Sumarti better known by her stage name Titiek Puspa, is an Indonesian singer and songwriter. Rolling Stone Indonesia has selected two of her songs as some of the best Indonesian songs ever.

Biography

Puspa was born with the name Sudarwati in Tanjung, South Kalimantan

South Kalimantan

South Kalimantan/South Borneo is one of the thirty-three Provinces of Indonesia and one of four Indonesian provinces in the Indonesian part of Borneo. The provincial capital is Banjarmasin...

 on 1 November 1937 to Tugeno Puspowidjojo and Siti Mariam. Her family later changed her name to Kadarwati and then finally Sumarti. As a child, she wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. However, after winning several singing competitions she decided to become an entertainer.

After winning the Radio Republik Indonesia

Radio Republik Indonesia

Radio Republik Indonesia is the state radio network of Indonesia. The organization is a public broadcasting service. It is a national radio station that broadcasts all over Indonesia and abroad to serve all Indonesian citizens throughout the nation and overseas. RRI also provides information about...

 singing competition in Semarang

Semarang

- Economy :The western part of the city is home to many industrial parks and factories. The port of Semarang is located on the north coast and it is the main shipping port for the province of Central Java. Many small manufacturers are located in Semarang, producing goods such as textiles,...

, Central Java

Central Java

Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...

, Puspa was asked by Sjaiful Bachri of the Jakarta Symphony Orchestra to sing for them. After her performance of Ismail Marzuki

Ismail Marzuki

Ismail Marzuki was an Indonesian composer, songwriter and musician who wrote between 202 and 240 songs between 1931 and 1958, including numerous popular patriotic songs. Among his best known works are "Gugur Bunga" and "Rayuan Pulau Kelapa". In 1968, he was honoured with the creation of Taman...

's song "Chandra Buana", the group elected to keep her as their regular singer. Her stage name

Stage name

A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

 was chosen by President Sukarno

Sukarno

Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...

 during the 1950s.

Aside from singing and songwriting, Puspa also acts.

In 2009, Puspa was diagnosed with cervical cancer

Cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...

. After several months of treatment, including two months of chemotherapy

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....

 at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital

Mount Elizabeth Hospital

Mount Elizabeth Hospital is a 373-bed private hospital in Singapore operated by Parkway Health. It was started in 1976 and officially opened in 8 December 1979....

 in Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 (where she wrote 61 songs), she was declared to be free of cancer. She credits her prayer and meditation in the hospital for her success at fighting cancer.

Songwriting

In a 2008 interview with Bruce Edmond of The Jakarta Post

The Jakarta Post

The Jakarta Post is a daily English language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Bina Media Tenggara, and the head office is in the nation's capital, Jakarta....

, Puspa stated that "[s]ongs are my medicine, my vitamins, they make my life better."

Legacy

Puspa has been described as "the grand dame of Indonesian entertainment".

Alberthiene Endah

Alberthiene Endah

Rr. Alberthiene Endah Kusumawardhani 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...

 wrote a biography of Puspa, entitled "A Legendary Diva". It was released in 2008.

Two of Puspa's songs, "Kupu-Kupu Malam" ("Nighttime Butterflies", from the album of the same name) and "Bing" (from Cinta) were selected as some of the best Indonesian songs of all time by Rolling Stone Indonesia in 2009. "Kupu-Kupu Malam" was ranked 32nd; the write-up noted that the song was an unbiased look at prostitution in Indonesia

Prostitution in Indonesia

Prostitution in Indonesia is legally considered a "crime against decency/morality", nevertheless it is widely practiced, tolerated and regulated. Some women are financially motivated to become prostitutes, while others may be forced by friends, relatives, or strangers...

, with Puspa's vocals at times as if she were holding back tears and at other times roaring with strength. "Bing", Puspa's tribute to Bing Slamet

Bing Slamet

Ahmad Syech Albar, better known by his stage name Bing Slamet, was an Indonesian singer, songwriter, comedian, and actor. During his career, he acted in 17 films and released "dozens" of albums. Shortly before his death, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Governor of Jakarta...

, was ranked 41st and described as being capable of expressing her feelings of loss without coming across as overly emotional.

Personal life

Puspa is married to director Mus Mualim. Together they have two children. , Puspa lives in South Jakarta

South Jakarta

South Jakarta is a city within Jakarta Special District, Indonesia. It had a population of 2,057,080 at the 2010 Census, and is the third most populous among the five cities of Jakarta, after East Jakarta and West Jakarta...

.

Discography

The following is a partial list of Puspa's albums.

• Kisah Hidup (Life's Story; 1963)
• Mama (1964)
• Bing (1973)
• Kupu-Kupu Malam (Night Butterflies; 1977)
• Apanya Dong (What; 1982)
• Horas Kasih (Greetings, Dear; 1983)
• Virus Cinta (Love Virus; 1997)

Filmography

The following is a partial list of sinetron and films that Puspa has performed in.

• Minah Gadis Dusun (Minah the Village Girl; 1965)
• Di Balik Cahaya Gemerlapan (Behind the Shimmering Light; 1976)
• Inem Pelayan Sexy (Inem the Sexy Waitress; 1976)
• Karminem (1977)
• Rojali dan Juhela (Rojali and Juhela; 1980)
• Koboi Sutra Ungu (Purple Silk Cowboy; 1982)