, Astria recorded a duet with Chrisye, entitled "Khayalku" ("My Imagination"), for the rearranged version of the 1977 album Badai Pasti Berlalu . [13] In 2001, she was one of four musicians who established the Bandung School of Higher Musical Learning (Perguruan Tinggi Musik Bandung), which teaches both music and business aspects of the music industry. [14] Two years later, during a promotional tour for her recent album Maafkan (Forgive), a fan was killed in a fight at a concert in Cirebon. [10]

Legacy

Two of Astria's songs were listed by Rolling Stone Indonesia in their 2009 List of the 150 Best Indonesian Songs of All Time. "Jarum Neraka", from the album of the same name, was ranked 54th, while "Tangan-Tangan Setan", from the album of the same name, was ranked 57th. [8] Ian Antono described her as "the best female pop rock singer Indonesia has ever seen". [lower-alpha 1] [2]

Personal life

Astria's first marriage was to Satria Kamal, the son of a politician, in 1992. [4] The couple had two children before their divorce in the early 2000s. Astria then married Hendra Priyadi, the owner of a music studio, in 2003. The couple divorced a year later. She married Gunanta Afrina in 2005; the couple have one child together. [15] Astria is a Muslim. [1]

Notes

  1. ↑ Original: "... penyanyi pop rock wanita terhebat yang pernah dimiliki Indonesia ..."

Related Research Articles

Jusuf Antono Djojo or Ian Antono, born Jauw Hian Ling, is an Indonesian guitarist and songwriter. He has collaborated with many other musicians, including Anggun, Iwan Fals, Nicky Astria, Doel Sumbang, Gito Rollies, Ebiet G Ade and Ikang Fawzi, he is best known as God Bless' lead guitarist since 1974. Other notable collaboration was Gong 2000, which was established in 1991 until 1996. Ian Antono was also recognized as one of the first rock guitarists in Indonesia. In 1999, Ian Antono was invited in a Formula-1 event, which was also a collaboration with G3 and rock legends, Jethro Tull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Hakim</span> Indonesian actress (born 1956)

Herlina Christine Natalia Hakim is an Indonesian actress, film producer, and activist. Born to a devout Muslim family of mixed-race background in Jambi, she grew up in Yogyakarta, aspiring to be an architect or psychologist. This changed after she was discovered by Teguh Karya for his 1973 movie Cinta Pertama, a role which garnered her a Citra Award for Best Actress and convinced her to follow a career in acting. Since then, she has starred in numerous films, including 1977's Badai Pasti Berlalu and 1988's Tjoet Nja' Dhien; she also had a minor role in the 2010 Hollywood movie Eat Pray Love. As of 2011, she has won six Citra Awards, received a lifetime achievement award from the Cinemanila International Film Festival, and served as a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrisye</span> Indonesian singer and songwriter (1949–2007)

Hajji Chrismansyah Rahadi, better known by his stage name Chrisye, was an Indonesian progressive pop singer and songwriter. In 2011, Rolling Stone Indonesia declared him the third-greatest Indonesian musician of all time.

Raden Nike Ratnadilla Binti Raden Edi Kusnadi, better known as Nike Ardilla, was an Indonesian singer, actress, model, and philanthropist of Sundanese descent. Usually referred to as the Lady Rocker and the Queen of Rock by the Indonesian media, Ardilla was instrumental in the return of teen pop rock to the country's music scene and had a dominant presence during the first half of the 1990s. At the height of her career and fame in 1995, she was involved in a traffic incident that took her life at the age of 19 years, 2 months & 20 days. Her death prompted an outpouring of nationwide grief. The media regularly refers to the fact that she is the only musician in the country whose death continues to be mourned even after more than 25 years, and hailed by many as one of the most successful figures in Indonesia's entertainment industry.

Rr. Alberthiene Endah Kusumawardhani Hilaul-Sutoyo, better known as Alberthiene Endah, is an Indonesian biographer, novelist, and journalist. She is known for her in-depth biographies of Indonesian celebrities, such as Chrisye and Krisdayanti. She has been called "the most sought after biographer in [Indonesia]."

<i>Guruh Gipsy</i> 1977 studio album by Guruh Sukarnoputra and Gipsy Band

Guruh Gipsy is a 1977 Indonesian studio album released by Guruh Sukarnoputra in collaboration with the band Gipsy, consisting of Keenan Nasution, Chrisye, Roni Harahap, and Oding Nasution. Mixing modern instruments with traditional Javanese and Balinese music styles, it is now considered a landmark album. In 2007, Rolling Stone Indonesia voted it the second best Indonesian album of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erwin Gutawa</span> Indonesian composer (born 1962)

Erwin Gutawa Sumapraja is an Indonesian composer. In 1985, he started his professional music career by joining the jazz band Karimata, later becoming an independent composer in 1991. As a composer, he won the 1992 Midnight Sun Song Festival in Finland, together with Ruth Sahanaya. In 2001, he won the Anugerah Musik Indonesia award for best music arranger for his concert Rockestra.

