Born in Surakarta, Indonesia on November 7, 1945, Waldjinah is a singer of traditional Indonesian songs. She is best known for her recording of “Walang Kekek,” which introduced a lot of Indonesians to Javanese keroncong music, a style that incorporates a ukulele-like instrument called the kroncong alongside violin, cello, string bass, and a vocalist. Over the course of her career, she has released over 200 albums and has recorded over 1500 songs. She began her musical journey as a child, being influenced by Japanese music that she heard at the factory that her father worked at. When she was in her teens, she became interested in keroncong music, which influenced her future musical direction. She won a Radio Republic Indonesia singing contest, which brought her to prominence throughout Surakarta, Indonesia and beyond. Waldjinah released her first album, Ratu Kembang Katjang, in 1967, which was quickly followed by Putri Solo Vol. 1. In 1968, she issued the single “Walang Kekek,” which became a huge hit in Indonesia and brought her beloved keroncong music to a wider audience. Since then, Waldjinah has remained the voice and face of keroncong, becoming one of Indonesia’s most beloved artists. She continued to release many albums over the decades and achieve success with releases such as Emas Langgam Jawa Waljinah (2017), which included the single “Pamitan.”
