Iwan Fals

Sound

Iwan Fals

Born 1961-09-03 · Jakarta, Indonesia

Virgiawan Listanto or better known as Iwan Fals (born 3 September 1961) is an Indonesian singer, songwriter and guitarist of Javanese descent. In 2002, Time named him a Great Asian Hero. His musical style has been described as pop , rock , country , and folk pop , and his lyrics often reflect the dark political times of the 1970s and 1980s. Iwan Fals was included in Rolling Stone Indonesia magazine's list of The Immortals: 25 Greatest Indonesian Artists of All Time. Through his songs, he 'portraits' the social atmosphere of Indonesian life from the late 1970s to the present, the world in general, and life itself. Criticism of the behavior of a group of people (such as Surat Untuk Wakil Rakyat , Tante Lisa ), empathy for marginalized groups (e.g. Siang Seberang Istana , Lonteku ), or major disasters that hit Indonesia (or sometimes outside Indonesia, such as Ethiopia ) dominate the themes of the songs he performs. However, Iwan Fals not only sings his own compositions but also a number of other composers. Iwan, who was also active in sports, won second place in the national karate championship and fourth place in the 1989 national karate championship . He also attended national training camps and trained karate at his university, STP (Sekolah Tinggi Pulisistik). Iwan also worked as a columnist for several sports tabloids.

Acting credits

Belum Ada Judul poster
7.0

Umar Bakri, a respected high school teacher, faces public outrage after a video of him slapping a student goes viral. Despite pressure to explain, he remains silent to protect a secret that could ruin his students' futures. A touching drama about sacrifice, morality, and a teacher’s unwavering dedication.

Belum Ada Judul

2025

Kantata Takwa poster
NR

Experimental documentary, with animation, shot during a gala concert by the Kantata Takwa Orchestra.

Kantata Takwa

2008

Damai Kami Sepanjang Hari poster
NR

Iwan, a high school student, loses his bajaj-driver father because the jeep of Dance Lintang, a famous singer, runs him down. Iwan’s pregnant mother has to work hard. Iwan has been singing on the streets for money, and now he gets help from his younger siblings who sell newspapers. But his mother passes away when she gives birth to her last child so Iwan vows to raise his siblings. But when he cannot afford it, he puts his siblings in the orphanage. Then when his girlfriend Tia yells at him for doing that, he instinctively runs off with his siblings. He is imprisoned as a result but a journalist, Miftah, who knows his talent, bails him out. Iwan decides to quit school and Miftah manages to record him. Dance is furious when he hears that Iwan is making a record. He approaches the producer and destroys the recording tape. Then Dance gets arrested for narcotics while Iwan’s record is a major hit, so he brings his siblings home from the orphanage.

Damai Kami Sepanjang Hari

1985

Perayaan Mati Rasa poster
6.9

When they suddenly lose their parents, rival siblings lan and Uta must set aside their dreams to help each other navigate their grief.

Perayaan Mati Rasa

2025