Legendary Jazz Musician Ireng Maulana Passes Away

Jakarta (Antara Bali)- Indonesia's legendary Jazz musician Ireng Maulana died of heart attack on early Sunday.

"Just now, Indonesias prominent musician Ireng Maulana passed away because of heart attack," Peter F Gontha, initiator of Java Jazz Festival, wrote on his Twitter account @PeterGontha.

Born in Jakarta on June 15, 1944, Ireng Maulana or Eugene Lodewijk Willem Maulana, was younger brother of Indonesian famous Jazz guitarist Kiboud Maulana.

Ireng was one of the initiators of Jakarta International Jazz Festival or JakJazz, which was organized for the first time in 1988.

In 1978 he established the Ireng Maulana All Stars group consisting of among others Benny Likumahua (trombone), Hendra Wijaya (piano), Maryono (saxophone), Benny Mustapha (drum), Karim Tes (trumpet), and Roni (bass).

Ireng had performed in the North Sea Jazz Festival, in the Netherlands.

He studied to play classical guitar at the City Line Guitar Centre, the US, and later at the Konijnklijk Conservatorium in The Hague, the Netherlands.(WDY)