Berlian Hutauruk is an Indonesian soprano of Batak descent. Beginning her career singing religious music in church, Hutauruk later sang for movie soundtracks and released a solo album. She is best known for singing "Badai Pasti Berlalu", which Rolling Stone Indonesia selected as the third-best Indonesian song of all time in 2009.

Jockie Soerjoprajogo was an Indonesian musician and songwriter. Jockie began his musical career while a junior high school student in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. After working with bands in Jakarta and Surabaya, in 1973, he joined with Ahmad Albar, Donny Fattah and Ludwig Leeman to form God Bless; he would remain with this band intermittently until the 2000s. Jockie also worked with artists such as Chrisye and Iwan Fals, ultimately writing two songs—"Kehidupan" ("Life") and "Kesaksian" ("Witness")—that were listed by Rolling Stone Indonesia as among the best Indonesian songs of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Albar</span> Indonesian rock musician

Ahmad Syech Albar, better known as Ahmad Albar, is an Indonesian rock musician and vocalist of mixed ethnic Arabic and Javanese descent. He is the founding member of God Bless.

"Kehidupan" ("Life") is a 1988 single by God Bless from their third album, Semut Hitam.

Vina Dewi Sastaviyana is an Indonesian singer and actress. The song "Kumpul Bocah" is cited as her signature song. Her song "Burung Camar" was listed by Rolling Stone Indonesia as the 28th-best Indonesian song of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slamet Rahardjo</span> Indonesian actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1949)

Slamet Rahardjo Djarot is an Indonesian actor, director, and screenwriter of Javanese-Bantenese descent. He is the elder brother of director, songwriter, and politician, Eros Djarot. Since his directorial debut in 1979 with Rembulan dan Matahari, he has directed and/or written twelve films; one of which, Langitku, Rumahku, was Indonesia's submission to the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991.

<i>Sendiri</i> 1984 studio album by Chrisye

Sendiri is a 1984 album by Indonesian singer Chrisye. It was his ninth studio album and eight with Musica Studios as well as his third album released in 1984 after Metropolitan and Nona (Miss).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Marten</span> Indonesian actor

Roy Wicaksono Abdul Salam is an Indonesian actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophia Latjuba</span> Indonesian actress based in the United States

Sophia Inggriani Latjuba, known professionally as Sophia Latjuba is a German-born Indonesian actress and singer now based in the United States. Of German-Austria, Bugis and Javanese descent, she is the mother of actress and singer-songwriter, Eva Celia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mira Lesmana</span> Indonesian filmmaker

Mira Lesmanawati or better known as Mira Lesmana is an Indonesian film director, producer and songwriter of mixed Dutch, Javanese and Madurese descent. She is the elder sister of Indonesian jazz musician, Indra Lesmana.

<i>Pantulan Cita</i> 1981 studio album by Chrisye

Pantulan Cita is a 1981 album by the Indonesian singer Chrisye. Recorded with much input from Jockie Soerjoprajogo, the album had rock influences and a cover design showing Chrisye's face as a puzzle. It was a critical and commercial failure, leading Chrisye to take a two-year sabbatical.

The 17th Annual Anugerah Musik Indonesia was held on June 19, 2014, at the Kasablanka Hall in Tebet, South Jakarta. The show was broadcast live on RCTI and was hosted by Raffi Ahmad and Robby Purba. The show was a collaboration between Anugerah Musik Indonesia Foundation and RCTI.

References

Footnotes
  1. 1 2 3 Emond 2001, 'I feel like.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Femina 2006, Nicky Astria (5).
  3. 1 2 3 Femina 2006, Nicky Astria (1).
  4. 1 2 Tempo 1992, Nicky dan Mamay.
  5. ↑ Femina 2006, Nicky Astria (2).
  6. ↑ Femina 2006, Nicky Astria (3).
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Femina 2006, Nicky Astria (4).
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Rolling Stone Indonesia 2009, 150 Lagu Indonesia.
  9. ↑ Diani 2004, Musician Ian deals.
  10. 1 2 Tempo 2003, Nicky Astria.
  11. ↑ Emond 2011, Anggun C. Sasmi:.
  12. ↑ Tempo 1988, Ikut Tokyo Musik.
  13. ↑ Liner notes for Badai Pasti Berlalu 1999.
  14. ↑ Tempo 2001, Nicky Astria.
  15. ↑ Femina 2006, Nicky Astria (6).
Bibliography
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.