Nowadays, Indonesian people, particularly young people are very hungry for popularity. It can be seen from various TV shows which offer a fast way to be famous with various programming concepts. The young people seem so enthusiastic to join the auditions, from the talent show for a magician, comedian, presenter, to the most anticipated program every year, Indonesian Idol. This talent show can indeed make people become a celebrity in a second.
The Album Cover of Indonesian Idol Compilation
Who doesn’t know Delon, Mike, Judika, Ikhsan, Haris and their other friends? They are Indonesia’s young people who were successfully promoted by Indonesian Idol to become popular singers. Since this program was held in 2004, every year the number of the enthusiast has always been increasing. The culmination happened in 2010 when the participants reached 80 thousand people. It increased threefold compared to a few years ago when it was only 24 thousand participants. We can conclude from it that the Indonesian Idol event has become an unbelievable magnet for the participant and audience.
Delon Indonesian Idol
Among the 80 thousand people who joined the audition, there was one of my friends who came all the way from Baso, Agam Regency, West Sumatra to Jakarta to try becoming a superstar, his hidden dream since the Indonesian Idol was held for the first time.
His real name was Abdullah. However, since the Indonesian Idol 2, which had been won by Delon, he had been willing to change his name to Dulon. He demonstrated the name to people around him himself. People could accept this because Dulon’s voice was rather sweet and beautiful when he sang melancholic songs, from the songs from the pop bands to Malay songs he liked such as, Ungu, Wali, ST12, Kerispatih and songs from Rossa.
Abdullah a.k.a. Dulon
From the beginning of Indonesian Idol, Dulon had already had a big intention to join the audition. Every time this event had been held, he always watched it on TV enthusiastically. He had never missed this Friday night program. Even, every time I came to his house, he sang and asked me to pretend to be a judge to evaluate whether he really deserved to be the next Indonesian Idol. But his desire to go to Jakarta had always been canceled because of the cost problem.
I knew Badul – Abdullah’s nickname – in 2003 through his sister who had gone to the same Elementary School with me. Her name was Yani. Because she didn’t have money to continue her education to High School, Yani went to Jakarta in 2006 to work with her brother. In 2003, Badul had not opened his business yet. Badul, who was a native of Sicincin, worked in Ibu Ani’s house frying the Karupuak Sanjai (Minangkabau cassava chips). With the salary which was barely enough or in Minang people’s term “Palapeh Makan”, it was very difficult to save money to go to audition in Jakarta. But Dulon was still enthusiastic. Every day he collected the money from his job, and every time he took a shower he practiced his voice using the bathroom.
Around the middle of 2007, Ibu Ani’s business decreased. She then moved to Medan with her husband. But Dulon didn’t become an unemployed because it was a time when he decided to open his own business. With the capital he had gained during his job frying the crackers, and the lesson and experience he had gotten from Ibu Ani, Dulon opened his own business trading in one corner of Baso Market. He sold his product from Krupuk Sanjai (sweet potato chips), Krupuk Talas (Taro Crackers), to Keripik Pisang (Banana Chips) there. In the fasting month like this, Dulon didn’t sell crackers. He changed his goods to cakes and white bread for the iftar menu, which he sold in the pabukoan (iftar meals) market every afternoon.
Various crackers which were sold by Dulon
Alhamdulillah, his business was very smooth. His desire to join the audition of Indonesian Idol in Jakarta in 2008 was almost realized. But, again, it wasn’t realized because he preferred to buy a motorcycle. He had been craving for a long time for an automatic motorbike which was very popular in my hometown. At the beginning of 2009, his father, who had been living with his brother in Pariaman for about five years, went home to Baso. Seeing that his father was rather old and only spent his day eating, sleeping, eating and sleeping again, Badul decided to give him the capital to trade Jengkol, because when Badul had been a little child, his father had been a Jengkol trader.
Dulon’s father was selling Jengkol
Finally, in this 2010, Dulon realized his dream to join the audition in Jakarta. The night before his departure, he went around the village on his automatic motorcycle to his friends’ houses, including mine. He came to say goodbye and asked for blessing from them, including from me, who always pretended to be a judge for him. When he arrived at my house, he practiced for the last time singing Afghan’s song Terima Kasih Cinta (Thank You Love). That was the song he would sing at the audition later.
“Okay, Dul, keep the spirit! You will be on the stage in Balai Sarbini next month!” Those were my last words before his departure.
During his time in Jakarta, Dulon didn’t want to reply my SMS. Maybe he wanted to surprise me if he had qualified. A week later suddenly he called me. He said that he was home now. Because I didn’t believe it, I immediately went there. It turned out that Dulon was indeed home, in front of the door smoking a cigarette wearing an Indonesian Idol pin on his shirt. Apparently he failed to qualify.
“Ndeh Men, Si Agnes Monica se yang suko ka den wakatu tu diang nyo… salabiahnyo ndak ado yang suko samo aden do,” (Aw, Men, at the audition, only Agnes Monica liked me, the rest (judges) didn’t) Dulon said.
“Yo lah suratan tangan ang ngaleh karupuak ko mah… disuruahnyo ang di Anang (one of the judges) mamacik sendok kuali liak tu… nampaknyo ndak buliah dinyo ang mamacik mic samo inyo do” (Well, it is your fate to be a crackers trader only. Anang asked you to hold the spoon of the frying pan again, it seemed that he didn’t allow you to hold the microphone) I answered jokingly.
Dulon threw his flip flop towards my motorbike.
But overall, there was no sadness on his face, even though he had spent a lot of money to go to Jakarta and had queued for eight hours at the audition. He was still as usual, liked to sing and always joking. One thing that he regretted, his participant’s registration number had gotten lost somewhere.
The Indonesian Idol pin was Dulon’s only token of the audition in Jakarta
The Indonesian Idol pin was the only token that he had joined the audition. Up until now, we are still waiting for Dulon to be aired on TV. But what we can do, it seems that it’s Dulon’s fate not to be on TV. Be patient, Dulon, maybe selling the crackers is the best way that God has given to you. However, for us, you are the Delon of Baso Village.
