Indonesia Raya
| English: Indonesia the Great | |
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Original recording from 1945
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National anthem of  Indonesia
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| Also known as | Indonesia Raja → (old spelling) English: Indonesia the Great |
| Lyrics | Wage Rudolf Supratman, 1924 |
| Music | Wage Rudolf Supratman, 1924 |
| Adopted | 17 August 1945 (original) 17 August 1950 (official) |
| Music sample | |
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'"Indonesia Raya"'
(Symphonic rendition by Jozef Cleber) |
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"Indonesia Raya" has been the national anthem of Indonesia since the proclamation of independence of the Republic of Indonesia on the 17 August 1945. The song was introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, on 28 October 1928 during the Second Indonesian Youth Congress in Batavia. The song marked the birth of the all-archipelago nationalist movement in Indonesia that supported the idea of one single "Indonesia" as successor to the Dutch East Indies, rather than split into several colonies. The first newspaper to openly publish the musical notation and lyric of "Indonesia Raya" — an act of defiance towards the Dutch authorities — was the Chinese Indonesian weekly Sin Po.
The first stanza of "Indonesia Raya" was chosen as the national anthem when Indonesia proclaimed its independence at 17 August 1945. Jozef Cleber, a Dutch composer, created Indonesia Raya arrangement for philharmonic orchestra in 1950. This arrangement is widely used currently for formal and some informal purposes.
"Indonesia Raya" is played in flag raising ceremonies in schools usually on Mondays. The flag is raised in a solemn and timed motion so that it reaches the top of the flagpole as the anthem ends. The main flag raising ceremony is held annually on 17 August to commemorate Independence day. The ceremony is led by the President of Indonesia and is usually held in Istana Negara (Jakarta).
In 1928, youths from across Indonesia held the first Indonesian Youth Congress, an official meeting to push for the independence of the nation. Upon hearing about the efforts, young reporter Wage Rudolf Supratman contacted the organizers of Congress with the intention of reporting the story, but they requested that he not publish the story from fear of Dutch colonial authorities. The organizers wanted to avoid suspicion so that the Dutch would not ban the event. Supratman promised them this, and the organizers allowed him free access to the event. Supratman, who was also a musician and also a teacher, was inspired by the meetings and intended to write a song for the conference. After receiving encouragement from the conference leader Sugondo Djojopuspito, Supratman played on the violin the song Indonesia with the hope that it would someday become a national anthem. He kept the script to himself because he felt that it was not the appropriate time to announce it.
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Wikipedia