“Kabut Putih (White Fog)” is a song written by Zubaidah Nungtjik A.R. in 1971 while she was held at Camp Plantungan, an exile camp for female political prisoners who were victims of the 1965 tragedy.

hara sang a rendition of this song in 2021 to mark the release of the documentary Lagu Untuk Anakku (A Song for My Child), directed by Shalahuddin Siregar in 2022, which chronicles the Dialita Choir. In 2023, hara invited frau to perform the song at the Kenduri Concert in Yogyakarta. A year later, despite being separated by distance—hara now in Wellington and frau in Yogyakarta—the two decided to release Kabut Putih with a new arrangement. This latest version was first presented to Dialita on October 6, 2024, and officially released to the public on October 25, 2024.

Kabut Putih is a charming, empowering song that conveys hope and resilience, flourishing even in the harshest of times—a strength we must all carry to sustain the nurturing of life. May this song serve as a reminder, as well as as a small gift to Dialita and the survivors of the 1965 tragedy, that we will always remember them, forever.

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Kabut Putih adalah sebuah lagu yang ditulis oleh Zubaidah Nungjtik A.R. tahun 1971 dari dalam Kamp Plantungan, tempat... more
lyrics
Kabut Putih

Kau kabut tebal nan putih, di lembah sunyi, datang mencekam
Kau kabut putih dan dingin, pagi 'ni suram

Hujan rintik menambah sepi
hati nan muram, dingin merana

Kabut kini kian menipis
harap cahaya

Betapa tiada perih, betapa tiada gundah [duka]
Tapi lihatlah, lihat
s'makin terang cuaca

Menghilanglah kabut putih
hujan gerimis pun lenyap seg'ra
Lembah sunyi mulailah ria
'kan cerah pasti

White Fog

You are the fog, thick and white, in this quiet valley, coming to envelop
You are the fog, white and cold, this morning is gloomy

The light rain adds to the silence
a gloomy heart, cold in sorrow

The fog is now fading away
A hope for light

How could there be no pain, how could there be no sorrow,
But look, the day is getting brighter

The white fog disappears
the light rain swiftly clears

The quiet valley begins to rejoice
it will surely be bright
credits
released October 25, 2024
Written by Zubaidah Nungtjik A.R. (1971)
Performed by hara & frau
Electric piano arrangement by Leilani Hermiasih
Produced by Rara Sekar Larasati
Dialita interview recording from Lagu Untuk Anakku (Shalahuddin Siregar, 2022)
Mixed and mastered by Thomas Arbor
Photograph from Ibu Endang Lestari’s (Kiprah Perempuan Yogyakarta) personal collection, archive managed by IVAA (Indonesian Visual Arts Archive)
Artwork design by Jordan Marzuki

(cc) 2024 Akar Wangi Records.
This work is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.