By Sophia Whittemore
AsAmNews Staff Writer
The New York Times did a feature on three stellar teenage girls hailing from Singajaya, Indonesia: lead singer Firdda Kurnia, drummer Eusi Siti Aisyah, and bass player Widi Rahmawati. The three girls all share a couple things in common.
Their budding presence online and in concert show their spreading popularity among Indonesian punk youth.
They’re powerful young women who know what they want.
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They’re observant Muslim.
The three hijab-wearing girls have gotten so famous that they played at the 72nd Independence Day celebrations for thousands of government officials in the capital city of Jakarta. And they’re truly an inspiring sensation globally to the progressive youth culture of Islam.
Now, this hasn’t gone without challenges. The girls were pelted by rocks bearing vulgar messages for acting out and, in the girls’ words, not being submissive enough or acting improperly by playing heavy metal. Yet the girls’ amazing music teacher, Cep Ersa Eka Susila Satia, sponsors their music and even offered to manage their band.
Ever since the girls rock band “Voice of Baceprot” (meaning noise in the West Javanese dialect) was posted on social media and, since then, the girls have been a viral sensation.
“Achievement at school should not always be studying, but it can be music,” Ms. Firdda said. And the three girls fully intend to “rock on” and express themselves to prove it.
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