Ahmad Albar
| Ahmad Albar | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ahmad Syech Albar |
| Born |
16 July 1946 Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist |
| Years active | c. 1970 - present |
Ahmad Syech Albar (Arabic: أحمد شيخ البار 'Aḥmad Šayḵ Al-Bār) (born 16 July 1946) is an Indonesian rock star and founding member of God Bless; in the band he is known as Iyek.
Albar was born in Surabaya, East Java on 16 July 1946 to Syech Albar and his wife Farida Alhasni. Both of his parents were of Arab descents. He was the couple's fourth child. In 1958 he played in the film Djenderal Kantjil (General Kancil).
Albar moved to the Netherlands in 1965. In 1970 he sang "Don't Spoil My Day" and "Tell Me the World" with Clover Leaf, which charted. After his return to Indonesia, he founded God Bless with Jockie Soerjoprajogo, Fuad Hassan, Donny Fattah, and his friend from Clover Leaf, Ludwig Lemans; Albar was lead vocalist. The band's first performance was in Taman Ismail Marzuki on 5 May 1973, and on 16 August 1973 they held the Summer 28 concert, the first (and, as of 2004, largest) open-air concert in Indonesia. The band, with Albar, also played in the 1973 comedy Ambisi (Ambition), directed by Nya Abbas Akup.
In 1975, Albar and God Bless opened for Deep Purple at a concert in Jakarta. On 27 September 1975, Albar appeared on the cover of Tempo, with a full feature on him inside; the coverage compared his costume to Zorro's and described him spinning the microphone over his head as if he were competing in a hammer throw event. Other magazines, such as Junior, Aktuil, and Top, soon followed; Aktuil named him the best vocalist of 1976.
In 1976, Albar and God Bless released their first album, Huma di atas Bukit (House on the Hill). The titular song was an adaptation of "Firth Of Fifth", from Genesis' 1973 album Selling England by the Pound. The same year Albar played in Laila Majenun (Laila is Possessed), directed by Sjumandjaja; "Huma di atas Bukit" was used as its theme song.
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