| Dewi Lestari Simangunsong | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 20, 1976 Bandung, Indonesia |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Other names | Dee Lestari |
| Alma mater | Parahyangan Catholic University |
| Occupation | Singer, writer |
| Known for | Supernova |
| Spouse | Marcell Siahaan (divorced 2008) Reza Gunawan (2008 - present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | |
| www.dewilestari.com | |
Dewi "Dee" Lestari Simangunsong (born in Bandung, West Java on 20 January 1976) is an Indonesian writer, singer, and songwriter.
Contents |
Dee was born in Bandung, West Java on 20 January 1976;[1] she was the fourth of five children born to a religious Christian family.[1][2] Raised to be active in music, she took up singing, later providing backing vocals for singers such as Chrisye.[2] After graduating high school, she attended Parahyangan Catholic University and graduated with a degree in international relations.[1] In 1993, she formed the girl group RSD (Rida Sita Dewi) with her friends Rida Farida and Sita Nursanti; together they released three albums and a greatest hits album on Warna Musik and Sony Music.[2]
In 2001, Dee released her first novel, Supernova.[1] The novel was well received and spawned two sequels, Supernova: Akar (Supernova: Roots) and Petir (Thunder).[1] Supernova was nominated for the Khatulistiwa Award, as was one of its sequels in 2003.[2]
In March 2006, Dee release Filosofi Kopi: Kumpulan Cerita and Prosa Satu Dekade (Coffee Philosophy: A Decade Worth of Stories and Prose).[1] The collection of short stories and prose dealt with themes of love and spirituality and was described by literary critic and poet Goenawan Mohamad as being "Uncomplicated, in fact quite brilliant..." Mohamad went on to suggest that it would revive "wit" in Indonesian literature.[1] At the same time, she released her first solo album, Out of Shell; the album had been in development since 1994.[1]
Two years later, Dee released Rectoverso, a "hybrid" of an album and a short story collection.[3] The project started in 2006 when she wrote the song "Hanya Isyarat" ("Only a Sign") and, unsatisfied, wrote a short story with the "same theme and inspiration"; from this seemingly different but "actually one and complementary" arrangement, she derived the title.[3] One of the songs, "Malaikat Juga Tahu" ("Angels Also Know"), was released as a single to warm reception.[4]
In 2011 Dee released another collection, Madre (Mother), which was inspired by her hobby of cooking; madre is also a kind of yeast used in cooking.[2]
Dee often touches on themes of religion in her songs and writings.[1] She notes that spirituality is her "driving force", but has said that she says "no" to religion.[1] She has also touched on environmentalism.[1] Poet Sitok Srengenge writes that Dee "offers unique and complex themes in each of her works, delivering her message with a smart and fresh narrative".[2] She has been grouped with the sastra wangi (literally "fragrant literature") literary movement.[5]
Dee has cited American author Ana Castillo as inspiring her to write short stories, as they are not always the same length.[1] Dee enjoys the works of fellow Indonesian writers Sapardi Djoko Damono, Seno Gumira Ajidarma, and Ayu Utami.[1] She has also read philosophical works by Ken Wilber, Friedrich Nietzsche, Emanuel Kant and Martin Heidegger.[1]
Dee married Marcell Siahaan, a fellow singer; together they have a son.[1] They sometimes collaborated on writing songs.[1] However, in 2008 they divorced; later that year Dee married holistic healer Reza Gunawan.[4][6] In 2009 the couple announced their first child, who was born through an unassisted home birthing procedure.[7][6]
Dee says that her "perception about religion is probably different from other people's".[1] Although she was raised a Christian, she has also studied Buddhism and Kabbalah; she notes that she realized that God could be found outside of religious institutions when she followed a sunset from church to a railroad yard.[1] She is heavily against fundamentalism, stating that fundamentalists "are crazy".[1]
Dee is a practitioner of yoga and meditation.[2] She has been a vegetarian since 2006.[2]